Chloe Zhang
Plastic is everywhere, and it's no secret that it's harmful to the environment. Plastic waste is a key concern for environmentalists, governments and organisations, as the vast majority of plastics are disposed of in non-environmentally friendly ways, resulting in polluted oceans, overextended landfills and ecological damage. So, what kinds of plastic are recyclable? Well, there are seven types of plastic, ranging from numbers 1 to 7, with 7 being 'other'. Generally, plastics with a lower number are more likely to be easily recyclable. For example, plastics numbered 1 and 2 are accepted by most recyclers and can be tossed into standard recycling bins. However, the acceptability of plastics for recycling varies from community to community. For instance, in Massachusetts, the statewide waste ban prohibits the disposal of any single-resin narrow-necked bottles in trash bins, making recycling these containers mandatory.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Plastic resin codes | Numbers 1-7, with 7 being 'other' |
| Recyclability | The lower the resin code number, the more likely the plastic type is to be easily recyclable |
| Plastic types | PET/PETE, HDPE, LDPE, PP, PS, PVC |
| PET/PETE products | Recyclable |
| HDPE products | Recyclable |
| LDPE products | Not widely accepted by most American recycling programs, but more communities are starting to accept it |
| PP products | Can sometimes be recycled |
| PS products | Can sometimes be recycled |
| PVC products | Cannot be recycled |
| Plastic bags | Not recyclable in a curbside bin, but some stores will collect and recycle them |
| Plastic tampon applicators | Not recyclable |
| Plastic wrappings | Not recyclable |
| Plastic tubs | Not recyclable unless a drop-off location exists in the area |
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What You'll Learn
Recycling plastic conserves natural resources and energy
Plastic is one of the most valuable recyclable materials, and recycling it has several benefits for the environment. Firstly, it conserves natural resources and energy. Plastic is derived from oil, so recycling it reduces our dependence on this raw material and conserves oil reserves. Recycling ten plastic bottles saves enough energy to power a laptop for over 25 hours, and a ton of recycled plastic saves over 16 barrels of oil and 5,700 kilowatt-hours of energy.
Recycling plastic also helps to reduce waste and pollution. Plastic can take 500-1000 years to biodegrade, so it remains in landfills and pollutes the environment for a long time. By recycling plastic, we can divert it from landfills and give it a new purpose, reducing the negative impact of pollution and emissions.
Additionally, recycling plastic can help combat climate change. In 2018, the recycling and composting of municipal solid waste saved over 193 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Recycling plastic also reduces the need to extract new resources, such as timber, water, and minerals, for creating new products.
While almost all plastic can be recycled in theory, certain types are easier to recycle than others. The most widely recycled plastic globally is PET, which is used for plastic bottles and can be recycled into new bottles or fashion items like polar fleece clothing and backpacks. HDPE, the plastic used for milk jugs, shampoo bottles, and detergent bottles, is also commonly recycled as it is one of the easiest plastic polymers to recycle.
However, some plastics are challenging to recycle due to their chemical composition or the difficulty of separating their different layers. Examples include bioplastics, composite plastic, plastic-coated paper, and polycarbonate. Other hard-to-recycle plastics include Styrofoam, plastic wrap, and manufacturing scrap, which require specialized handling.
Despite these challenges, recycling plastic is crucial for conserving natural resources and energy, reducing pollution, and mitigating climate change.
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PET is the most widely recycled plastic
Plastic is one of the most complicated materials to recycle, and consumers often don't know what types can be disposed of and in which ways. However, recycling plastic is critical to improving the environment and bettering waste management solutions, as plastic can take hundreds of years to biodegrade, and recycling can conserve limited natural resources and energy.
PET (or PETE) is the most widely recycled plastic in the world. It is a lightweight, durable, and inexpensive material that can be readily molded into a variety of products. PET is most commonly used for single-use packaging materials, such as disposable consumer items and packaging. It is the plastic used to make bottles for soda, water, and other drinks, as well as cooking oil containers, plastic peanut butter jars, and containers for other popular food items.
