At last Philadelphians can recycle that yogurt container

    Philadelphians can now recycle more types of plastic including juice bottles, yogurt containers and plastic cups and plates. The new guidelines allow Philadelphians to throw plastic containers numbered one through seven into their beloved blue bins. Previously it was just plastics one and two.

    David Biddle is the Recycling Coordinator for the Philadelphia Streets Department.  He says because of new sorting technology and an increase in the value of recyclables, it is now economically viable for the city to let residents put different kinds of plastic into the recycling bin.

    “Typically in the past, mixed plastics would reduce the value of single stream recycling but in this case it had no negative effect at all,” he said. “The waste industry and the recycling industry are moving leaps and bounds with technology change and various processing changes.”

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    In addition to the plastics expansion, last month the city’s curbside recycling rewards program expanded to include the entire city.

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal