First, crush that bottle. Put the cap back on after you squish it. This traps the air out and saves space in the recycling truck. It’s like giving your bottle a cozy little nap.
A crushed bottle also floats better in the recycling stream. Seriously, it’s true. A flat bottle won’t roll off the conveyor belt and get kicked out. You just made your bottle a team player.
The Rinse-Off Dance
Give it a quick rinse. You don’t need a pressure washer. A few drops of leftover water shaken around does the trick. This gets rid of any sticky soda residue or old water slime.
Remember: clean plastic is happy plastic. A dirty bottle can contaminate an entire bale of recycling. That bale then gets sent to the dump anyway. Don’t be the person who ruined the party for everyone else’s bottle.
Fun fact: Recyclers often use a machine called a “friction washer.” It spins bottles around like a washing machine on turbo. Your rinse just gives it a head start.
