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Recycling |
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< -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> |
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Solids |
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(Current Recyclable Materials) |
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Recyclable Plastic Materials (Page 1) |
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Plastic is one of the most commonly used materials in the world today. From grocery bags to high-tech machines, plastic is applicable everywhere. With the high usage of plastic, recycling of it has become a major issue to our society and environment. Following is a list of plastic materials categorized base on its grade. For a more extensive list of today's recyclable plastics, please visit our section Current Recyclable Materials – Thermoplastics. For a better understanding of the actual recycling process of plastic, please visit our section Current Recycling Processes – Plastic.
The following information was obtained from the Los Angeles Department of Public Works.
The symbols and numbers on most plastic products are used to help the sorting process during recycling. These stamps identify the type of resin or resin mix in the plastic container. Only two types, PET and HDPE, are commonly collected for recycling. |
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PET<1> Polyethylene Terephthalate. Includes beverage bottles (like 2-liter pop bottles), frozen food boil-in-the-bag pouches and microwave food trays. PET makes up about 7% of the plastics stream.
HDPE<2> High Density Polyethylene. Includes milk jugs, trash bags, detergent bottles, bleach bottles and aspirin bottles. HDPE makes up about 31% of plastics stream. |
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Figure: PET<1>, beverage bottles.
[Courtesy of: Waste Aware.] |
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Figure: HDPE<2>, trash bags.
[Courtesy of: Walgreens.] |
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Figure: PVC<3>, cooking oil bottles.
[Courtesy of: Aceford Food.] |
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PVC<3> - Polyvinyl Chlorine. Includes cooking oil bottles and packaging around meat. PVC makes up about 5% of plastics stream. |
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PP<5> - Polypropylene. Includes yogurt containers, shampoo bottles, straws, syrup bottles and margarine tubs. PP makes up about 9% of plastics stream.
LDPE<4> - Low Density Polyethylene. Includes grocery store produce bags, bread bags, food wrap and mustard squeeze bottles. LDPE makes up about 33% of plastics stream. |
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Figure: PP<5>, shampoo bottles.
[Courtesy of: Cernitin America.] |
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Figure: LDPE<4>, grocery bag.
[Courtesy of: PCC.] |
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PS<6> - Polystyrene. Plastic foam (better known by trade name Styrofoam™). Includes hot beverage cups, fast food clamshell containers, egg cartons and meat trays. PS makes up about 11% of plastics stream. |
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Figure: FPS<6>, styrofoam cup.
[Courtesy of: InstaOffice.] |
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Other<7> All other plastic resins or mixes of those above in same product. These plastics make up about 4% of plastics stream. |
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_________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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QUICK LINKS (Specific Table of Contents):
Section I: Introduction
Section II: Present (YOU ARE CURRENTLY IN THIS SECTION)
Section III: Future |
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Links: |
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Home
Complete Table of Contents
Reference |
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