Recycling Program

At CoolJarz, recycling is part of our culture and we want it to be a part of yours, with an incentive. We have the ability to re-grind most CoolJarz plastic containers and use this material to make new tubes, jars, vials, and containers. We will also accept glass, metal, plastic or cardboard packaging from companies that are eligible under our guidelines. Please contact us for more details!

---

Why Recycling Is Important

Plastics are one of the most versatile materials that we use. They are all around us, whether we’re at home, at work, when we go shopping, and even when we’re on vacation. However, the prevalence of plastics also means that we have large amounts to dispose of. Moreover, recycling plastic is very important, but why?

1. Plastics Make Up A Huge Amount Of Our Solid Waste

There are large amounts of plastics that are disposed of as solid waste. But you’ll probably be surprised to know that plastics make up more than 18% of all solid waste disposed of. This is equivalent to 27 million tons (2018) of plastic being disposed of every year in the US. The unfortunate part about plastic disposal is that it is simply thrown into landfills along with other waste. Given that most types of plastic can be recycled, sending plastics to landfills is a terrible thing to do to the environment. We are running out of landfill space at an alarming rate, which is why we need to refrain from disposing of plastic.

2. Plastic Takes Ages To Break Down

It takes between 500-1000 years for plastic to breakdown and decompose. When we dump plastics into landfills, it doesn’t break down easily. Rather, it clogs up valuable landfill space and can take centuries to break down. Furthermore, if plastics are sent to waste processing facilities, they can overburden the facility which leads to another issue. The burning of plastic is very harmful to the environment. And as if these two things weren’t bad enough, if plastics are disposed of in the ocean, it then becomes contaminated.

3. Plastic Pollution Is A Major Problem

While plastic pollution is prevalent in landfills, as mentioned, it’s not the only place where plastics cause pollution. As a matter of fact, 90% of all waste that is floating on the surface of oceans is plastic. That can be approximated to about 46,000 pieces of plastic per square mile! And, plastics in the ocean really harm the ecosystem. Over a million sea birds and over 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic pollution every year. Furthermore,44% of seabird species, 22% of crustaceans, a growing range of fish species, and all sea turtles are known to have plastic in their bodies. Plastic pollution is a major problem that must be dealt with immediately. If we don’t stop it now, we’ll only create a bad environment for future generations.

4. Which Types Of Plastics Can / Cannot Be Recycled

However, certain types of plastics such as Styrofoam, trash bags, zip pouches, bubble wrap, cereal box plastic, clear plastic wrap, potato chips bags, some department store plastic bags, candy wrappers, 6-pack plastic, and soiled plastic bags and bottles cannot be recycled. There are several economical and technical reasons why these forms of plastic can not be recycled. But the bottom line here is that no matter what we do, this plastic waste will inevitably reach landfills. And, this plastic waste will accumulate, creating a volume of refuse that won’t go away easily. The types of plastic that can be recycled include polystyrene (compact disc cases, plastic forks, etc.), polypropylene (medicine bottles, containers, and pre-roll tubes), vinyl packaging, low-density polyethylene (disposable cups), and high-density polyethylene (milk bottles).

5. Recycled Plastics Can Be Put To Good Use

Another reason why plastic recycling is important is that it can put to good use rather than unnecessarily ending up in a landfill. Recycled plastic can be used to create items such as shampoo bottles, oil funnels, floor tiles, and traffic cones among many other products. Moreover, there are many innovative ways to use recycled plastic. For example, recycled plastic can be used for creating construction decks, sports clothing, vehicle interiors, and other products.As you can see, plastic can live many lives so why on earth would you cut its life short – hurting the environment in the process?

6. Plastic Recycling Conserves Energy And The Environment

Finally, my last reasoning as to why plastic recycling is important is this. For every 1 ton of plastic that is recycled, it is estimated that 7 yards of landfill space are con-served. This is significant, especially considering the fact that we’re running out of landfill space rapidly. Moreover, by recycling plastic, 80% of the total energy that goes into manufacturing new plastic is conserved. The manufacturing of plastic involves the use of petroleum and other fossil fuels. Not only are these fuels scarce, but also the process of manufacturing plastic takes place in an environmentally harmful manner. By recycling, we can reduce the amount of plastic being manufactured and help the environment.

Learn more about what is and what is not recyclable.

EcoWatch.com provides a terrific guide on what is and what is not recyclable and the best ways to dispose of certain materials.

---

Conclusion

Plastic recycling is very important and must be taken seriously. Plastics make up a huge amount of solid waste and take centuries to break down in landfills or the ocean. Therefore, all recyclable plastics should be recycled to reduce landfall, con-serve energy, and conserve the environment. At CoolJarz, we pride ourselves on being as environmentally friendly as possible and recycling is just part of our culture. Help us keep the industry as eco-friendly as possible with the use of our EcoLite pre-roll tubes, containers, and jars. When you're done with them, send them on back to be recycled into yet another packaging product to be enjoyed by your next customer.