When it comes to home recycling, understanding plastics can be one of the biggest challenges. Plastics differ from many other recyclables in that they are not simply categorized as just "plastics". In fact, there are seven sub-categories of plastic and knowing how to identify and sort them can save both you and your local recycling center some trouble. This article will help to simplify plastic recycling. As I mentioned, there are seven sub categories of plastics. Breaking plastics down into sub categories was simply a way to help recyclers identify different types of plastics based on their characteristics. You can find the category for plastic items on the bottom of most plastic items and it is easily recognized by a number inside of the triangular recycling symbol. Below is a depiction of what they symbol will look like:
And here is a simple breakdown of how the plastics are categorized:
1- Polyethylene Terephthalate- This is a plastic with good clarity and strength that is commonly used for food and beverage bottles.
2- High Density Polyethylene- This plastic is also known for it strength and is commonly used for milk bottles and plastic bags.
3- Polyvinyl Chloride- PVC is a versatile plastic with it's most common use being plastic pipe.
4- Low Density Polyethylene- This is a flexible plastic that is easy to process. Used for food packaging bags and cling-wraps.
5- Polypropylene- Strong and heat resistant, found in disposable kitchenware and plastic storage bowls.
6- Polystyrene- This plastic is versatile and easily formed making it perfect for packaging peanuts and egg cartons.
7- Other- This is a catch all category for plastics that don't fall neatly into another category. You'll often see this category on reusable water bottles and baby bottles.
As you can see the categorization does fairly well at handling a large variety of plastic products. The categories also serve as a guide to recyclers so that they can separate the products for recycling. You will want to check with your local recycling center and determine if they accept all or some of the categories of plastic. If they accept all categories then you will not need to pre-sort your plastics prior to dropping them off or placing them out for pickup. If they only accept some types you can simply only save the types that you know they accept. Plastic recycling doesn't have to be a challenge as long as you are willing to understand the process. I hope I helped to clear any confusion you may have had. Preventing the heaps of plastic products in our landfills from growing any larger should be a priority for us all. If you aren't already recycling plastic, start today!
As I mentioned, there are seven sub categories of plastics. Breaking plastics down into sub categories was simply a way to help recyclers identify different types of plastics based on their characteristics. You can find the category for plastic items on the bottom of most plastic items and it is easily recognized by a number inside of the triangular recycling symbol. Below is a depiction of what they symbol will look like:
And here is a simple breakdown of how the plastics are categorized:
1- Polyethylene Terephthalate- This is a plastic with good clarity and strength that is commonly used for food and beverage bottles.
2- High Density Polyethylene- This plastic is also known for it strength and is commonly used for milk bottles and plastic bags.
3- Polyvinyl Chloride- PVC is a versatile plastic with it's most common use being plastic pipe.
4- Low Density Polyethylene- This is a flexible plastic that is easy to process. Used for food packaging bags and cling-wraps.
5- Polypropylene- Strong and heat resistant, found in disposable kitchenware and plastic storage bowls.
6- Polystyrene- This plastic is versatile and easily formed making it perfect for packaging peanuts and egg cartons.
7- Other- This is a catch all category for plastics that don't fall neatly into another category. You'll often see this category on reusable water bottles and baby bottles.
As you can see the categorization does fairly well at handling a large variety of plastic products. The categories also serve as a guide to recyclers so that they can separate the products for recycling. You will want to check with your local recycling center and determine if they accept all or some of the categories of plastic. If they accept all categories then you will not need to pre-sort your plastics prior to dropping them off or placing them out for pickup. If they only accept some types you can simply only save the types that you know they accept.
Plastic recycling doesn't have to be a challenge as long as you are willing to understand the process. I hope I helped to clear any confusion you may have had. Preventing the heaps of plastic products in our landfills from growing any larger should be a priority for us all. If you aren't already recycling plastic, start today!