Where Plastic Bottles Go
by Yang Shu-fen · Oct 2026
You finish a bottle of cold tea and drop it into the recycling bin. Then you forget about it. But the bottle's journey has just begun. Where does it go next?
In Taiwan, garbage trucks play music, and people run out of their homes to meet them. Plastic, paper and cans are put into different bags. This system has been used for many years, and it has made Taiwan famous around the world for recycling. The plastic bottles which are collected are taken to a recycling center. There, they are washed and cut into small pieces. The pieces are melted and turned into new . Some of it becomes new bottles, and some becomes the threads for T-shirts and sports jackets. The shirt that you wear in P.E. class might even come from old bottles!
Not every bottle is so lucky. Bottles which are thrown on the street or at the beach often end up in rivers and the sea. Plastic does not rot like food. It can stay in the water for hundreds of years. Over time, it breaks into tiny pieces, and sea animals eat them by mistake. This kind of has been found in the deepest parts of the ocean.
Recycling is better than throwing things away, but it is not perfect. The uses a lot of water and power, and not all plastic can be recycled. For this reason, the best plan is to the plastic we use. Carry your own bottle. Say no to straws. Choose drinks in glass or metal .
So the next time you hold a plastic bottle, think about its long trip. Every small thing that you do is important for the planet.