Plastic is another material that takes a long time to break down—yet only about 5% of plastic is currently being recycled. Like aluminum cans, refundable plastic soda bottles can be brought back to the grocery store in many areas.
Other types of plastic can be recycled, too; some more easily than others. The most commonly recyclable types of plastic are polyethylene terephthalate, also called “Plastic #1,” and high-density polyethylene, called “Plastic #2.” Plastic #1 is the type of plastic that soda bottles are made out of. Plastic #2 is the type of plastic used to make milk jugs. You can tell what kind of plastic a container is made out of by looking for a number inside the recycle symbol (usually located on the bottom of the container).