Are Straws And Plastic Utensils Recyclable?

Generally, recyclable items have a triangle on them with a number inside which specifically lets you
know that it is, indeed, recyclable. There are some exceptions to this rule with items that are actually recyclable items.

Drinking straws are usually made from Plastic #5, or polystyrene; and plastic utensils are made from Plastic # 1, or polystyrene or Plastic # 6 polypropylene.

Two myths that tend to creep up when discussing the ability to recycle these products are:

It’s not hygienic to recycle things that have been in peoples’ mouths.

    The process by which plastics are transformed into other usable products consist of heating the plastic to its melting point (usually ranging between 325 to over 700 degrees Fahrenheit) which would most certainly kill any residual germs on the plastic.

Nothing can be made from that type of plastic.

    BlueStripe Cold Cups and Lids are made from 25% post-consumer recycled content, such as drinking straws and other plastics.

In previous articles in our Article Archives entitled Fast Food Restaurant Recycling and Restaurant Recycling Revisited, we learned that fast food restaurants alone generate hundreds of thousands of pounds of waste material each year. Of these hundreds of thousands of pounds, surely a good portion of it would be from the drink lids, drinking straws, and plastic utensils that are so widely known to be a huge part of fast food restaurant takeout.

These popular items are certainly recyclable and can be placed right into your regular recycling cart or at any recycling drop-off center.

For more information on recyclable items visit www.wasteawaygroup.com.