• A one gallon plastic milk container that weighed 120 grams in 1960 now weighs just 65 grams.
• The average 1992 American car contains 300 pounds of plastic made from about 60 different resins.
• Every year, we make enough plastic film to shrink-wrap the state of Texas.
• 10% of the average grocery bill pays for packaging (mostly paper and plastics) - that's more than goes to the farmers.
• In 1993, plastics accounted for 11.5% of the U.S. municipal waste stream by weight (23.9% by volume). In 1994, plastics comprised 9.5% (by weight) of the waste stream.
• The rate of plastic soda bottle recycling rose from 33% in 1990 to 50% in 1994.
• 0.9 million tons of plastics (4.7%) were recycled in the U.S. in 1994.
• Products made from recovered plastic bottles include drainage pipes, toys, carpet, filler for pillows and sleeping bags, and cassette casings.

Content on this page provided by Second Time Around - EPA Region 5 and Agricultural & Biological Engineering, Purdue University.