recycling codes 1 through 7

The number 1 to 7 found on the bottom of plastics

is not a recycling symbol but rather a plastic or resin identification code. It advises what type of plastic the item is made from but not if it is recyclable. Most hard plastics coded 1-7 can be recycled in your yellow lidded recycling bin.

Full Answer

What are the different plastic recycling codes?

Plastics with Codes 3,6 and 7 cannot be recycled under standard recycling procedures and may ...

Which plastic codes are recyclable?

Which are Safe & Which to Avoid

• Plastics with Codes 3,6 and 7 cannot be recycled under standard recycling procedures and may pose harm to health and the environment. These should be Avoided.
• Plastics with Code 1 is considered safe to recycle, but it can be recycled only once. It is always advisable to avoid this type.
• Plastics with Codes 2,4 and 5 are considered safest to recycle.

What do numbers 1-7 on recyclable plastics mean?

The number 1 to 7 found on the bottom of plastics is not a recycling symbol but rather a plastic or resin identification code. It advises what type of plastic the item is made from but not if it is recyclable. Most hard plastics coded 1-7 can be recycled in your yellow lidded recycling bin.

What recycling numbers are recyclable?

That said, here are what the different plastic resin codes mean:

1. PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) – You will see this number on a lot of drink bottles and food jars.
2. HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) – This is also used for drink bottles, detergent bottles, cereal bags and other items.
3. PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) – Plastic clamshells, PVC pipe, lots of other construction and building applications.

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What are #1 through #7 plastics?

To summarize, there are 7 types of plastic exist in our current modern days:1 – Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE or Polyester) ... 2 – High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) ... 3 – Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) ... 4 – Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) ... 5 – Polypropylene (PP) ... 6 – Polystyrene (PS)

Which of the 7 plastics can be recycled?

Which Plastics Are Recyclable By Number?#1: PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) ... #2: HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) ... #3: PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) ... #4: LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene) ... #5: PP (Polypropylene) ... #6: PS (Polystyrene) ... #7: Polycarbonate, BPA, and Other Plastics.

What does recycling code 7 refer to?

7: Other. Any type of plastic that doesn't fit into one of the first six categories falls under this heading. Products stamped with a 7 are often made out of multiple plastic types or out of other types of plastic that can't easily be recycled.

What do numbers 1 7 on recyclable plastics mean?

The number is a resin identification code, used to help recycling plants sort materials. Recyclable plastics are labeled with numbers 1-7 to tell workers what kind of plastic it is, and how it should be processed.

What number plastics Cannot be recycled?

Finally, plastics number 6 and 7 are never recycled.

Can Pet 1 be recycled?

1 – PET plastic is the most widely recycled. It is often used for single use clear plastic bottles. You can recycle this plastic if your Local Authority refers to: Plastic Bottles.

Is plastic 7 BPA Free Safe?

Code 7 is the recycling code for plastics that contain BPA and must be avoided at all cost. Although codes 3 and 6 technically do not contain BPA, the chemicals that are used to manufacture these products also pose serious risks to our health.

Is PC 7 plastic safe?

Packaging will confirm that this #7 plastic is a PLA plastic, and is safe to use. Polycarbonate is a clear, rigid plastic, and it's marked with #7 PC. It's not recyclable, and it contains BPA (Bisphenol A).

Are 7 plastics compostable?

7, compostable plastic also carries the letters “PLA” below the No. 7. If the plastic is marked No. 7 and “O” or “Other,” do not throw it in the compost bin.

What number of plastic is safe to reuse?

To make a long story short: plastic recycling numbers 2, 4 and 5 are the safest. Whereas plastic numbers 1, 3, 6 and 7 must be avoided. But it does not indicate that you can fearlessly use safer plastic. All plastic products can leach toxic chemicals when heated or damaged.

Which numbers are most recyclable?

The number is a resin identification code that tells you what kind of plastic that material is made of. Plastics that have #1 (PETE) or #2 (HDPE) are the most commonly recycled plastics. Plastics #3 , #4, #5, #6 and #7 are generally tougher to recycle and are not universally collected in local recycling programs.

Which plastics are actually recycled?

PET plastic bottles (the bottles that water and soda are usually sold in and are labeled as number 1 in the recycling triangle) and HDPE milk jugs (the plastic jugs milk is sold in that are labeled as number 2) are recycled most consistently among the different categories of plastic due to their economic viability.

How much plastic is recycled in the USA?

Being responsible consumers, we consciously throw away plastic in the recycling bins after usage, yet somehow only 8.4% of plastic is actually being recycled in the USA. The remaining proportion is landfilled, incinerated, or ends up floating in the ocean.

How to deal with plastic waste?

Replace single-use plastic with reusable bags; use glass or steel containers for microwaving; carry reusable containers for food. Recycling should be the last resort when it comes to dealing with plastic.

What does the number 1-7 mean in a triangle?

The number (1-7) in the triangle holds the clue to the type of plastic you’re dealing with. Each number identifies the composition and recyclable characteristics of the respective plastic packaging material. Not all plastic is recyclable. With the help of resin codes, you can easily segregate recyclable materials.

What is the toxin in a PS container?

Containers made with PS leach a toxin called styrene when coming in contact with warm food or drink, alcohol, oils, and acidic food items. Styrene is a human carcinogen that can have respiratory effects in the short term and cancer in the long term exposure. Do not microwave food in PS containers.

Is polystyrene recyclable?

Polystyrene is recycla ble, but the process is not economically viable. Most of the curbside recycling programs don’t accept PS mainly because it is 95% air. It is not cost-effective, and the energy used in recycling is more than the energy saved. Moreover, the material easily contaminates with food or drinks.

