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Plastics are found everywhere!  From your telephone, fleece jacket, to your Styrofoam cup you’ll find various types of plastic components.

Petroleum (oil) and natural gas are the main raw materials needed to make most plastics.  By recycling our plastics we are reducing our dependency on non-renewable fossil fuels.

What Plastics Can I Recycle in Santa Fe?

All #1 and #2 bottles, jars and jugs are recyclable in Santa Fe, no matter what the color or shape is.

If it has a neck or a lid, and it’s a # 1 or # 2 plastic, then it’s most likely recyclable.

• #1 plastic bottles, jars and jugs – such as soda, water, and soap bottles that usually come in a clear or translucent color.

• #2 plastic bottles, jars and jugs – such as laundry detergent bottles, milk jugs, shampoo bottles, protein power jars that are usually colored or natural (translucent white).

Where can I recycle it?

Why only bottles?

Many plastic clamshells and “to go” containers might have the #1 symbol on it, but it’s not the same type of plastic resin as a bottle, jug, or jar. There is typically a small amount of #3 (PVC – Polyvinyl chloride) in the clamshell and when it is recycled with #1 (PETE – Polyethylene terephthalate) bottles, jugs, and jars, it is considered a contaminate. PVC has a lower melting temperature than PETE which means that by the time the bottles, jugs, and jars are melting, the clamshells have already started to burn, which could ruin the whole batch. Thus, clamshells and “to go” containers are usually mixed in with the #3-7 mixed plastic bales and Santa Fe does not currently produce that product. If clamshells were mixed in with our #1 plastic bales they could possibly be rejected by a recyclable buyer.

Why not #3-7?

Santa Fe’s BuRRT does not recycle #3-7 plastics for many reasons. Most importantly, plastics #1 (PETE) and #2 (HDPE) have a better local market, higher marketable value, and make up the majority of the plastic waste stream. Plastics #3-7 represent about 1% – 2% of the total volume of recyclable materials in a typical curbside recycling program. If we were to try and capture the remaining #3-7 plastic, we would have a very hard time trying to sort it, store up enough bales for a shipment, and sell it. The volumes that come into BuRRT from the community are currently not high enough.

What does # 1-7 mean?

Plastic is stamped with a recycling symbol and number to help the plastic industry tell the plastic types a part.   To learn more, read about the resin identification code.

Other plastic recycling drop off programs:

#1-7 Plastic

Capital Scrap Metal

#5 plastic (yogurt tubs)

Preserve – Gimme 5 (drop off bin at Whole Foods Market)

#2 & 4 plastic bags: