recycling symbols 1 7 uk

It is represented with a 'chasing arrows' symbol surrounding a a number between 1 and 7 that defines the resin used. 1 - PET, used for drinks bottles and some food packaging: Widely recycled 2 - HDPE, used for cleaning product bottles, milk cartons, etc: Widely recycled

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What do those recycling symbols mean, anyway?

What Does the Recycling Symbol Mean, Anyway?

1. Recyclable (Sometimes, Some Places) Meaning #1: An item with this symbol on it is recyclable somewhere. This doesn’t mean an item is recyclable in San José!
2. Made From Recycled Materials. The recycling symbol over a dark circle means that the item was made from recycled materials. ...
3. Plastic Resin Code, or Type of Plastic. ...
4. The How2Recycle Label. ...

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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.

How to read plastic recycling symbols?

Other symbols

• The Green Dot. The Green Dot does not necessarily mean that the packaging is recyclable, will be recycled or has been recycled.
• Mobius Loop. ...
• Plastic resin codes. ...
• Glass. ...
• Recyclable aluminium. ...
• Recyclable steel. ...
• Tidyman. ...
• Waste electricals. ...
• Compostable. ...
• Home composting. ...

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What does the 5 in the recycling symbol mean?

What does the 5 in the recycling symbol mean?

1. PETE – Polyethylene Terephthalate. The easiest of plastics to recycle.
2. HDPE – High density Polyethylene.
3. PVC – Polyvinyl Chloride.
4. LDPE Low-density Polyethylene.
5. PP – Polypropylene.
6. PS – Polystyrene.
7. Other.

What plastic numbers can be recycled UK?

What Plastics Can be Recycled?1 – Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) – water bottles and plastic trays.2 – High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) – milk cartoons and shampoo bottles.5 – Polypropylene (PP) – margarine tubs and ready-meal trays.30-Sept-2020

What are the 7 recycling symbols?

Recycling by Numbers – Plastic Resin Identification Code ExplainedPolyethylene Terephthalate (PET) – ... High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) – ... Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) – ... Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) – ... Polypropylene (PP) – ... Polystyrene (PS) – ... Other forms of plastic (Other) –25-Feb-2020

What are #7 plastics?

#7 – Other (BPA, Polycarbonate and LEXAN) BPA is a xenoestrogen, a known endocrine disruptor. Number 7 plastics are used to make baby bottles, sippy cups, water cooler bottles and car parts. BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic food containers often marked on the bottom with the letters “PC” by the recycling label #7.02-May-2020

What does number 7 recycle mean?

other plasticsNumber 7 - OTHER: They are made of any combination of 1-6 or another, less commonly used plastic. Biodegradable plastics, like cups made of corn, are NOT recyclable. Though they have the recycling #7, this only means "other plastics", including non-petroleum based.

What is the symbol for recycling UK?

The three green arrows going in a triangle simply means that it's capable of being recycled. Sometimes, the symbol will come with a percentage in the middle, signifying how much of it has been made from recycled materials. Three arrows in a triangle means that the item is capable of being recycled.18-Mar-2022

How do you know if it's recyclable?

On-pack recycling label (OPRL) Recycling labels tell you what type of packaging a product has and whether the packaging is recyclable. If it is recyclable, the label will also show whether you can pop the packaging in your household recycling bin or if you'll need to take it to your local recycling centre.24-Apr-2020

What plastic Cannot be recycled?

Unfortunately, plastic number 3, the so-called polyvinyl chloride is not recyclable in normal collections. Low-density polyethylene, also known as plastic-type #4, is used to make the infamous plastic bags like those provided by grocery stores and other retailers.20-May-2021

Can you recycle No 7 plastic?

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. #7 products CAN SOMETIMES be recycled.10-Feb-2019

Can I recycle plastic number 7?

7 – Other – Non Recyclable Plastic – Non Recyclable Plastic.05-Feb-2018

Is number 7 plastic compostable?