Can you segregate recyclables?

With the help of resin codes, you can easily segregate recyclable materials. Moreover, you can figure out what type of plastic your local recycling program or facility accepts (it varies from town to town) based on these codes.

Is PET plastic recyclable?

PET is completely recyclable. In fact, it is the most recycled plastic material in the USA. Additionally, almost every municipality accepts PET in curbside recycling programs. Keep in mind to rinse off the container before adding it to the bin.

What are the rules for recycling plastic?

So what does all of that mean for you? A few things: 1 Types 1 and 2 plastics may be tossed into standard recycling bins. 2 Other plastic types may not be permitted in your bin, depending on your municipality’s guidelines. 3 Hard-to-recycle plastics – including Styrofoam, shrink wrap and manufacturing scrap – require specialized handling.

What is the code for plastic?

A product made of plastic is often stamped with a resin code, which is a number between one and seven inside a small triangle made of arrows. The presence of a resin code doesn’t necessarily mean that the product can be recycled.

What is the most complicated material to recycle?

At Miller Recycling, plastic is one of the materials we receive and process. It’s also the most complicated material to recycle, in part because consumers don’t know what types can be disposed of and in which ways. A product made of plastic is often stamped with a resin code, which is a number between one and seven inside a small triangle made ...

Can you dispose of soda bottles in Massachusetts?

Recycling these containers isn’t just an option: it’s the law.

Can #7 plastic be recycled?

Any type of plastic that doesn’t fit into one of the first six categories falls under this heading. Products stamped with a 7 are often made out of multiple plastic types or out of other types of plastic that can’t easily be recycled. #7 products CAN SOMETIMES be recycled.

Can PVC tubing be recycled?

Plastic tubing, kids’ toys, plastic trays and furniture are often made out of PVC. PVC products CANNOT be recycled.

Can you recycle styrofoam?

It’s not viable for some plastics recycling companies to take hard- to-process plastic products like Styrofoam. Bags made of type 4 plastic, like produce and grocery bags, also shouldn’t be put into recycling bins because they can get tangled in the equipment at recycling facilities.

What is the RIC on plastic?

That logo printed on your plastic is known as a Resin Identification Code or RIC, which a set of symbols used to identify the type of resin from which a plastic product is made. Created by The Society of the Plastics, the system was introduced to U.S. recycling facilities in the late 1980s as a method of reprocessing plastics for further use ...

What is polystyrene food packaging?

Polystyrene is a common type of food packaging material with the #6 plastic identification symbol. It has been safely used for nearly 50 years. Genpak products made of polystyrene material include our Smart Set Foam, Foam Hinged Dinner Containers, Foam Hinged Snack Containers, Dinnerware, and our Food Serving Trays. For more information about polystyrene, click here. Need to know where to drop off a Genpak foam product to be recycled? Click here to search for a foam recycling facility nearest your location.

What is a P.E.T. container?

P.E.T. plastic products are the most common type of curb-side recyclable plastic. Genpak’s containers made of this material also contain up to 30% post-consumer recycled content, in our conservational efforts to eliminate waste. Genpak’s P.E.T. products include Clear Hinged Food Containers, Oven Ready Bakery and Food Containers, Hinged Bakery Containers, Supermarket Containers, Serving Bowls, Clear Cups as well as most of our clear Foodservice Lids.

What is a recycling code?

Recycling codes are used to identify the material from which an item is made, to facilitate easier recycling or other reprocessing. The presence on an item of a recycling code, a chasing arrows logo, or a resin code, is not an automatic indicator that a material is recyclable; it is an explanation of what the item is made of.

How many recycling codes are there in China?

A number of countries have a more granular system of recycling codes. For example, China's polymer identification system has seven different classifications of plastic, five different symbols for post-consumer paths, and 140 identification codes. The lack of a code system in some countries has encouraged those who fabricate their own plastic ...

Plastic No. 1

Even if you don’t know the term “polyethylene terephthalate” (PET or PETE), you’ve probably encountered this type of plastic before. It’s the most frequently recycled one, and it can be found in peanut butter jars, plastic soda and water bottles, microwavable food trays, and salad dressing bottles.

Plastic No. 2

This coding refers to high density polyethylene, or HDPE. This plastic forms milk jugs, laundry detergent bottles, butter tubs, motor oil bottles, and some shopping bags. It’s a little tougher than PET, but nearly as common.

Plastic No. 3

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is best known for its use in pipes, but that’s not the only product that relies on plastic no. 3. PVC also appears in cooking oil and shampoo bottles, medical tubing, wire jacketing, and window cleaner spray bottles.

Plastic No. 4

We’ve already covered HDPE, so now meet LDPE: low density polyethylene. LDPE can be found in squeezable condiment bottles and toys, but it’s mostly used in plastic films. That means shrink wrap, as well as bags — dry cleaning, grocery, bread, frozen food, and produce bags all qualify.

Plastic No. 5

Polypropylene, or PP, has a high melting point that makes it great for containing hot liquids. Syrup, ketchup, and medicine bottles all rely on PP, but you’ll also find it in bottle caps and straws.

Plastic No. 6

Polystyrene (PS) is an incredibly versatile plastic. It can be manipulated into a soft foam, like packing peanuts, or hardened into a sturdy CD case. PS is further used in take-out containers, disposable plates and cutlery, aspirin bottles, and egg cartons.

Plastic No. 7

There’s no long or fancy name for this plastic, because plastic no. 7 is more of a miscellaneous category for everything that didn’t fit into the last six slots. Think oven-baking bags, or those large 3-5 gallon jugs used to refill the office water cooler.