WM's Position on Plastics Recycling

Generally yes, so long as your plastic materials are clean, dry and free of food and liquids and a plastic that is recyclable in your area. Plastic bottles, tubs and jugs are some of the most recycled items that WM receives from households like yours. In 2022, WM managed over 464,000 tons of plastic materials, including those collected on our curbside routes. These materials can be turned into new bottles & containers, clothing, carpet, agricultural tubing, paint cans, and even new recycling bins.

By recycling materials rather than sending them to a landfill, you can help recover untapped value from materials that were destined for disposal, as well as reduce the need to mine or manufacture virgin materials for products. The more plastic bottles, tubs, jugs and jars you recycle, the more we can keep these materials in the circular economy, together.

No. Hoses, shower curtains, swing sets, etc. are made with plastic but include other materials so they are not recyclable. If it is not a “bottle, tub, jug or jar” it probably doesn’t belong in your mixed recycling container. In addition, only certain bottles, tubs, jugs or jars may be recycled in your area depending on the material. Just because an item is made from plastic, or contains plastic parts, doesn’t mean recycling facilities can handle it. It may even require special handling. Always check local programs to confirm what's recyclable in your area.

Additionally, materials like hoses or cords, which we in the industry refer to as “tanglers,” can create safety and operational hazards because they can damage equipment. Refer to your local municipal website to help answer questions about what to do with non-recyclables or household hazardous waste.

Your mixed recyclables are collected and transported through a “hub and spoke” network, where it ultimately arrives at a recycling facility “hub”. There, recyclables are unloaded and placed onto to a conveyor belt. Equipment and people work together to sort cans, containers, and bottles from paper and cardboard. Sorted materials are baled and shipped to manufacturers, where they can be used as feedstock for new products.

Explore our Recycling 101 resources to learn more about what recycling is and how to recycle. 

Yes. WM believes that the demand for recycled materials is growing. Several U.S. states have recently passed minimum-recycled-content mandates, and many companies are responding to customer demand for recycled content to meet their sustainability targets. For example, in California, manufacturers of plastic beverage containers must use at least 50% post-consumer resin in their bottles by 2030. In 2022 the requirement was 15% before it was raised to 25% for 2025.

The recycling process begins when manufacturers demonstrate demand for recyclable materials, which leads companies like WM to build the infrastructure to collect and process them. This complex cycle is complete only when materials are converted into new products that can be used again.

At home: You can make a positive impact from home by recycling your empty and clean plastic bottles, tubs, jugs and jars. Take what you’ve learned here today and share it with the people in your household.

If you do not have a recycling program at home, there are many free and convenient WM recycling drop-off locations across the U.S.

In your community: If you already recycle all you can, share what you’ve learned here today with a friend, family member or  classroom. People are most likely to start recycling (or start recycling correctly) when they learn more about it from someone they trust, like you.

Another thing you can do is to tell your elected official you support recycling and recycled content mandates in your community. A recycled content mandate requires manufacturers to use a required percentage of post-consumer recycled material in their products. This helps encourage companies to rethink the way they design, use, and reuse plastics to create a path towards a circular economy in North America.  

At work: Make a positive impact by starting a plastics recycling program at work. If you already have one, work with your supply chain team to purchase more products with post-consumer recycled content (PCR) to stimulate the circular economy with your business.

Explore our environmental stewardship initiatives, learn how WM continues its leadership in sustainability, and join us in creating a positive impact through efficient and accessible recycling practices.

In pursuit of our intention to recycle materials with responsible domestic end markets, WM generally does not export plastics outside of North America that are collected on WM’s residential routes and processed in WM single-stream recycling facilities, except in very limited circumstances when no other commercially viable domestic end markets are available.

To enhance the positive impact of plastic recycling, WM set an enterprise-wide goal to increase our recovery of recyclable materials to 25 million annual tons by 2030 (a 60% increase above WM’s recovery of materials in 2021). To help meet this goal, WM plans to invest over $1.4 billion in new and upgraded recycling technology and infrastructure between 2022 and 2026 to increase operation efficiency and inbound capacity, as well as to provide increased access to recycling in new markets. Our goal is to recover as much from recycling stream as possible in an effort to create high quality commodities for companies that use recycled materials to make new products, including plastic bottles, tubs, and jugs.