PET in general use?

[Ron Butters]

because "pet" is a word in its own right and refers to something that many people think of as the near equivalent to their own children, it is not too likely that PET fabrics & grocery bags will ever be popular.

Sent from my Droid Charge on Verizon 4GLTE

------Original Message------
From: Victor Steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Date: Wednesday, November 16, 2011 2:17:07 AM GMT-0500
Subject: Re: [ADS-L] PET in general use?

PET has universal resin identification code 1 (the number in the
"recycle" symbol stamped on plastic). I believe it's the first type of
plastic to have been recycled, although I don't know for sure.  Our
local recycling went from 1 only to 1-3, then 1-5 and now 1-6. I've also
seen signs claiming the reusable shopping bags are made from "recycled
PET bottles" (just like the supposedly non-reusable plastic bags are
made from recycled milk jugs).

     VS-)

On 11/15/2011 11:51 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:
> Thank you for this follow-up also.
>
> Maybe the need to separate recyclables will push this into the domain of general use. AFAIK the labeling on plastic bottles is not adequate to make the type of plastic immediately obvious, though it is probably on there somewhere. Clear labeling is probably a requirement to make this a widespread word; otherwise, people will have to look more closely than it's worth before they can identify the bottle plastic type.
>
> Here in Seattle, we put all plastic bottles in the recycle regardless of their make (http://ow.ly/7uWEZ). If non-PET plastic cannot be recycled, then it must be the case that the city's garbage vendor separates it out. If that style of recycling catches on, it could be a hindrance to popularizing this term.
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Seattle, WA
>
> On Nov 15, 2011, at 1:21 PM, Victor Steinbok wrote:
>
>> Some drink-container-specific recycling bins--such as those installed at
>> some schools, airports, etc.--are labeled "Glass, Aluminum, PET
>> Bottles", or, possibly, a rearrangement that mentions both bottles and
>> cans. Other bins just say "plastic", but that's problematic because not
>> all numbered plastics are recyclable everywhere. According to Wiki, PET
>> was patented in 1941 and PET bottle--in 1973.

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org