What Types of Plastics Can Be Recycled?

1. Rujeko Rouge Mushove

   posted on September 25th, 2011 at 1:24 am

   In as much as recycling is a way of controlling waste and cutting costs e.g of packaging material, it does not produce biodegradable plastic and often recycling cannot be done over and over again.

2. Peter Cantos

   posted on October 31st, 2011 at 9:02 pm

   hdpe 2 oil bottles their must be companies accepting and processing these. how many more have to be put into landfills?

3. Eshwar Baskararajan

   posted on December 25th, 2011 at 3:32 pm

   hi

4. Deepak Sharma

   posted on December 30th, 2011 at 6:43 am

   do other try to recycle.

5. Mari Johnson

   posted on January 3rd, 2012 at 3:44 pm

   This is helpful information. Thank you.

28 Archived Comments

1. 

   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?

2. But my shoes are 9.5 « J500/ES624 Media & The Environment

   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 [...]

3. Plastics «

   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/ [...]

4. 3, 6 and 7

   posted on April 10th, 2008 at 1:30 pm

   [...] earth911 [...]

5. plastics types examples

   posted on May 24th, 2008 at 10:05 am

   [...] your community accepts, or call your local … Some examples of each type of plastic are: …http://earth911.com/blog/2007/08/17/green-forum-plastic-recycling/Seven different types of plastic [...]

6. type of plastic in water bottles that is bad for you

   posted on May 25th, 2008 at 6:58 am

   [...] [...]

7. 

   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.

8. 

   Mazzle

   posted on February 1st, 2009 at 5:23 am

   This is enough for anything. GREAT INFO !!

9. 

   deepak singh

   posted on February 4th, 2009 at 1:26 am

   what type of plastic bottle used for ketchup.

10. 

    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!!!!!!!!!

11. 

    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.

12. 

    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..

13. 

    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

14. 

    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

15. 

    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 [...]

17. 

    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.

18. 

    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

19. 

    Steph

    posted on November 9th, 2009 at 9:58 pm

    So, I am really trying hard to recycle as much as i can. with halloween behind us i have a few plastic bags from the candy. could i put them in the recycling with the other plastic bags i have or do they get thrown in the trash? i am so confused because no one seems to have a direct answer for this one… any help would be appreciated.

20. 

    Custom plastic BAgs

    posted on November 30th, 2009 at 12:26 am

    Plastic bottles, bags, candy wrappers or any plastic your eyes can found of. All of it can be recycled. You just need the right knowledge and right materials to do it.

21. 

    Lee Howard

    posted on December 31st, 2009 at 11:19 am

    I just recycle my old shopping bags by eating them. They’re so chewy and delectable. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to throw them in a landfill. They taste great with mayo.

22. 

    Suzy

    posted on August 15th, 2010 at 1:04 am

    I used to have a video store and now I need to dispose of vhs cassettes. I have found a few locations where I can do that. I also have the plastic boxes in which the videos were kept. I have more of them than I can count! What # plastic code are they? Please help.

23. 

    Peter

    posted on August 20th, 2010 at 1:02 pm

    Many big food chains and food packagers need to take the pulse of curbside recycling programs across the U.S. Consumers feel comfortable buying products packaged in plastic just because they believe it can be recycled. Consumers are being fooled because most curbside recycling programs will accept no lower plastic types than 1 or 2. Go to a store like Fresh ‘n Easy. They mass-package prepared meals in virtually bulletproof plastic containers which bear a 5 rating, which no curbside recycler will take. Stores like this may be responsible for really polluting far more than they purport to aid in the recycling effort (with their bag-exchange program for instance.) Who is fooled? Shame on the packagers who are allowed to package in the low grade plastics-nobody is fooled and nobody is driving around for miles trying to find the obscure recycling plant that may take these. They simply throw them into their curbside recycling containers, where the sorters throw them out anyways. Sickening to think about. But Im willing to wager that more plastic is hitting the landfill now than ever before, despite the lip service paid to recycling efforts.

24. 

    Emily

    posted on March 16th, 2011 at 2:42 pm

    Hello! You provided a lot of great information on various types of plastics. It’s crazy how prevalent plastic is in our everyday lives… I’ve tried cutting down on it, and it’s definitely better for my family and I. The idea of the dangerous chemicals- like BPA- that can be leached into our products from plastics is truly frightening. Thanks for the great info, and keep posting!

25. 

    R. R.

    posted on March 20th, 2011 at 9:15 am

    Anyone have any information on whether K- resin plastics can be recycled? I’ve spent some time trying to research the subject, and I’m pretty sure they are a PS (polystyrene) based polymer, but not positive….

26. 

    R. R.

    posted on March 20th, 2011 at 9:17 am

    Whole Foods stores now have bins in the front of their stores to take CLEAN #5 plastics. It’s sort of a hassle, but I just save up til I have a bag and make one trip a month.

27. 

    Blanton Cosby

    posted on March 23rd, 2011 at 1:02 pm

    I too was shocked to learn that my local city recycling effort only “recycles” (send it off to a vender for further production value) #1 & #2. It really hurt my feelings and I took it as a personal insult – the 1 & 2 is sorted out and the rest is sent to the landfill.

    I looked around and have found that there are indeed several companies around the USA that WILL take the #4 & #5 plastics, and one company (in Atlanta) that will take all of the plastics provided the quality and quanitys are good and it is all clean. One other company – Preserve.com – takes #5 ONLY and makes it into tooth brushes, food and kitchen utencels and razor blades. They have a program where you purchase their products and once you are finished with it, mail it back to them and it will be put back into the stream and recycled all over again.

    A) there needs to be an increase in companies that will accept 3 to 7 for recycling. B) There will have to an additional increase in companies that will BUY that captured materal to use in manufacturing of new products. C) Perhaps there should be a National Revolt from us citizens pointed directly towards the manufacturers of 3 – 7 and get them to stop using that material and use ONLY what is more commonly acceptable. I know that it is a cost thing to begin with – the machinery that cleans, grinds, sorts and contains those matertials is very expensive and large. If thay have no “place” for the proper machinery and what it produces, then what is the use?

    Still, something MUST be done soon or we will run out of landfill space. I don’t understand why this is allowed to continue.

28. 

    Janie

    posted on April 6th, 2011 at 10:58 pm

    I need website to recycle anything for cash and free shipping to the location:. Tupperware, rubber on shoes, wood furniture, aluminum, pc modem, faded used clothes, old shoes, etc.