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Fantastic plastic!

The plastic recycling industry has made great strides in the last 20 years.

Since plastic is used in fibre optics, digital technology, medical implants and other cutting edge technology, it's future is assured!

For example, the refundable plastic bottles that you bring back to the store are transformed into fibres that are used for day-to-day things like backpacks, hats, bike helmets and t-shirts.

Plastic water and soft drink bottles are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PETP), a resin that is quite hard to pronounce but most often used in recycling!

Do you know how many bottles is takes to make:

a hat? 4 bottles
a backpack? 25 bottles
a pair of running shoes? 35 bottles
a two-person tent? 90 bottles

Recycled plastic is also used for:

shopping bags
garden furniture
polar fleece clothes
flower boxes
fences
rain boots
skate guards
clothes pins
rope
combs
hangars
audio and video cassettes
pens
recycling boxes
animal cages
shower curtains
bathtubs

Ordre professionnel des travailleurs sociaux du Québec (in French only)