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Don’t put it in the trash.
Put it to good use.

The plastic used in milk jugs is one of the most desirable plastics
for recyclers.

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Spread the word

Milk jug

“

When you recycle milk jugs at home, there is infrastructure in place for companies like Envision to buy those milk jugs so we can recycle them into clean plastic that can be used again.”

— Roberto Fontanillas, Envision Plastics

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HDPE plastic in general is good, because you can use it over and over with little degradation. Instead of consuming more plastic, Altium is recycling the same plastic up to seven times.”

— Michael Rodriguez, Altium

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It's important to recycle the jugs so these plastics get a second life and don't end up in a landfill.”

— Casey Vaccarezza, Cal-Waste Recovery Systems

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By recycling plastic milk jugs, you’re reducing the use of virgin plastics, saving energy, water, and other resources, creating jobs, and saving money.”

— Tim Dewey-Mattia, Napa Recycling & Waste Services

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You may not think one little bottle will make a difference, but if you count your neighborhood and then the next neighborhood, block, and community – it adds up to a lot of plastic to keep out of our landfills.”

— Navid Rezaei, Epic Plastics

“

Not all plastic is created equal. Your HDPE plastic milk jug is a low carbon footprint way to deliver milk to your family. And it can be recycled back into milk jugs over and over again right here in California, substantially reducing the need to produce more plastic.”

— Mark Murray, Californians Against Waste

Milk Jug half emtpy

About the Milk Jug

Thanks to the special material milk jugs are made of, they’re easy to recycle for consumers, more desirable for recyclers, and can be recycled into a variety of applications.

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Your questions answered.

resource related

Do I have to clean the jug first?

While rinsing out your milk jug before recycling it is the gold standard, it’s not required. There’s such a high demand for #2 plastic (HDPE) that recycling centers would much rather have it unrinsed than not at all.

resource related

How many jugs get recycled vs. end up in a landfill?

In 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that 29.3% of #2 plastic (HDPE) bottles and jars get recycled. And with your help, that number can continue to go up.

resource related

What if it doesn't fit in my bin?

Don't have enough room in your recycle bin? Crush it! Who knew making a difference could feel so satisfying.