Information on Recycling Bottles, Cans, Paper Cartons, and Other Containers



Page Contents: What is Considered a Bottle, Can, Drink Box, Paper Carton or Other Container? Massachusetts Laws and Regulations Benefits of Recycling Bottles, Cans, and Other Containers Recycling Tips Donation Information Recyclers Listing Facts & Figures Associated Links
What is Considered a Bottle, Can, Drink Box, Paper Carton or Other Container? BOTTLES: Bottles are usually made of plastic or glass and contain beverages: juice, soda, water, alcohol; food items: sauces, dressings; or personal care products: shampoo, hand cream.
	A) Plastic: Depending upon the recycling program, all plastic bottles and containers are recyclable. However, the most easily recycled and most valuable recyclable plastics are Polyethylene Terephthalate (“PET”) and High Density Polyethylene (“HDPE”), indicated with a #1 (PET) or #2 (HDPE) on the bottom, surrounded by chasing arrows. Also, clear plastics are generally more recyclable and sought after than colored plastics and are usually separated one from the other. B) Glass: Glass is a very recyclable bottle material. Colors include green or “emerald,” brown or “amber,” clear or “flint” and are either separated or mixed, depending upon the vendor’s needs. Also, clear, brown, and green glass are in greater abundance and, therefore, more sought after than other colored glass (e.g., blue) and each are usually separated one from the other unless returned as redeemables for deposit, in which case they can be mixed together.
CANS: Cans are usually cylindrical containers made of aluminum or steel/tin mixes. Cans generally contain and protect beverages or food items.
	A) Aluminum: Includes carbonated and non-carbonated drink containers such as those for soda and juice. B) Steel/Tin: Often called “tin” cans, steel is the primary material, with a light tin coating to protect food. Soup, tomato, coffee grinds, or tuna are good examples of steel/tin cans.
DEPOSIT vs. NON-DEPOSIT BOTTLES AND CANS: Besides their material makeup, bottles and cans can be broken up into two other categories: deposits (or redeemables) vs. non-deposits (or non-redeemables).
	A) Deposit Containers (Redeemables): Of all bottles and cans, deposit containers are the easiest to recycle. These are the bottles (PET plastic or any color glass) and cans (aluminum) which contain carbonated beverages and have a five-cent Massachusetts deposit. B) Non-Deposit Containers (non-Redeemables): Generally, non-deposits are not desired by haulers unless in very large quantities, such as cases. The "Bottles, Cans, Drink Boxes and Paper Cartons" recyclers section of the Recycling Services Directory (RSD) would be the best source, or perhaps the "Plastics" (for plastics by grade), or "Scrap Metal" (for aluminum or steel/tin) sections. The "Bottles, Cans, Drink Boxes and Paper Cartons" section of the RSD and bottles/cans section in the Small Business Directory lists glass bottle recyclers.
DRINK BOXES: Also known as aseptics, drink boxes are made of multiple layers of materials (including paper and aluminum foil, with a wax coating) to keep freshness in and contaminants and moisture out. Drink boxes generally contain non-carbonated beverages such as juice, soy milk, or rice milk.
PAPER CARTONS: Paper cartons are made of paper and are usually coated to hold and insulate liquids. Milk and orange juice often come in paper cartons.
