What Do the Numbers of Recyclable Plastics Mean?

Table of Contents

PET or PETE stands for polyethylene terephthalate. It's the most common material for single-use plastic bottles.

The reason why PET is so popular is that it's lightweight, cheap, and easy to recycle. It also poses little to no risk of leaching or breaking down. Still, its recycling rates remain around 20%, which is relatively low.

Most curbside recyclable programs will get rid of PET, as long as it's empty and rinsed. Removing the bottle label isn't necessary. Keep in mind that caps are a different type of plastic, so you can throw them in the trash.

For PET plastics to get recycled, they need to meet certain purity standards. They're

most commonly recycled into fiber, furniture, straps, and paneling.

HDPE (high-density polyethylene) has many packaging uses. It has a low risk of leaching and you can recycle it into many types of goods.

This material is most often seen in bleach, detergent, and shampoo bottles. Curbside recycling programs will pick these up as well. That said, some programs only accept containers with necks, so watch out for contamination.

Certain types of grocery bags and plastic wraps are also made from HDPE. Since the plastic here is flimsy, these products tend to be harder to recycle. Still, many stores will collect them and recycle them for you.

HDPE is often used to make things such as pens, floor tiles, benches, lumber, and oil bottles.

PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride, whereas V refers to vinyl. Despite the similarities they share, these two materials are not the same thing.

PVC is cheap, tough, and weathers well, which makes it common in many products. It also contains chlorine, so you should never burn it. Doing so can release highly dangerous dioxins and carbon monoxide.

Neither PVC nor V recycles well, but some plastic lumber makers will accept them. Alternatively, you could drop them off at a collection center. If there's a lot of waste, consider renting a residential dumpster to get rid of it.

We can recycle PVC and V plastics into decks, cables, flooring, mats, and mud-flaps.

Number 4: LDPE

LDPE (low-density polyethylene) is another versatile plastic with many uses. It's common in furniture, dry cleaning bags, and frozen food packaging.

Historically, most recycling programs in America haven't recycled LDPE. Still, times are changing, and more communities are starting to accept it. In other words, you can throw most things made with LDPE in the trash.

One notable exception to this rule is baggage. If you have tote bags and shopping bags made with LDPE, don't throw them away. Like HDPE bags, there's a good chance you can return them to stores for recycling.

Recycling LDPE allows us to make trash cans, shipping envelopes, compost bins, and more.

Number 5: PP

PP stands for polypropylene. This is another type of plastic that wasn't too popular with recyclers, though it's becoming more accepted.

The most notable feature of this material is its high melting point. This makes it a perfect fit for any container that holds hot liquids. You can also find it in caps, straws, syrup and medicine bottles, and yogurt containers.

Most curbside programs will accept PP if there's no food left inside. As for loose caps, feel free to throw them into the garbage. During the recycling process, they tend to slip through screens, ending up as trash anyway.

PP plastics are often recycled into trays, battery cables, signal lights, and so on.

Number 6: PS

Manufacturers can use PS (polystyrene) for both foam and rigid products. In the former case, you'll know it by its trademarked name: Styrofoam.

This material has had a long and troubled history. One reason for that is that it contains styrene monomer, a possible human carcinogen. It also contains shades of styrene oxide, which is a probable carcinogen.

PS is also notoriously hard to recycle and easily dispersed across the landscape. Most programs still don't accept it since it's 98% air. For all these reasons, it's long been on environmentalists' hit lists.

The good news: foam products still count as recyclable plastics. Before you put them in the trash, place them in a bag, squeeze the air out, and tie the bag up. That way, the pellets won't be able to disperse.

By recycling PS, we can make insulation, vents, rules, egg cartons, and light switch plates.

If a plastic resin doesn't fit into any of the previous categories, it's lumped into this one. The two main plastic types in this group are PC and PLA.

PC (polycarbonate) is a hard plastic used in protective gear, plastic lenses, medical devices, and so on. Studies show it's a hormone disruptor. PLA stands for polylactic acid, which is carbon neutral and made from plants.

As a general rule, miscellaneous plastics aren't recycled. Your best bet is to look up specific instructions on your municipality's website.

Why Recycling Numbers Matter

As long as you keep track of recycling numbers, you should have no trouble figuring out what you can recycle. That said, some cities have different programs. Before recycling some materials, you may want to check out what they have to say.

Want to know more about how to recycle plastics? Need to get rid of large quantities of plastics or other trash at once? Contact us here—we rent construction and residential dumpsters at affordable prices!

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