Table of Contents
Which of the 7 plastics are recyclable?
Which Plastics Are Recyclable By Number?
- #1: PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
- #2: HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)
- #3: PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
- #4: LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene)
- #5: PP (Polypropylene)
- #6: PS (Polystyrene)
- #7: Polycarbonate, BPA, and Other Plastics.
Which plastics are actually recycled?
Only those with a 1 or 2 (plastic bottles and jugs) are widely recycled in the U.S. Whether items coded 3 through 7 actually get recycled depends on local waste management practices.
What are household plastics 1 7?
Plastics by the Numbers
- #1 – PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
- #2 – HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)
- #3 – PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
- #4 – LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene)
- #5 – PP (Polypropylene)
- #6 – PS (Polystyrene)
- #7 – Other (BPA, Polycarbonate and LEXAN)
What does recycle 7 mean?
7: Other. Any type of plastic that doesn’t fit into one of the first six categories falls under this heading. Products stamped with a 7 are often made out of multiple plastic types or out of other types of plastic that can’t easily be recycled. #7 products CAN SOMETIMES be recycled.
How are different plastics recycled?
It is a two-stage process: Sorting is mainly done automatically with a manual sort to ensure all contaminants have been removed. Once sorted and cleaned, plastic can either be shredded into flakes or melt processed to form pellets before finally being moulded into new products.
Why are only some plastics recyclable?
Some plastics can take up to 1000 years to decompose… Most of the plastics we use are either thermoplastic or thermosetting. Thermoplastics include acrylics, nylon and polyethylene (polythene). As you heat them up they get soft, so they can be shaped into any form you like, which also makes them easy to recycle.