Which types of plastics can be recycled?

To find out which types of plastics can be recycled in the local area, it is best to contact local city office or recycling centers; Most of these offices and centers have a website with contact information, such as e -mail addresses or phone numbers, published on their website, or may also include a list of recyclable plastics on their website. When contacting these devices, it is first proposed to find the plastic resin identification code; This code consists of one number and several letters and is usually located at the bottom of the product. The code corresponds to the type of plastic from which the object is made and can be referred to when you ask the correct agencies whether plastic is recyclable or not.

resin identification code

To help identify and sort recyclable plastic international levels, Plastics Industry (SPI) DevelopULA standard code at the end of 80. This code simply identifies the type of plastic used to produce this object; However, it does not mean whether recyclable plastic has been used to produce this piece, nor does it indicate whether this type of plastic can be recycled. In general, it is located at the bottom of the plastic container, the code consists of three arrows that run clockwise and create a triangle with rounded corners. Inside each triangle is a number that identifies that a plastic type, and under each triangle is a combination of letters that correspond to the scientific name of the plastic type. Once the resin code is identified, local administration or recycling agencies can be contacted and ask if this code corresponds to the type of recyclable plastic.

There are seven different types of plastics identified by the American company Plastics Industry:

• 1 pet or Pete (polyethylene tereftalat): PET is one of the most commonly recycled consumer plastic. Costainery marked "1" and"Homemade pet" or "Pete" include some bottles with soft drinks, bottles of water, plastic containers for peanut butter, plastic packaging and bottles of salad jersey.
• 2 HDPE (high density polyethylene): This type of recyclable plastic, marked "2" and "HDPE", is also often recycled to consumers. Plastic included in this category include some plastic dairy cartons, bottles of juice, shampoo bottles and liquid vessels for detergent.
• 3 PVC (polyvinyl chloride): marked "3" and "PVC", this type of plastic is less commonly accepted in local recycling centers because it is more difficult to recycle. Common examples include clean food packages, liquid cleaning vessels and many building applications, including some traffic cones.
• 4 LDPE (low density polyethylene): marked "4" and "LDPE" This type of recyclable plastic is used in some bread and freezingNo food bags, cans of cans and garbage.
• 5 pp (polypropylene): One plastic commonly used in the automotive and construction industry is polypropylene; This plastic is marked "5" and "PP". Several examples include some of the showrooms, oil naval and plastic drinks.
• 6 PS (polystyrene): Another type of recyclable plastic that consumers unusually use polystyrene. This plastic is characterized by "6" and "PS", used in some wrapping foam, plastic cutlery and protective packaging for electronic goods and toys.


• 7 others: Some types of plastics marked as "other", "O" or "7" cannot be recycled because they are commonly produced with a combination of previous six types of plastic, or with a type of plastic other than the six, and cannot be recycled. Common examples are headlight lenses and safety glasses; However, containers are marked "7" that are -cyclable plastics include about three to five gallonre -bottles for water.

While there are many different types of plastics, not all can be recycled and some of those that may not be eligible for picking up or received on local recycling. From the types of plastics that can be recycled, it is important that they are recycled by their own species, as a small amount of wrong plastic type can destroy the melt. Therefore, sorting of plastics is a critical part of the recycling process; Many cities offer baskets that help residents sort recyclable materials correctly.