Bottle caps are one of the most common types of plastic we find during our coastline cleanups, but you won't believe how many we found among the mangroves in South Florida's Matheson Hammock Park.
There are 2,893 plastic bottles caps in that picture. They were all found within a 3-hour period during one of our most recent shoreline cleanups at Matheson Hammock Park in South Florida. While the number is staggering, it's also an unfortunately common result of our coastline cleanups.
According to the annual report from 2017 International Coastal Cleanup Day, which is hosted by the Ocean Conservancy, plastic bottle caps ranked at #3 for the most common item found on beaches across the globe. It's no wonder why bottle caps have been found in stomachs of marine animals, seaweed lines, and on coastlines around the world.
So why is it that we find so many bottle caps at all of these cleanups?
Most plastic bottle caps are categorized as #5 plastics, which means they're made from Polypropylene. Contrary to common belief, plastic bottle caps can be recycled. Many recycling facilities accept these plastics, but each facility is different. We encourage you to contact your local recycling facility to learn more about what can be recycled and how to recycle it properly in your city or county.
Want to do your part to reduce single-use plastic in the ocean? CHECK OUT our reusable water bottle.