Biodegradable Plastic Is Not Recyclable Vegetable-based plastics such as PLA are often labeled #7, but they are not recyclable. Find out what to do with biodegradable bags and compostable cups, plates & utensils.

Does plastic 7 contain BPA?

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.30-Nov-2016

What is the recycling symbol for plastic?

The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) introduced a code system in 1988 that helps with recycling plastic by numbers. Almost all plastic products bear the general recycling symbol: a triangle formed by three circling arrows. The number in the triangle indicates the type of plastic.

What does the recycle symbol 5 mean?

Polypropylene (PP)Polypropylene (PP) A 5 inside the triangle indicates the plastic is polypropylene or PP. It is commonly found in medicine bottles, straws, bottle caps, ketchup bottles and syrup bottles, and some yogurt containers.20-Nov-2019

What to do when you see the mobius loop logo?

The triangle on its own means the product can be recycled. Typically, this means that the item can be disposed of with your general recycling. Some...

What are examples of waste with the mobius loop logo on?

As this is the most common logo displayed on recyclable products, you will likely come across it several times in a single day. This could include:...

What to do when you see the recycle and rinse symbol?

This symbol means that the item can be recycled, but it must be rinsed/cleaned before you throw it away. This is often used on food packaging and r...

What are examples of waste with the recycle and rinse symbol on?

There are various types of products that feature this symbol. This includes: Glass Jars (Food) Metal (Cans, tins) Plastic (Shampoo bottles, food...

What to do when you see the recycle, rinse with lid cap on symbol?

Products with this symbol can be recycled. However, you must ensure that they are rinsed and that their lid/cap is tightly secured. This is because...

What are examples of waste with the recycle, rinse with lid cap on symbol on?

A variation of this symbol will appear on any products with small caps/lids. This could include: Plastic Water Bottles Milk Cartons/Containers

What to do when you see the don’t recycle and remove sleeve symbol?

Unfortunately, not all packaging waste can be recycled. When you see this product, it may be that everything but the sleeve can be recycled – so en...

What are examples of waste with the don’t recycle and remove sleeve symbol on?

There are various products that feature this symbol. This includes: Packaging Waste Product labels

What to do when you see the flatten with cap on recycling symbol?

When this symbol is featured on a product, it means that before it is stored in the recycling bin you must flatten the item and ensure the cap is s...

Why do we ignore recycling symbols?

Packages we use every day include recycling symbols on their labels. Most of the time, we disregard those symbols because we don’t understand what they mean or think they say “recyclable,” but it’s more specific than that. Understanding these symbols are more important than one would think, as they help the recycling process run smoothly ...

What is the resin identification code?

This symbol is called the Resin Identification Code. It contains numbers from 1 to 7, which indicates the type of resin used in the center of three chasing arrows. This symbol also specifies the type of plastic from which the product is made out of.

What does the sleeve symbol mean?

Since the sleeve is not recyclable, the symbol asks you to remove the sleeve. The sleeve is the paper or plastic sheet around the item, commonly found in ice cream cups, coffee cups, and yogurt pots.

Can cereal be recycled?

So, pay attention the next time you buy cereal because it can be recycled with carrier bags at the store you purchased it from.

Can you throw out electronic waste?

This means that no e-waste (electronic waste) should be thrown out with regular trash. Check for local disposal companies, because some of them even collect e-waste from your home. Now that you know all of your recycling symbols, you can help make the environment a better place by recycling correctly. previous post.

What does a 3 in plastic mean?

a 3 indicates that the bottle has been made up of PVC , a five means it’s been made from polypropylene, two materials that aren’t accepted by most public recycling centers.

How much HDPE plastic is recycled?

However, since only about 30-35% of HDPE plastic utilized in America gets recycled annually , it’s knowing use as little as possible. to chop down, consider replacing your disposable produce bags with reusable alternatives. #3 – PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)

What is the BPA in number 7 plastic?

Number 7 plastics are wont to make baby bottles, sippy cups, device bottles and car parts. BPA is found in polycarbonate plastic food containers often marked on rock bottom with the letters “PC” by the recycling label #7.

