DID YOU KNOW? Recycling just one plastic bottle saves enough energy to power a 60W light bulb for six hours Fleece tops can be made from plastic bottles Plastic vending cups can be made into a pencil Plastic bags can be made into garden furniture, decking and fencing

Recycling plastic can be difficult for a variety of reasons. There is a lot of it about, there are many different types, it’s very lightweight so transporting it far can be a problem, and the value of it fluctuates all the time, so it’s not always attractive to re-processors (it’s not recycled until it’s made into something else!).

We use about 15 million plastic bottles every day in the UK, so it makes sense to recycle these when we can. However, in Herefordshire and Worcestershire there are currently only limited facilities for their recycling. The introduction of kerbside collections of recyclables in the two counties in the future may well increase opportunities, depending on where you live.

There are over 50 different types of plastics and generally, the types must not be mixed for recycling. The most common are:

HDPE - opaque bottles e.g. detergent bottles, shampoo, etc.

PET - transparent bottles e.g. fizzy drink bottles, which have a hard moulded spot in the centre of the base.

PVC - transparent bottles e.g. mineral water bottles, which have an obvious seam running across the base.
If there is a plastic recycling bank or other plastic recycling facility available near you, please use it.

Reuse plastic wherever possible
	150 million plastic carrier bags are used in the UK each week.  So, instead of picking up yet another carrier bag, take your old ones with you when you go to the supermarket or use a long-life carrier bag.
	Use old squash, lemonade and water bottles as mini cloches for plants in the garden. Simply cut them in half and push them into the soil surrounding the plant. If you use the end with the top, you even have a built-in vent!