PET is also unique in that it can be recycled into its original uses. In other words, recycled PET can be used to make new bottles, as well as many other products like winter jackets, rugs, playground equipment, and dog beds. Recycled PET is a highly sought-after material because it reduces the environmental impact of making new bottles, reducing total energy consumption by 79% and limiting greenhouse gas emissions by 67%.
In addition to being recycled into new bottles and other products, PET bottles can be recycled into PET bottles again and again. This is because PET is made of a polymer that can be recycled into the same form. This makes it a valuable resource for creating new products while also reducing the environmental impact of producing new plastic.
Despite being a relatively easy plastic to recycle, some countries are still struggling to reach decent PET recycling rates. For example, Brazil recycled 55% of PET packaging in 2019, while India, Europe, and South Korea have rates higher than 50%. On the other hand, countries like the US and China are yet to scale up their PET recycling numbers.
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HDPE is one of the easiest plastic polymers to recycle
Plastic is one of the most complicated materials to recycle, and consumers often don't know what types can be disposed of and how. There are seven different types of plastic used around the world, and they differ in size, colour, usage, and disposal.
HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) is one of the easiest plastic polymers to recycle. It is a popular plastic type due to its strength and flexibility and is commonly referred to as polyethylene. HDPE is used to make a variety of products, including milk and shampoo bottles, pipes, and wheelie bins. It is also used for non-food application bottles, such as detergent, motor oil, and household cleaner bottles. HDPE is recyclable in all its forms, including bottles, bags, tanks, films, offcuts, and sheets. It can be recycled into new pipes, crates, films, plastic lumber, and even recycling bins. HDPE has a plastic code number of 2 and is accepted in most domestic recycling bins.
The process of recycling HDPE involves sorting, cleaning, separating, shredding, melting, and creating new products. First, clean and contaminated HDPE products are sorted, and all other plastic types and materials are removed. The HDPE is then cleaned to remove any contaminants and ensure material quality. It is then separated to ensure no other polymers are present, and Near-Infrared Radiation (NIR) techniques are used to separate any non-HDPE plastic. The HDPE is then shredded, melted down, cooled, and formed into pellets, which are used to manufacture new HDPE products.
HDPE is accepted at most recycling centres worldwide, and many recycling companies collect HDPE products and send them to large facilities for processing. In the US, the recycling rate for HDPE bottles is around 30%. However, it's important to note that HDPE should be recycled separately from other plastic types, as having other plastics in the batch can ruin the recycled end product.
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Plastic resin codes indicate recyclability
Plastic resin codes, also known as Resin Identification Codes (RIC), are a set of symbols that appear on plastic products to identify the type of plastic resin used. They were developed in 1988 by the Society of the Plastics Industry (now the Plastics Industry Association) in the United States and are now administered by ASTM International, an international standards organisation.
The RIC system was designed to make it easier for workers in recycling facilities to sort and separate items according to their resin type, as plastics must be recycled separately to preserve the value of the recycled material. The original RIC symbols consisted of arrows that cycle clockwise to form a triangle that encloses a number from 1 to 7, with 7 being "other". However, subsequent revisions have replaced the arrows with a solid triangle to address consumer confusion, as the old RIC symbols resembled the universal recycling symbol, leading people to assume that products with the arrows symbol were recyclable.
- Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE): This is the most common plastic for single-use bottled beverages and is also used for food containers, cooking oil containers, and plastic jars. PET is one of the most widely recycled plastics in the world and can be turned into products of similar quality, such as fashion items, backpacks, carpets, and even construction materials.
- High-density polyethylene (HDPE): This is a durable, hard plastic that is commonly used for milk jugs, shampoo bottles, cleaning product containers, and detergent bottles. HDPE is another widely recycled plastic and can be recycled up to 10 times.