What is compostable plastic made of?

A new generation of compostable plastics, made up of bio-based polymers like corn starch, is being developed to exchange polycarbonates. These also are included in category #7, which may be confusing to the buyer . These compostable plastics have the initials “PLA” on rock bottom near the recycling symbol.

Is PET plastic recyclable?

PET plastic is recyclable and about 25% of PET bottles within the US today are recycled. The plastic is crushed then shredded into small flakes which are then reprocessed to form new PET bottles, or spun into polyester .

Can you reuse #7 plastic?

Some can also say “Compostable.”. #7 plastics aren’t for reuse, unless they need the PLA compostable coding. When possible it’s best to avoid #7 plastics, especially for children’s food. Plastics with the recycling labels #1, #2 and #4 on rock bottom are safer choices and don’t contain BPA.

Can plastic be recycled?

This recycled fiber is employed to form textiles like fleece garments, carpets, stuffing for pillows and life jackets, and similar products. Products made from #1 (PET) plastic should be recycled but not reused.

Electronic Recycling Symbols

The United Kingdom cartridge recycling association apply their symbol to toner cartridges which have met set criteria making them able to be recycled easily.

Glass Recycling Symbols

This symbol indicates that the container it is marked with should be placed into a bottle recycling bank.

Metal Recycling Symbols

This shows that the container or packaging is made from aluminium and so can be recycled. Many drinks cans are made from aluminium but many are made from steel. This symbol allows you to identify between the 2 metals.

Paper Recycling Symbols

The National association of paper merchants allow there symbol to be placed on paper and cardboard products which are made from no less than 75% of waste paper or fibre. None of the 75% can come from mill produced waste fibre either.

Plastic Recycling Symbols

With so many different plastics in circulation and virtually no way of identifying them to the untrained eye a plastics identification system has been developed. The PIC (Plastics Identification Code) makes it easy to identify different plastics with the symbol being embossed into most plastic made products.

Widely Recycled

Starting with an easy one, and one we like to see, the widely recycled symbol means exactly what it says. This label applies to items collected by 75% or more of local authorities in the UK. You're most likely going to be able to recycle these items in your household recycling bin.

Recycle with Bags at Larger Stores

Many plastics can be recycled, but unfortunately, not all plastics are accepted in your kerbside collections. Certain plastic items can only be recycled at large supermarkets. There will usually be a recycling point inside the store or the car park for these items.

Widely Recycled - Flatten Cap

You will most likely see this recycling logo on plastic bottles and drinks cartons. Flattening packaging means you'll have more space in your recycling bin, and more recyclables can be transported in one load to improve efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint.

Widely Recycled at Recycling Centres

These items are not accepted in your household recycling collection, but they are recyclable. Any materials with this symbol on them will need to be taken to your local recycling centre to ensure that it gets recycled. For more information about your local recycling centres, click here.

Check Locally

Check locally is sort of the middle ground, it means the packaging you've got is recycled by more than 20% of local authorities but less than 75%. These items are more difficult oto recycle, and only specialist facilities will have the equipment to recycle these items.

Not Yet Recycled

'Not yet recycled' can be a bit misleading. While in most cases, products with this sign on them can't be recycled, what this sign actually means is that less than 20% of local authorities recycle them. Crisp packets are a good example of this; crips packets can be recycled, but because very few councils recycle them, they will include this symbol.

What is the recycling symbol?

1. The sign that depicts a triangle with a “1” inside and PETE or PET written underneath. This particular recycling symbol is meant for polyethylene terephthalate. The majority of products that fall under this category include: soft drink containers, beer bottles, mouthwash bottles, salad dressing containers, and oven food trays. 2.

What is the number 3 in a sign?

The sign that depicts a triangle with a “3” inside and PVC or V written undeath. Number 3 plastics include PVS and vinyl. The main types of recyclable products include: shampoo bottles, oil bottles, siding, piping, food packaging, and even windows. 4.

What does LDPE mean in a sign?

