A Quick Guide to Recycling Codes

October 14th, 2008 BY AceFisch | 7 Comments

Recycling is the foremost weapon in the struggle to help the environment, but often we do not pay attention to what we recycle, or how to correctly read those little triangle-shaped recycling codes.

Here’s a quick guide to recycling codes so the next time you go to toss that empty shampoo bottle, you know what can become of it.

“1” means the container is made of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), or polyester, usually present in soft drink bottles and other clear food containers. PET is famous for its durability and moisture and heat resistance and is able to be recycled in softer products like bags, polyester fiber, and fleece wear.
“2” means the container is made of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE). This plastic is famous for its ability to hold chemicals such as cosmetics and detergents and products with short shelf-lives such as milk and yogurt. When recycled, HDPE makes a great material for flowerpots and even the recycle bins they were originally put into.
“3” stands for Polyvinyl Chloride, commonly known as PVC. A more industrical material, it is perhaps most famous for its use in household piping as well as wire insulation, floor tiles and window frames. Even after recycling PVC ends up in rough products including traffic cones and decking. PVC is not usually thrown in the recycle bin, so beware of this code.
“4” means this container is made with Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE). Like its counterpart HDPE, LDPE is still highly resilient to chemical and heat forces, but is more flexible for use in thin packaging like bread bags and squeezable bottles. Reincarnations of this polymer are present in everything from shipping envelopes to lumber and can be recycled just like HDPE.
“5” indicates this polymer is Polypropylene (PP), a tough plastic with chemical and oil resistant properties best used in medicine bottles and margarine tubs. When recycled, PP is found in many automobile parts including headlights, battery cables, oil funnels and ice scrapers.
“6” stands for the classic Polystyrene (PS) best known for it’s use in cups and plates. Its insulation properties also make it popular for coolers and food storage trays. Luckily its most popular incarnations are also the ones that are recycled, including the aforementioned cups and plates.
“7” is a miscellaneous number, encompassing any resin other than the six most popular, as well as resin combinations. These can be the hardest to recycle due to unknown substance makeup, and are best taken to your local recycling center or dump for proper disposal.

Now when you go to toss out that empty shampoo bottle, you can make sure it’s being disposed of in the right way.

AceFisch | My Bio & Articles

I am an junior English major/ Philosophy minor at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland. Currently I am spending the spring of 2009 studying at the University College Cork in Cork, Ireland.