OTHER CONTAINERS: Containers not covered in the above descriptions include plastics such as tubs, which are wide and sometimes have lids (butter, pasta, soup, containers), brittle plastic or polystyrene (Styrofoam®) cups, jugs (e.g., detergent containers), or other bottles (shampoo, window cleaner, skin care), and come in a variety of plastic grades or resins: PET (#1), HDPE (#2), PVC (#3), LDPE (#4), PP (#5), PS (#6), Other (#7). These items are generally less recyclable and less valuable, but may be economically feasible if collected in large condensed volumes (such as bales), either commingled or separated. Additional container materials might include cardboard (OCC) and paperboard (e.g., cereal, tissue, and cracker boxes), wood (e.g., crates), textiles (e.g., bags), plastic film (e.g., polystyrene film or trash bags), and ferrous (iron-containing) and non-ferrous (non-iron-containing) metals: steel, cast iron, tin (ferrous); brass, copper, and lead (non-ferrous). For these items, check with the appropriate commodity page(s) on this Web site and the corresponding sections in the Recycling Services Directory and Markets Guide for Massachusetts. BACK TO THE TOP
Massachusetts Laws And Regulations By Massachusetts state law, carbonated beverage containers must bear a five-cent deposit, redeemable at any retail establishment (supermarket, cooperative food market, or redemption center) that sells the containers, as long as they are empty, clean, and uncrushed. For a list of drop-off centers accepting redeemable bottles and cans, refer to the “Redemption Center” section in the Recycling Services Directory. Some redemption centers may also accept non-deposit containers, such as aluminum, for their scrap value. Redemption centers are required to register with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MA DEP) every six months. To register your redemption center, call the MA DEP at (617) 556-1054. BACK TO THE TOP
Benefits of Recycling: · Save Money: Businesses receive refunds on the return of deposit bottles and cans to appropriate locations or by haulers that provide such services. · Provide Social Benefits: Donations of redeemable containers can be made to charities for their proceeds, or to school recycle/reuse centers for creative and educational purposes. See “Donation Information,” below. · Divert Material from Disposal: Drink and food containers make up a large amount of consumable (often food service or restaurant) waste. Most are highly recyclable through curbside programs, drop-off programs, or pickup services. BACK TO THE TOP
Recycling Tips: Food and drink containers are often grouped together because many recycling services collect both. All bottles and cans not collected for Massachusetts deposit should be rinsed and free of stray materials. Bottles and cans that are collected for Massachusetts deposit need not be free of non-glass materials (for bottles) or non-metal materials (for aluminum), but do need to be empty, uncrushed, and clean. Vendors that accept commingled recyclables (mixed bottles, cans, drink boxes, and paper cartons) are listed as such in the Materials listings of the "Bottles, Cans, Drink Boxes, and Paper Cartons" section of the Recycling Services Directory. If the containers in question are in large volumes (e.g., trailerloads or bales), are densified (e.g., crushed as in glass cullet, baled as in plastic bottles, or flattened as in a roll-off of steel cans) and are therefore to be treated as a material grade (e.g., green glass, HDPE plastic, or steel) instead of as smaller quantities of whole, uncrushed containers (plastic deposit bottles and/or cans), refer to the appropriate commodity page of this Web site and the corresponding material name in the Recycling Services Directory or the “End-Markets, Materials Recovery/Recycling Facilities (MRFs) & Mills” section instead of the “Bottles, Cans, Drink Boxes and Paper Cartons” recyclers listing. For aluminum containers: Remove labels and other non-same metal items from the containers. Depending upon the recycling program and the quantity of material, aluminum cans may have to be whole or crushed, or separated from other containers, or separated according to deposit or non-deposit. For separation purposes, you may need to test with a magnet. Non-ferrous metals such as aluminum do not stick to a magnet. For plastic containers: Remove labels and other non-same plastic items from the containers. Depending upon the recycling program and the quantity of material, each plastic grade or resin may have to be separated from the others. Check the bottom of the plastics for numbers 1-7 and separate accordingly. Additionally, and depending upon quantity, plastics may need to be separated by color as well. For steel or tin containers: Remove labels and other non-same metal items from the containers. Depending upon the recycling program and the quantity of material, steel/tin cans may have to be whole or crushed, or separated from other containers. For separation purposes, you may need to test metal with a magnet. Ferrous