What is Dish Pump made of and is it recyclable?Updated 4 hours ago

Dish Pump bottle is 500 mL HDPE (high-density polyethylene) plastic with 10% Adflex Resin for a soft-touch matte finish. The bottle contains 50% post-consumer recycled plastic and is treated with Reloop additive. The pump head is HDPE plastic with an internal metal spring and a twist-and-screw lock, finished with matte spray coating. Both are designed to be reused and refilled rather than discarded.

Reloop is an additive blended into Dish Pump bottle plastic that helps the material naturally biodegrade once it enters a microbe-rich environment such as landfill or soil. The additive activates and attracts microbes that break down the long molecular chains of the plastic. The process converts the material into biomass, water, and carbon dioxide rather than microplastics. Unlike traditional biodegradable plastics, Reloop-treated materials remain durable and fully recyclable during their useful life. Biodegradation only begins once disposal conditions trigger it, typically completing within 3 to 6 years compared to centuries for conventional plastics.

The bottle is HDPE, which is widely accepted in kerbside recycling programs across Australia. However, local council acceptance can vary because of the soft-touch matte finish (Adflex Resin) which some sorting facilities may treat differently from standard HDPE. Check your local council's plastics guidelines or use a service like Recycle Mate. Rinse before placing it in your recycling bin. The pump head can't be recycled as one piece because the metal spring is sealed inside the plastic actuator and most facilities can't separate them. Dispose of the pump head with general household waste when it reaches end of life.

The most environmentally helpful thing you can do is keep using Dish Pump for as long as possible. Refill with Dishwashing Liquid and rinse the nozzle weekly to prevent residue build-up. The mechanism is rated for approximately 3,000 pumps with proper care.