A lot of the time, people treat aluminum cans and plastic bottles as if they are interchangeable. Each is sometimes associated with different drinks, and there’s not really much else to it. However, if you take a closer look at the environmental impact, there are pros and cons associated with each. Knowing the difference could make a difference in terms of your future purchasing habits.
Aluminum Cans: Pros and Cons
The major advantage when it comes to aluminum cans is the fact that they are thick enough to be recycled into themselves. This means that you can try to create a perpetual cycle of aluminum production. In fact, roughly 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still currently in use.
However, this only happens if people are diligent about separating and recycling their aluminum cans. Also, at the end of the day, aluminum is still a non-renewable resource, so demands for more cans and other aluminum are going to pose a risk of sorts to the earth’s overall supply.
Plastic Bottles: Pros and Cons
With plastic bottles, there’s a bit more versatility in terms of what you can recycle them into. Because they are so thin, plastic bottles can’t be recycled into themselves like aluminum cans. However, they find lots of use in carpeting, clothing, and sleeping bags. The major drawback is the fact that they are made partially from petroleum. The oil industry is already at the source of a lot of environmental issues, and more demand for it only makes this worse. Also, plastic bottles have a lower recycle rate.
In both cases, to get the most out of your recycling efforts, you want a proper waste management partner. Sunrise Sanitation offers these services across West Virginia and Maryland. Please visit our website to learn more about our services, and follow our blog for more industry news.
