Recycling involves creating new products out of old ones, treating waste as a resource.
But not all recycled materials are used to manufacture the same kind of product. Recycled plastics typically are used in applications that are different from their original use. The recycled plastic from PET bottles, the kind often used for beverages like soda and juice, is not typically used to make new bottles. The plastic is used to make other products, like carpeting, polyester fabric and plastic strapping. Exploring the issue for The Resource are Joan Archer, president of the Minnesota Soft Drink Association, and Anne Morse, Winona County's solid waste officer.