What Happens If You Don't Recycle Plastic?

Plastic is a type of lightweight, malleable material that is used in automobiles, personal computers, siding, mattresses, storage containers and grocery bags. You can help the environment by recycling plastic goods.

Pollution

• Recycled plastic bottles and containers can often be reused to make new goods, such as deli containers, pipes, bottles, tennis balls or condiment containers. Reusing these plastic materials can reduce air and water pollution because power plants do not have to make new plastic for these items. Recycling plastics can also keep the materials from getting incinerated, a process that adds pollutants to the air.

Resources

• Power plants need to use oil to make plastic materials, including water bottles and plastic bags. By recycling plastics, you can decrease the amount of oil that is going to the plastic-manufacturing process, so it can in turn be used for processes such as the creation of electricity.

Landfills

• Plastics that are not recycled become part of landfills, which increase air and water pollution. By not recycling plastic, you could help to create contaminated air and water, which can cause major and minor health issues such as asthma, reproductive problems, birth defects, carbon monoxide poisoning, bronchitis or lung cancer. Water pollution can also harm animals, especially fish populations.

Household Expenses

• Recycling plastic bags to reuse in the home can save you from having to buy bags to use in garbage cans or as lunch bags, which means you can reduce the amount of money you spend by keeping plastic bags.

Art

• Certain artists use recycled plastic materials, such as bottles or bags, in their artwork. By recycling plastic materials, you can sometimes contribute to artwork that will decorate homes or hang on the walls of museums.