Plastic #5 (Polypropylene) Check Your Local Recycling Guidelines Plastic #5 (PP) is commonly used for yogurt cups and tubs, margarine tubs, syrup bottles, plastic bottle caps, straws, food storage containers, sunglasses, plastic furniture, and car parts such as bumpers and trim. Clean Out Containers If a container once held soap, food, liquids, or other residue, clean and dry the container as well as you can before recycling it. Containers should be empty of residue and lightly cleaned, but don’t need to be spotless! Make sure containers are relatively clean to avoid recyclables being sent to landfill. Avoid Heating Plastic Keep plastics containing food or drink out of the microwave, dishwasher and other hot places, like your car. The warmer plastic gets, the more it tends to release harmful chemicals. To learn more, check out information from the Food Packaging Forum. Keep Caps On When recycling plastic containers with caps, leave the caps on. While caps used to be difficult to separate from containers, recycling equipment and processes have advanced, and it is much easier now to recycle the whole bottle at once. Find out more from the Association of Plastic Recyclers (PDF). Did You Know? What Items Are Made From Plastic #5? Plastic #5 is used to make items including yogurt cups and tubs, margarine tubs, syrup bottles, plastic bottle caps, straws, food storage containers, sunglasses, plastic furniture, and car parts such as bumpers and trim. What Plastic #5 Can Become Plastic #5 can be recycled into battery cables and cases, brooms, brushes, bicycle racks and ice scrapers.