Every Bottle Recycled Has An Impact, An America Recycles Day Reminder

Every Bottle Recycled Has An Impact, An America Recycles Day Reminder

International Bottled Water Association | News Release | November 13, 2025

Every bottle recycled has an impact, an America Recycles Day reminder

Alexandria, VA - On America Recycles Day (ARD), the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) wants bottled water drinkers to know that small actions, such as recycling empty bottled water containers, can have a big impact.

Research shows a growing percentage of recycled plastic is being used to create new bottled water containers. Using recycled material to make new bottles and other items reduces the need to use virgin plastic, which means less greenhouse gases are emitted in the manufacturing process of those products.

When empty PET plastic bottled water containers are placed in a recycle bin, they have an 89% success rate of actually being fully recycled, according to the National Association of PET Container Resources (NAPCOR). "PET bottled water containers are the most common drink container found in curbside recycling bins," says IBWA Vice President of Communications Jill Culora. And people should remember to replace the cap on their empty bottled water containers so that the caps will also get recycled. Bottle caps are too small to make it through a material recovery facility (MRF) on their own."

NAPCOR is also reporting a growing shift in the way recycled PET plastic (rPET) is used. Bottle-to-bottle usage is on the rise, with an average of 16.4% rPET across all PET bottles and jars on the US market in 2023.

IBWA is a sponsor of ARD, an initiative of Keep America Beautiful (KAB) that is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States. ARD focuses on educating consumers about proper recycling practices and motivating them to improve their recycling habits to increase recycling rates.

In 2025, KAB is promoting America Recycles Day as "a day all about spreading the word on how recycling helps us reduce waste, save energy, and conserve precious resources."

New data from NAPCOR shows bottled water containers make up 51% of all PET plastic bottles in curbside bins.

Knowing what products are recyclable can be confusing for consumers, but they should never hesitate to recycle bottled water containers. That's because all bottled water bottles (made from either plastic, glass, or aluminum) are 100% recyclable. PET #1 (used to produce individual serving sized bottles and 1-, 3- and 5-gallon containers) and HDPE #2 (used for 1- and 2.5-gallon containers) continue to be the most recycled of all plastics in curbside bins. In addition, 3- and 5-gallon bottled water containers made from either Polycarbonate (PC) or PET plastic and are returned to bottlers who clean, sanitize, and refill them up to 40 times before recycling the containers.

"Recycling reduces the amount of material headed for landfills, and it also drastically reduces greenhouse gas emissions," says Culora.

In addition to partnering with KAB, IBWA is active in educating the public about the benefits of recycling through its Put It In The Bin campaign and involvement with The Recycling Partnership, a national recycling nonprofit organization comprised of industries and municipalities. Together, our goal is to make a measurable impact on recycling in the United States.

For more information about bottled water, visit https://www.bottledwater.org.

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Media Contact:
Jill Culora
[email protected]
703.647.4609

The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) is the authoritative source of information about all types of bottled waters, including spring, mineral, purified, artesian, and sparkling. Founded in 1958, IBWA's membership includes U.S. and international bottlers, distributors and suppliers. IBWA is committed to working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates bottled water as a packaged food product, to set comprehensive and stringent standards for safe, high-quality bottled water products.

In addition to FDA regulations, IBWA member bottlers must adhere to the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which mandates additional standards and practices that in some cases are more stringent than federal and state regulations. A key feature of the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is a mandatory annual plant inspection by an independent, third-party organization.

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