- Polyvinyl chloride (PVC): PVC is a soft, flexible plastic used for household products like plastic tubing, toys, plastic trays, and furniture. It cannot be recycled.
- Low-density polyethylene (LDPE): This type of plastic is used for plastic bags, six-pack rings, tubing, grocery bags, and bread bags. LDPE bags should not be put into recycling bins as they can get tangled in recycling equipment.
- Polypropylene (PP): PP has a high melting point and is often chosen for containers that hold hot liquids, such as yogurt containers and medicine bottles. It can sometimes be recycled through curbside programs.
- Polystyrene (PS): PS is commonly used for disposable coffee cups, packing peanuts, coolers, and to-go food containers. It can sometimes be recycled, but it may require specialized handling as it is hard to process.
- Other: This category includes plastics that don't fit into the previous categories, such as polycarbonate and polylactic acid (PLA). Products with a code of 7 may be made of multiple plastic types that are difficult to recycle.
It is important to note that the presence of a resin code on a product does not necessarily indicate that it is recyclable. Consumers should check with their local recycling facilities to determine which types of plastic are accepted for recycling in their area.
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Some plastics are hard to recycle, e.g. Styrofoam, shrink wrap, and manufacturing scrap
While in principle, almost all plastic can be recycled, there are a variety of barriers that can undermine this process. For example, some plastics are hard to recycle, such as Styrofoam, shrink wrap, and manufacturing scrap.
Styrofoam, also known as expanded polystyrene (EPS), is not generally recyclable in curbside recycling programs. This is because EPS is lightweight and bulky, making the collection and transportation impacts of recycling it often outweigh the environmental benefits. However, there are some locations where EPS can be recycled, such as special drop-off locations or through shipping stores that accept packaging peanuts for reuse.
Shrink wrap is another plastic that is challenging to recycle. Soft plastics like shrink wrap tend to jam machinery at materials recovery facilities, causing issues for recycling processes. However, shrink wrap is a highly recyclable material when it is not contaminated with tape, packaging labels, or other impurities. Businesses that generate large volumes of shrink wrap can work with waste and recycling providers to consolidate and bale it for recycling.
Manufacturing scrap refers to any materials or unfinished products discarded during production. While there is a significant potential for scrap reduction through innovation and new technologies, the accumulation of scrap can still have adverse environmental and economic impacts. Companies can minimize scrap by working with suppliers to improve raw material quality and reduce defects, as well as by partnering with other companies to recycle or upcycle scrap materials.
Overall, while some plastics like Styrofoam, shrink wrap, and manufacturing scrap present recycling challenges, there are ongoing efforts and strategies to improve their recyclability and reduce their environmental impact.
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Frequently asked questions
There are seven standard classifications for plastics, ranging from numbers 1 to 7, with 7 being 'other'. The lower the number, the more likely the plastic is to be easily recyclable. Some common plastics are:
- PET or PETE: Used for beverage bottles, perishable food containers and mouthwash. PET/PETE products can be recycled.
- HDPE: Used for milk jugs, shampoo bottles, detergent containers, etc. HDPE products can be recycled.
- PVC: Used for plastic tubing, kids' toys, plastic trays, etc. PVC products cannot be recycled.
- LDPE: Used for grocery bags, newspaper bags, sliced bread loaves, etc. LDPE is reusable but not easily recyclable.
- PP: Used for some yogurt containers, syrup and medicine bottles, etc. PP products can sometimes be recycled.
Plastic containers are often stamped with a resin code, which is a number between one and seven inside a small triangle made of arrows. This is known as the resin identification code. The presence of a resin code does not mean the product can be recycled — it is the number inside the triangle that counts as each number corresponds to a different type of plastic.
Plastic can take up to 1000 years to biodegrade, meaning it takes up landfill space and pollutes the environment for longer. Recycling plastic can help conserve limited natural resources and energy as plastic is made from oil.
