Recycling Plastics vs Downcycling Plastics When plastics are recycled they are usually downcycled that is they are used to make a lower quality form of plastic Plastic water bottles for example cannot be recycled into new plastic bottles Instead the resins from plastic bottles are used to make fibers for pillows and insulating fill for winter jackets Common products that are made from recycled plastics include toys car parts imitation or plastic lumber drainage pipes clothing fibers tables park benches parking lot bumpers railroad ties truck bed liners and garbage receptacles And most of these cannot be recycled making plastics a dead end waste stream

"Recycling Plastics vs 'Downcycling' Plastics"
When plastics are recycled, they are usually "downcycled," that is, they are used to make a lower-quality form of plastic. Plastic water bottles, for example, cannot be recycled into new plastic bottles. Instead, the resins from plastic bottles are used to make fibers for pillows and insulating fill for winter jackets.

Common products that are made from recycled plastics include toys, car parts, imitation or plastic lumber, drainage pipes, clothing fibers, tables, park benches, parking lot bumpers, railroad ties, truck bed liners and garbage receptacles. And most of these cannot be recycled, making plastics a "dead-end" waste stream.