To encourage and facilitate the recycling of plastics, parts should be marked with symbols that indicate what they are made of. For more information on this click here
Recycling plastics |
| The table below shows the
recycling codes for the most easily recycled plastics, and
describes what functions they are useful for. All of these are thermoplastics –
this means that they can be reheated, softened and reformed. To encourage and facilitate the recycling of plastics, parts should be marked with symbols that indicate what they are made of. For more information on this click here |
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Codes
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Descriptions
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Properties
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Packaging Applications |
Recycled Products | |
 |
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET,
PETE). PET is clear, tough, and has good gas and moisture barrier
properties. Commonly used in soft drink bottles and many injection molded
consumer product containers. Other applications include strapping and both
food and non-food containers. Cleaned, recycled PET flakes and pellets are
in great demand for spinning fiber for carpet yarns, producing fiberfill
and geo-textiles. Nickname: Polyester. |
Clarity, strength, toughness,
barrier to gas and moisture, resistance to heat |
Plastic soft drink, water, sports
drink, beer, mouthwash, catsup and salad dressing bottles. Peanut butter,
pickle, jelly and jam jars. Ovenable film and ovenable prepared food
trays. |
Fiber, tote bags, clothing, film
and sheet, food and beverage containers, carpet, strapping, fleece wear,
luggage and bottles. | |
 |
High Density Polyethylene (HDPE).
HDPE is used to make bottles for milk, juice, water and laundry products.
Unpigmented bottles are translucent, have good barrier properties and
stiffness, and are well suited to packaging products with a short shelf
life such as milk. Because HDPE has good chemical resistance, it is used
for packaging many household and industrial chemicals such as detergents
and bleach. Pigmented HDPE bottles have better stress crack resistance
than unpigmented HDPE bottles. |
Stiffness, strength, toughness,
resistance to chemicals and moisture, permeability to gas, ease of
processing, and ease of forming. |
Milk, water, juice, cosmetic,
shampoo, dish and laundry detergent bottles; yogurt and margarine tubs;
cereal box liners; grocery, trash and retail bags. |
Liquid laundry detergent, shampoo,
conditioner and motor oil bottles; pipe, buckets, crates, flower pots,
garden edging, film and sheet, recycling bins, benches, dog houses,
plastic lumber, floor tiles, picnic tables, fencing. | |
 |
Vinyl (Polyvinyl Chloride or PVC):
In addition to its stable physical properties, PVC has excellent chemical
resistance, good weatherability, flow characteristics and stable
electrical properties. The diverse slate of vinyl products can be broadly
divided into rigid and flexible materials. Bottles and packaging sheet are
major rigid markets, but it is also widely used in the construction market
for such applications as pipes and fittings, siding, carpet backing and
windows. Flexible vinyl is used in wire and cable insulation, film and
sheet, floor coverings synthetic leather products, coatings, blood bags,
medical tubing and many other applications. |
Versatility, clarity, ease of
blending, strength, toughness, resistance to grease, oil and
chemicals. |
Clear food and non-food packaging,
medical tubing, wire and cable insulation, film and sheet, construction
products such as pipes, fittings, siding, floor tiles, carpet backing and
window frames.. |
Packaging, loose-leaf binders,
decking, paneling, gutters, mud flaps, film and sheet, floor tiles and
mats, resilient flooring, cassette trays, electrical boxes, cables,
traffic cones, garden hose, mobile home skirting. | |
 |
Low Density Polyethylene
(LDPE).Used predominately in film applications due to its toughness,
flexibility and relative transparency, making it popular for use in
applications where heat sealing is necessary. LDPE is also used to
manufacture some flexible lids and bottles and it is used in wire and
cable applications |
Ease of processing, strength,
toughness, flexibility, ease of sealing, barrier to moisture.
|
Dry cleaning, bread and frozen
food bags, squeezable bottles, e.g. honey, mustard. |
Shipping envelopes, garbage can
liners, floor tile, furniture, film and sheet, compost bins, paneling,
trash cans, landscape timber, lumber | |
 |
Polypropylene (PP). Polypropylene has good chemical resistance, is strong, and has a high melting point making it good for hot-fill liquids. PP is found in flexible and rigid packaging to fibers and large molded parts for automotive and consumer products. | Strength, toughness, resistance to heat, chemicals, grease and oil, versatile, barrier to moisture. | Catsup bottles, yogurt containers and margarine tubs, medicine bottles | Automobile battery cases, signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, ice scrapers, oil funnels, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, sheeting, trays. | |
 |
Polystyrene (PS). Polystyrene is a versatile plastic that can be rigid or foamed. General purpose polystyrene is clear, hard and brittle. It has a relatively low melting point. Typical applications include protective packaging, containers, lids, cups, bottles and trays. | Versatility, insulation, clarity, easily formed | Compact disc jackets, food service applications, grocery store meat trays, egg cartons, aspirin bottles, cups, plates, cutlery. | Thermometers, light switch plates, thermal insulation, egg cartons, vents, desk trays, rulers, license plate frames, foam packing, foam plates, cups, utensils | |
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Other. Use of this code indicates that the package in question is made with a resin other than the six listed above, or is made of more than one resin listed above, and used in a multi-layer combination. | Dependent on resin or combination of resins |
Three and five gallon reusable water bottles, some citrus juice and catsup bottles. | Bottles, plastic lumber applications. | |
(Source: http://americanplasticscouncil.org/s_apc/sec.asp?TRACKID=&CID=313&DID=931, 17th September 2004)