How To Recycle Polypropylene?

April 21, 2018

Cooljarz™ airtight odor-proof jars and containers are made in USA from FDA certified polypropylene (PP), also known as recycle number 5.

Polypropylene (PP) is a thermoplastic polymer. It is a robust material that will resist strong acids, solvents and cleaning on the upper shelf of a dishwasher. Cooljarz™ containers made from polypropylene can easily be customized with colors so that the finished product is opaque or translucent. All Cooljarz™ colors are FDA certified and will not affect recycling the container. The material composition of a Cooljarz™ product can be found under specifications for that product. Labels supplied by Cooljarz™ are recyclable polypropylene.

Polypropylene Fun Facts

Molecular formula - (C3H6)n
Density - 0.946 g/cm3 crystalline
Melting point - 130 degrees C (266 degrees F)
Melt Flow Rate - 30 MFR
IUPAC id - poly(propene)

Recycle Logo - Old vs. New

old polypropylene recycle symbol versus new symbol

Click on the image above for a full list of all the recycling numbers.

Environmental Impact of Non-Recycled Polypropylene

Polypropylene has become one of the most widely used materials for packaging because of its resistance to heat and chemicals. Unfortunately packaging has a very short life-span yet it takes more than 20 years to full decompose. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, an estimated 20% of municipal solid waste is made up of plastics. That's a lot of material clogging our landfills for a very long time, especially considering the polypropylene plastic used to make Cooljarz™ products is 100% recyclable. Recycling your Cooljarz™ containers is an eco-friendly and cost-effective way to do your part in decreasing the amount of plastic in our waste systems.

Recycling Process

In 1988 the Society of Plastics Industry introduced a uniform code for plastics to identify materials for more efficient sorting during the recycling process. Most of the plastic products you see will have a stamp on them with a number 1-7 depending on the type of plastic; Cooljarz™ polypropylene, for example, is stamped with the number 5 (shown above).

The actual process of recycling polypropylene plastic involves five major steps. First the products are collected, usually as a mixture of different types and then sorted based on the recycling codes mentioned. Next they are cleaned and labels are removed. This cleaning process includes converting the solid components to granulated flakes that are converted to uniform pellets. The fourth step to the recycling process is reprocessing the plastic by melting. The uniform pellets are melted and cut into new granules so that they can be used to create new products. The final step of the recycling process is using this recycled material to create new polypropylene products. Melt flow and other key parameters are measured to determine the most acceptable applications for the new material.

Some products made out of recycled polypropylene include signal lights, bicycle racks, landscape borders, brooms, battery cables, brushes, rakes and bins. Recycled polypropylene is never processed back into a product that has food near contact or food direct contact. All Cooljarz™ are made from prime virgin FDA compliant BPA free polypropylene. Even the polypropylene and plastic colors we use are made in the USA.