Plastics are one of the major materials in use today, and in the 1980's more products will probably be made from plastics than from any other material including steel. At the disposal site, plastics represent an average of less than 2 percent of the solid waste stream today, and even at the projected rapid rate of growth of plastic use, plastic wastes are not expected to exceed an average of 3 percent by 1980. This projection assumes little or no change in the material composition of the solid waste stream. If, however, other materials such as paper, metal, and glass are recycled, the percentage of plastics in solid wastes will increase. But in contrast to the other major materials, plastics are not now being extensively recycled from the consumer. This study, therefore, examines the possibility of promoting the recycling of plastics--considering the technical and economic impediments; and it further provides the methodology for investigating other materials in the disposal area.