Education Zone

This section of the website provides you with fascinating facts about HDPE plastic milk bottles as well as explaining how the plastic milk bottles you use and recycle can be made back into new plastic milk bottles – the bottle2bottle recycling loop. Click on the Bottle2Bottle recycling loop videos to see how the recycling loop works or download a poster for your classroom.

Plastic milk bottles are 100% recyclable Plastic milk bottles are made from a plastic called High-Density Polyethylene or HDPE, which can be identified by the number 2 symbol on the bottom of the bottle Approximately 95% of local authorities offer recycling collection facilities for plastic bottles – either from outside your home or from plastic bottle banks in your local area [source: Recoup] Every tonne of plastic milk bottles recycled saves a tonne of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) – a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming [source: Recoup] It only takes 4% of the world’s annual oil production to produce plastic packaging. The majority of the world’s oil is used as fuel for transport or to produce heat and electricity [source: APME] Today’s plastic milk bottles are 10% lighter than they were when they were first introduced HDPE plastic milk bottles are already available with up to 10% recycled content, demonstrating that your plastic milk bottle could actually be recycled back into another milk bottle! Up to 40% less fuel is used to transport drinks in plastic bottles compared to glass bottles because they are so much lighter in weight [source: Recoup] The total amount of energy saved by recycling one plastic milk bottle is enough to power a 60 watt light bulb for six hours [source: recycle-more.co.uk]