Plastic is one of the key groups of recyclables we are all accustomed to hearing about, but although some of it can be recycled, it does come with some common misconceptions.

Plastic is made from the byproducts of refining crude oil, with almost one-fifth of a barrel of crude oil going toward petroleum-based products like plastics, tires and crayons, according to the Energy Information Administration. For instance, the Pacific Institute estimates that filling one-quarter of a plastic, single-use water bottle with oil demonstrates how much energy went into making it, transporting it, refrigerating it and finally throwing it away.

Some argue that because plastic is a byproduct of refining crude oil, it shouldn’t be attacked as an environmental evil. The truth is, plastic might seem like an innocent product that is easily recycled in all forms, but creating it still takes energy, and transporting the items that are packaged in plastic uses fuel as well.

There are countless items that are even packaged in not one, but two or three different layers of plastic. And not all plastic is necessarily accepted at local recycling centers. According to www.TreeHugger.com, though the numbers do indicate plastic resin types, they do not guarantee that the material is recyclable.

For instance, both Ohio University and Athens-Hocking Recycling only accept types one and two, which are the most easily and most commonly recycled plastics. These include milk jugs, water bottles, shampoo bottles, cereal box liners and butter tubs. There are seven different kinds of classified resins, so that leaves five resins that aren’t guaranteed as recyclable — at least not in this area.

Adjusting how much plastic you buy is a good way to ensure that you’ll be able to recycle the products you purchase. Check to see if the recycling arrows contain either a number one or two in the middle, and avoid items that are overly packaged with plastic. Also look to see if the product was made from recycled or post-consumer content, as it encourages buying items made from materials saved from being in a landfill.  

There are a lot of plastics that are long-lasting or helpful for medical purposes. But there are also a lot of one-use plastic containers or packaging that wind up in a landfill because they either aren’t recycled or can’t be recycled locally. It’s important to make purchases primarily based on reducing overall waste, secondly based on what can be reused, and thirdly based on what can be recycled.

The use of corn resin instead of plastic resin is a popular alternative, but it creates the same problems as ethanol. It takes a lot of energy and resources to grow and create, and it doesn’t encourage the reduction of disposable and one-use containers.

Being proactive by reducing the amount of plastic you buy and, as a last resort, purchasing what can definitely be recycled, is an important step to cutting greenhouse gases associated with creating, transporting and trashing such products. Plastic might be seen by some as simply a byproduct of crude oil refining that is being utilized instead of wasted, but it ends up as waste when it is turned into something that can’t be reused or recycled.