Makes sense until you look at the energy intensity of plastic bottle recycling. The most surprising part is discovering the washing stage of recycling is far mo

Makes sense until you look at the energy intensity of plastic bottle recycling. The most surprising part is discovering the washing stage of recycling is far more intense than for reuse. It's trying to wash and agitate the glue, ink and labels from the outside, not just dried remnants of drink or food. A truck has to go back to the factory with plastic pellets, and to collect the product, so you're only left with the weight differential. Given the amount of corporate lobbying and marketing pushing away from reuse and towards recycling I think it likely that reuse is the winner in terms of sustainability. Recycling is an externality creation exercise to reduce costs for the business, not overall.