metals such as steel, tin, or steel/tin combinations stick to a magnet. For glass containers: Labels do not need to be removed from glass bottles as they are burned off in the recycling process. However, all non-paper and non-glass items (metal caps, rings, etc.) must be removed from glass bottles. Depending upon the recycling program and the quantity of material, glass bottles may have to be whole or crushed, separated from other containers, or separated deposit from non-deposit and/or by color. Non-bottle glass, such as plate (“window”) or ceramics, are not as recyclable, contain contaminants, and should not be mixed in a bottle recycling program. Aseptic packaging (i.e., multi-layered drink boxes) and paper cartons (coated milk, juice, etc. paper containers) can sometimes be combined in bottle and can (commingled) recycling programs. BACK TO THE TOP
Donation Information: If your business would like to collect deposit bottles and cans but has no interest in either delivering the containers to a recycler or receiving the deposits for those containers, donating the deposit containers to a charity pickup service may be an option. Some charities listed in the Recycling Services Directory that collect containers and redeem them for their deposits include: You Can Help, Inc. (cancer research) and Life Focus Center (individual rehabilitation). Another is Boston CAN (for the homeless): 617-445-6200, http://grass-roots.org/usa/bostoncan.shtml. Clean and non-food containers--especially if not-previously-used manufacturer scrap--may be donated to a school recycle program for creative and learning reuse purposes. Call WasteCap for a hardcopy list of schools recycle programs: 617-324-0301 BACK TO THE TOP
Recyclers Listing for Bottles, Cans, and Other Containers *The Recycling Services Directory and Market Guide for Massachusetts:* This online Directory lists vendors who accept, collect, or purchase recyclable materials from Massachusetts communities and businesses. BACK TO THE TOP
Facts & Figures: · Recycled soda bottles (plastics #1) can be made into carpeting, fleece clothing, tote bags, picnic tables and traffic cones. · At current steel recycling rates, the U.S. saves enough energy to provide 18 million homes with electricity. · Making aluminum cans from recycled aluminum instead of its raw material, bauxite, uses 95% less energy. BACK TO THE TOP
Associated Links: Aluminum Association: www.aluminum.org The Aluminum Association, Inc. is the trade association for producers of primary aluminum, recyclers and semi-fabricated aluminum products. The Associations programs and services aim to enhance aluminum's position in a world of proliferating materials, increase its use as the "material of choice”, remove impediments to its fullest use, and assist in achieving the industry's environmental, societal, and economic objectives. American Plastics Council: www.plastics.org The American Plastics Council (APC) is a trade association for the United States plastics industry working to ensure that plastics are recognized as an environmentally preferred material. Through a variety of outreach efforts, APC works to promote the benefits of plastics and the plastics industry. Aseptic Packaging Council: www.aseptic.org The Aseptic Packaging Council (APC) is a trade association that represents the major U.S. manufacturers of aseptic cartons-Tetra Pak Inc. of Chicago and SIG Combibloc Inc. of Columbus, Ohio. Their primary mission is to inform the American public about the product benefits and environmental attributes of aseptic packaging. Container Recycling Institute: www.container-recycling.org The Container Recycling Institute (CRI) is a non-profit, research and public education organization studying container packaging recycling and reuse. CRI serves as a clearinghouse for information on beverage container deposit systems or bottle bills. Glass Packaging Institute: www.gpi.org The Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) is a trade association for the glass container industry in Washington, D.C., and across the country. GPI serves its member companies through legislative, public relations, promotional and technical activities. National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR): www.napcor.com The National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) is the trade association for the PET plastic industry in the United States and Canada. NAPCOR's mission is to facilitate PET plastic recycling and to promote the usage of PET packaging. Steel Recycling Institute-Northeast Regional Office: www.steel.org The American Iron and Steel Institute is a non-profit association of North American companies engaged in the iron and steel industry. AISI's overall mission is to provide high-quality, value-added products to a wide array of customers; To lead the world in innovation and technology in the production of steel; To produce steel in a safe and environmentally friendly manner; and To increase the market for North American Steel in both traditional and innovative applications. BACK TO THE TOP