Plastic pumps make life easier. They are light and easy to hold, and they are strong and not easily broken. Plastic pumps are the best way to contain and transport a variety of liquids, from water and soft drinks to oil, to household cleaners and infant formula. The plastic pump is a great invention, but what happens when that convenient container is empty?

　　How the bottle harms the environment

　　Since the 1970s, people who care about the environment and the health of the earth have been worried about what to do with plastic once it has been used. Today, approximately 60 million water bottles are thrown away in the United States every day. It can take up to 700 years for a plastic pump to decompose in a process called biodegradation, which is also a process that occurs when a piece of fruit rots. These bottles fill up our landfill, and we need landfills to bury the unrecyclable waste. Throwing away plastic can also harm the environment in other ways. As plastic decays, it releases chemicals that enter our water and air, and makes people, plants, and animals sick.

　　To solve these problems, people have jointly developed a process to recycle plastic pumps and convert them into other useful items, including clothes, furniture, fences, and new plastic pumps, bags, and containers.

　　The process of recycling plastic

　　Recycling requires many steps. First, bottles must be collected from homes, businesses, and other locations. Then, each plastic pump must be separated from the metal, glass, and other items that people put into the recycling bin. Plastic pumps are also classified according to the type of plastic they are manufactured. Then, clean the bottle to remove any food, liquid or chemical residues.

　　Next, all the bottles are ground and cut into thin slices. Finally, they are melted and formed into small particles, each about the size of a rice grain. These particles are packaged and sold to companies that can melt them and make many different products. Think of all the plastic toys, tools, electronics, and other plastic objects in your home. Many of them are made of recycled plastic.