The sign that depicts a triangle with a “4” inside and LDPE written underneath. LDPE means low density polyethylene and it is a flexible plastic that is used for a variety of applications. Squeezable bottles, clothing, purses, furniture, and carpet all fall within the LDPE category. 5. The sign that depicts a triangle with a “5” inside ...

What does the recycling symbol mean on corrugated packaging?

The first, the symbol on its own, is now generally understood to be the international symbol for recycling, indicating that the packaging can be recycled .

What does the OK compost symbol mean?

As the general OK Compost symbol only applies to industrial composting (with controlled levels of heat etc.), the “Home” version was created to indicate any packaging or product that would also be compostable in domestic setups.

What is a resy?

In Germany a paper and board recycling scheme called RESY exists. RESY is a consortium including the union of paper producers, the union of cardboard producers and a recycling and reverse logistics specialist Vfw.

What does the green dot logo mean?

It simply signifies that the producer has made a (usually financial) contribution towards the recycling of packaging.

What is seedling logo?

The “Seedling” logo is a registered trademark of European Bioplastics, so suitable permissions / licensing would be required if you were you to use this recycling symbol on your packaging.

What do the three arrows in the arrows represent?

Originally created by Gary Anderson, the three arrows are used to represent the three “R”s – reducing, reusing and recycling. The negative space (in the centre) is also designed to represent a pine tree, whilst also being a variant of the traditional “Mobius” loop which symbolises continuity with a finite entity.

Is GWP cardboard FSC approved?

The vast majority of the corrugated cardboard that GWP Group use in manufacturing your packaging is FSC approved. GWP can also offer “chain of custody” certification ( registration can be viewed here ). Please speak with a GWP sales advisor if you are interested in using this symbol on your packaging.

What is a recycling code?

The recycling codes are used to identify the type of plastic. A plastic resin code shows consumers which type of plastic resin was used to make that particular plastic product. Whether it is a soft drink bottle, plastic piping, styrofoam or plastic straws, all plastic products will be associated with one of these seven plastic recycling numbers.

What is the resin code for plastic?

There's no long, fancy name or technical term for this plastic because plastic with the no. 7 resin code is more of a miscellaneous category. Items in this category are all other products that don't fit into the main six types.

How much plastic is produced in the world?

The world generates 381 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, all of which falls into one of these seven categories. Plastic waste is not ideal, and even more so when recyclable plastic doesn't get recycled. With the amount of plastic waste set to double by 2034, we must recycle plastic as much as possible.

What is PET plastic used for?

Polyester, lycra and nylon fibres spun from PET plastic can be used to create clothing and shoes. PET/PETE plastic fibres are most commonly used for activewear and outerwear due to their durability and elastic properties. 2. HDPE.

Can HDPE be recycled?

HDPE products can be recycled. You can recycle most of them at home, at work or on the go. However, not all types of HDPE products can be recycled at home. For example, we can't recycle thin HDPE products such as plastic bags and film from home.

Is plastic waste recyclable?

Plastic waste is not ideal, and even more so when recyclable plastic doesn't get recycled. With the amount of plastic waste set to double by 2034, we must recycle plastic as much as possible.

Is LDPE recyclable?

Low- Density Polyethylene (LDPE) is a recyclable plastic. However, the more flexible LDPE products such as films and wraps can be more challenging to recycle. Additional complications arise as films and wraps tend to be contaminated by the items they are packaging.

Plastic Recycling Symbols

We're told that over 90% of plastic is not recycled, which is a shocking statistic. It's no wonder plastic waste is such as huge global problem. So by disposing of our own plastic properly, at least we know we'll be doing our bit to avoid making it any worse.

What do the Numbers on Recycling Symbols mean?

The numbers tell you what type of plastic a product is made from. From this you can tell whether it can be recycled, and how to properly dispose of it.

What Numbers Cannot be Recycled?

It is technically possible to recycle all numbers, but only if the facility exists to do so. Sadly there are some such as #3 PVC, #5 Polypropylene and #6 Polystyrene are rarely recycled.