How to Recycle ABS Plastic

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, also known simply as "ABS," is a type of reinforced plastic often found in automotive and electrical parts. As a plastic, ABS is inherently recyclable. It sometimes, however, contains a fire retardant, which severely impedes its recyclability, according to UK-based Express Waste Management Services, Ltd.

Instructions

• 1

  Call your local recycle center and ask the associate if the plant it sends its material to can process ABS plastic, fire-retardant or otherwise. If you place the ABS plastic in your recycle bin without first contacting your recycling center, you risk it being thrown in the garbage and sent to a landfill once it arrives at the recycling center.

• 2

  Bring the ABS plastic in question to your local recycling center if you are unsure as to whether or not it contains fire retardant. If you live in a community that actively recycles, the staff will be able to tell you whether or not the plastic part you have brought contains fire retardant or, at the very least, whether or not it is recyclable.

• 3

  Contact other nearby recycling centers if your closest local center is unable to process ABS plastics with or without fire retardant. Ask associates at your recycling center to help you locate alternatives for recycling your ABS plastic.

• 4

  Reuse your ABS plastic if you cannot recycle it but do not want to throw it out. You may use interior paneling for a car, for instance, as a border to separate your garden from your lawn. Be creative and resourceful and do not get discouraged if you cannot recycle it--in many ways, reusing something is an even better conservation method.