According to the National Association for PET Container Resources, or NAPCOR, single-layer thermoplastic PET clamshells could indeed—theoretically, at least—be recycled along with the PET soda bottles we’ve all been recycling for years.
I should note, however, that the Association of Plastics Recyclers says NAPCOR is full of shit—the two applications use different formulations that melt at different temperatures.
It doesn’t really matter either way, because the real problem is that you and rest of the public tend not to know the difference between a single-layer thermoplastic PET clamshell and a hole in the ground—and the people who work at recycling centers don’t do a whole lot better.
There are so many different kinds of plastic formed into clamshell-like packaging that even trained recycling techs have a tough time telling them apart. And if the item has an adhesive sticker, or a peel-off film, or one of those sanitary napkins that are put under steaks, it’s not usable even if it’s exactly the right kind of plastic.
FROM:Willamette Week