What happens to recycled plastic?

Recycled plastic: where does it go?

Part of being a great Planet Hero is remembering to recycle as much as you can, as often as you can! But do you know what happens to your plastic, once you’ve recycled it?

Recycled plastic can be transformed into all sorts of cool, eco-friendly products.

Find out what happens to your recycled plastic next below!

Plastic fantastic…

nestle-pure-life-reusing-plastic-water-bottles

New plastic

Much recycled plastic is made into the same product again, like used bottles becoming new bottles. Imagine if all plastic was made from 100% recycled plastic – there’d be no need to make any new plastic! Eco-experts call this a ‘circular economy’.

Materials

Plastic from recycled drinks bottles can be broken down and made into plastic fibres, called polyester, which is used to make all sorts of items, from trainers to backpacks!

Playgrounds

The tough plastic that’s used in containers for milk, shampoo and household cleaner can be transformed into fun playground equipment that will last for years to come!

Garden equipment

How many old plastic bags do you have lying around at home? Recycle them, and they could be used to make park benches, fences and decking for people’s gardens – now that’s what we call going green!

nestle-pure-life-plastic-building-blocks

Buildings

Some clever companies have worked out a way to turn plastic waste into building blocks! The bricks are cheap, long-lasting, and keep buildings warm. Making recycled plastic bricks uses far less energy than ordinary bricks and helps to clean up our planet, too!

nestle-pure-life-recycle-plastic-bottle-caps

Household items

Did you know, bottle caps are often made of a different type of plastic to the rest of the bottle? When recycled, they can be transformed into storage pots, garden rakes, and brooms for keeping our homes and gardens clean and tidy!