POLYPROPYLENE CAPS, HDPE, PET AND PC BOTTLES FROM WATER INDUSTRIES
We accept and recycle materials from the bottling industries. We purchase HDPE and PP material in large quantities.
CAPS, BOTTLES FROM WATER INDUSTRIES
Polypropylene Caps and Bottles
Most caps from water bottles are either PP or LDPE, abbreviated names for Polypropylene and Low Density Polyethylene. Both are thermoplastic polymers commonly used in applications such as automotive components, reusable containers of many types, reels, plastic parts, packaging and clothing fibres. PP is particularly strong and resistant to tearing or breaking, and can endure exposure to chemical solvents, acids and bases. Since it’s also nonconductive, it can often be used as a dielectric. Mainstream uses of these plastics are to perform jobs such as keeping condiments fresh, preserving the life of medications and containing chemicals.
With the sheer strength of PP, its ability to tolerate high temperatures (up to 160°C, or 320°F without melting) and it does not absorb water, makes it the most popular and widely used plastic packaging in North America. Approximately 6 billion pounds was produced in 2015 in the United States alone. Surprisingly, PP is one of the least recycled post consumer plastics with a rate below 1% according to the American Chemistry Council. This low volume is primarily due to the difficulties of sorting, decontamination processes and odor removal. Post-industrial PP from bottle caps, when captured in production, has a much higher success rate for reuse.
Similarly, LDPE bottle caps are captured in production and recycled into many functional products that take advantage of many unique characteristics of LDPE resin – it is flexible and resistant to impact, easy to inject or extrude and it is resistant to many chemicals and acids.
All plastic products are stamped with recycling identification codes based on the type of resin used. PP’s resin identification code is 5 and LDPE is 4.
To find out more about how to recycle different plastics, read this article.