What Types of Plastics Can Be Recycled?
Plastics are identified by numbers 1 through 7. Usually located on the bottom of the package, this number is code for the specific type of plastic you’re holding. Here are a couple of examples of the identification numbers and their corresponding products:
Drinking straws, for example, are made of #5 PP plastic. Photo: Asannoosh.com
#1 PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) – Fizzy drink bottles, oven-ready meal trays and water bottles
#2 HDPE (High-density polyethylene) – Milk bottles, detergent bottles, yogurt and margarine tubs, cereal box liners and grocery, trash and retail bags
#3 PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) – Cling film (plastic food wrap), vegetable oil bottles, loose-leaf binders and construction products such as plastic pipes
#4 LDPE (Low-density polyethylene) – Dry cleaning bags, produce bags, trash can liners, bread bags, frozen food bags and squeezable bottles, such as mustard and honey
#5 PP (Polypropylene) – Ketchup bottles, medicine bottles, aerosol caps and drinking straws
#6 PS (Polystyrene) – Compact disc jackets, grocery store meat trays, egg cartons, aspirin bottles, foam packaging peanuts and plastic tableware
#7 Other - Three- and five-gallon reusable water bottles, certain kinds of food containers and Tupperware
wildernessgourmet
posted on October 23rd, 2007 at 2:52 pm
This information is great. If I needed to use a plastic bag for food storage, who manufacturers the most eco-friendly packaging?
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posted on January 20th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
[...] list again and again searching for #5 and #7 plastics, my heart sank. Nobody in town accepted these plastics. How could this be? Each container had the recycle symbol on it – doesn’t that mean [...]
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posted on February 29th, 2008 at 9:57 am
[...] This article explains the number system: http://earth911.com/blog/2007/08/17/green-forum-plastic-recycling/ [...]
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[...] earth911 [...]
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posted on May 24th, 2008 at 10:05 am
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julie
posted on November 24th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
The Green guide website answers just this question (url provided). I started looking at this problem a while ago, and came to the conclusion that the best thing to do is reduce consumption of plastic containers and serviceware. Our lunches are now packed in glass that we either bought, or reuse glass jars from preserves. They last longer, are safer, and if you want to get rid of them, someone is likely to want them (freecycle or craigslist). It is possible to avoid most of the plastic that comes our way, and I am sorry to say that any initiative to advertise the pitiful plastic recycling rates out there, are just meant to mask what a damaging and obnoxious material it is, and how unworthy it is to use it for mundane purposes, the exception being medical uses of course. One more thing: plastic is very unlikely to ever get recycled, but DOWNCYCLED, which means it will be made into a lesser product which will eventually break and go pollute rampantly for hundreds of years. If you want to make an effort, remove yourself from the plastic consumer group: don’t add to the problem.
Mazzle
posted on February 1st, 2009 at 5:23 am
This is enough for anything. GREAT INFO !!
deepak singh
posted on February 4th, 2009 at 1:26 am
what type of plastic bottle used for ketchup.
freakshow
posted on March 17th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Hi. I did get some info. Not alot. Not to much. Just some. We hippies believe in the downfall of plastic!!!!!!!!!
Kendra
posted on April 9th, 2009 at 5:54 pm
There’s more info here: http://www.thegreenguide.com/buying-guide/plastic-containers
Tupperware is not Plastic #7.
Kenny W
posted on April 14th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
Wow I didn’t know what all can be recycled and where would one take all of those recycled stuff too.? The recycling center around here takes those items out and throws them away..
I need more info on where to take Large Loads of these recycleable and to get the public alittle money back into threre pockets after I get my Bussiness going..
Bob Haddock
posted on April 19th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Our recycler only takes 1’s and 2’s with necks. And they will not take any with lids — they get thrown into the landfill !!! I make sure all my lids are off (which none are recycleable anyway – they go into the landfill) -rinsed out and clean as possible, then the company that recycles them won’t have any tendancy to throw anythiong into the landfill. It is a profit game, whatever the collection company can make a profit on is what gets recycled. I started recycling 3 months ago and just put my first trash bag out!. I have tried to recycle everything I can within a 50 mile radius. Local recycler DID start #5’s but still no food #5 containers!! They say they are “contaminated”.
Happy Trails
Cyndi
posted on April 30th, 2009 at 11:55 am
Where can I recycle #5 plastic medicine bottles from my old RX or when will the pharmacies quit using them. I cannot find anyplace to recycle them?
I have a huge supply and if you think of everyoen that takes RX, you ask for old RX what what about the bottles them were in?
PLEASE someone answer me on this?
Cyndi
Myron
posted on June 30th, 2009 at 10:41 am
This list is great… But, As the previous posters said “where can I Recycle #5, or #7 or…” I think many manufacturers feel that they are being responsible by providing Recyclable containers or packaging made of #4,#5,#6,#7, Etc. “hey it is recyclable…” But why make a product of a recyclable material that is known nationally to not have a usable recycling stream, to me, that is just as irresponsible as making products out of non-recyclable materials… what good is having your product in a # 5 if no one recycles #5? ????
Perhaps if no one recycles #5 or #6 or #7 we need to get VERY VOCAL to the manufacturers of such items and highly encourage them to use commonly recyclable materials I.E. #1, #2, #3… Etc… or encourage research on how to economically recycle the 5s,6s,and 7s… For the manufacturers to just make it out of recyclable materials is only half the equation.. the other half is to actually have those products recycled!!!!
Why does so called”contaminated” plastic have to be rejected? could it be made into something that does nott require “pure” plastic? can it be “cleaned”, if necessary?
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posted on September 16th, 2009 at 1:41 am
[...] info at the website. Their bottles are polyethylene terephthalate and polypropylene, both of which are recyclable however, they don’t post a “Please recycle” reminder on their [...]
Lisa
posted on October 20th, 2009 at 10:34 am
Medication containers and film canisters are stock piled at my job, a camp, where we use them for first aid purposes. They have a few uses around here, but mostly they hold ticks so we can send them in to be tested for lyme disease. Contact local schools (art teachers) or any camps that might be in your area, they might be able to re-use some of the non-recyclable plastics.
Mark Todd
posted on October 27th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Hi,
I am Agent for a N.Z company who manufacture machinery to rid the world of plastics.
“BYFUSION” will fix the problem of recycled plastics No 1 to No 7.. The machines grinds up the plastic, washes it, then it compresses it into new products such as Blocks, Bollards, Pallets, sheets, curbing, etc etc. The machinery uses up to 10 tonne of plastic per 8 hour day,this amount is about the amount of plastic a city of 500,000 use in 1 day….
If the machinery is used 24 hours, thats 30 tonne of plastic not dumped and that is a lot of plastic….Thats 210 tonne per week..! ! !
The machine can be seen working on ” YOUTUBE”…
There is a machine being made at present to fit inside a 40ft Container.
If anyone would like more information please e.mail me .
Thankyou.
Mark Todd