OK here's a question

[Barry]

Why do we have to take the plastic tops off plastic bottles when we recycle them? Can we put the tops in seperatly? Whats the deal??

[Guy]

It's so they can crush the bottles more easily. With the tops on the bottles don't crush and so take up more space. For the lids or tops check with your local council. I know here in Australia and in South Africa the plastic tops or lids are not being recycled currently. In the UK there are some charities that collect the tops and then recycle them. I assume they work out a bulk deal of some sort.

So the current suggestion is to take the tops off and throw them in your normal rubbish or collect them if you can find a local scheme!

Does anyone know why they can't be recycled with the bottles?

Here's a link for the UK

[justontime]

I have often wondered about this. My local council only recycles the bottles not the tops, but when I go on holiday the council there wants the bottles and the tops in the same recycling container. Maybe it depends on the machinery they use to sort the items.

[Green-Moo]

I always assumed it was because they were made of a different type of plastic. My local council in the UK didn't collect all types, but I saved the lids seperately & gave them to a charity who recycled them instead.

[RFL1986]

I've always wondered about that as well but I think the reasons listed above are the right ones for why you have to sort the bottle and the top out seperately. It's similar with take-out coffee cups around here where the cup itself can be recycled but not the lid.

[riskey58]

I to have wondered about this. But never could figure out why. What you said does make sense.

[Chris]

I think part of the reason may be because they don't want bottles that still have liquid in them. How many times do you see people throw away a drink with the lid on it and it is still half-full? I think it makes sense to recycle both but that you should take them off the bottle first.

Chris