# Do you put the cap on a bottle when you throw it away?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [November 24, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824 "2009-11-24T21:18:14Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/1 "2009-11-24T21:18:14Z")
I always put the cap back on a bottle before tossing it. This pertains mostly to soda, water and sports drink bottles. It just feels ‘right’ to put the cap back on.
Am I alone, or is there a nation/world/universe of people who put the cap back on an empty bottle before discarding it. 🆒
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### Author:  [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/2 "2009-11-24T21:19:39Z")
I used to, but the recylcing centers around here have been getting on people’s cases that they shouldn’t, since the cap is a different type of plastic and makes it a bigger pain for the sorters. So now I try to keep them off.
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### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2009, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/3 "2009-11-24T21:20:09Z")
Nope. I recycle, and a capped bottle can “explode” in the crushers.
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### Author:  [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/4 "2009-11-24T21:37:55Z")
Nope, recycle the bottle and the cap gets rolled on the floor to amuse the cat.
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### Author:  [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/5 "2009-11-24T21:39:10Z")
I also recycle but I keep the caps on while storing them in my garage lest I find palmetto bugs trapped in them. Blech, just typing that set off my gag reflex.
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### Author:  [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2009, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/6 "2009-11-24T21:57:14Z")
I recycle but I didn’t even think about bottles exploding. I don’t even think about it, but I imagine I put them back on, especially if there’s something still left in the bottle.
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### Author:  [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/7 "2009-11-24T22:05:39Z")
When it comes to bathroom products (shaving cream and the like) I throw the cap away when I buy it because I know I’ll never put it on while I’m using it. 😃
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### Author:  [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2009, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/8 "2009-11-24T22:11:25Z")
For storage reasons, I always crush the plastic bottle and replace the cap so as to keep the bottle “deflated”.
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### Author:  [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)
#### Post date: [November 24, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/9 "2009-11-24T23:18:10Z")
Leave it off, for the dissimilar plastics and non-squashable/exploding reasons mentioned above.
If the recycling people had their way, we’d also pry the “I’ve been opened” ring off the bottle’s neck as well.
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### Author:  [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/10 "2009-11-25T01:53:55Z")
> [@ouryL](#):
>
> For storage reasons, I always crush the plastic bottle and replace the cap so as to keep the bottle “deflated”.
+1
I don’t use many plastic bottles (usually my milk jugs, occasionally those 16.5oz Pepsis, if the sale price is low enough); but I squash them, then put the cap on so they stay squashed.
We here in this county in WV have to contract with Waste Management to take our trash. They pick it up once a week (on Wednesday mornings), for $15.00 a month. But that’s _one_ garbage can. If we want two, we have to pay twice as much; sure makes me think about what I’m throwing away and how much space it takes up in my kitchen trashcan!
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### Author:  [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2009, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/11 "2009-11-25T02:52:27Z")
I don’t put the lid back on. I recycle bottles, and we’re supposed to leave the lids off for recycling.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2009, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/12 "2009-11-25T03:27:41Z")
Since I recycle, and all recyclers tell you to remove the cap, I remove the cap.
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### Author:  [@Hilarity\_N.Suze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilarity_N.Suze)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/13 "2009-11-25T03:30:02Z")
You left out an option.
My neighborhood has a recycling program. The program takes plastic bottles, but not plastic lids. It also takes glass bottles, but since it doesn’t take plastic lids, you can’t put those back on either.
So the lids go in the trash, and the bottles go into the recycling bin.
It’s been a hard habit for me to break, because I was always a screw-the-cap-back-on kinda girl.
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### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2009, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/14 "2009-11-25T06:37:32Z")
And I scrunch it beforehand so it takes up less space.
The recycling program in my home town says you can put the caps on or leave them off, so long as they’re plastic bottles. Glass bottles must be tossed uncapped. The caps on water bottles are the same material as the caps and bottles of fabric softener and liquid fabric soap, they get recycled together.
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### Author:  [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2009, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/15 "2009-11-25T09:20:21Z")
No, and I rinse it out if possible. Recyclers don’t like it on as mentioned above.
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### Author:  [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2009, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/16 "2009-11-25T13:24:19Z")
> [@ouryL](#):
>
> For storage reasons, I always crush the plastic bottle and replace the cap so as to keep the bottle “deflated”.
Same here. I deflate 2 liter bottles to use up less space in the can and the cap keeps it from reinflating. Same for smaller plastic bottles.
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### Author:  [@steadierfooting](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steadierfooting)
#### Post date: [November 25, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/17 "2009-11-25T15:49:34Z")
I don’t recycle. I think the motion of throwing away a capped bottle when opening a trashcan lid is easier with 1 object instead of 2 so it just kinda happens naturally.
I also tend to rinse my toothbrush one last time after brushing before throwing it away. Odd.
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/18 "2009-11-26T16:14:48Z")
Same as the rest … Bottle goes into the recycling bin, cap goes in the trash. Kinda hard to keep 'em connected that way.
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### Author:  [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)
#### Post date: [November 26, 2009, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/19 "2009-11-26T23:49:36Z")
I have a Xerox paper box under my desk, into which I throw my empties. I send it to recycling every two or three months. Given that they will sit that long, I always put the cap on to keep ants and other such things out.
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### Author:  [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-put-the-cap-on-a-bottle-when-you-throw-it-away/518824/20 "2009-11-27T00:00:08Z")
Crush out what air I can, cap it, and pack the bag to the curb.
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