The Meaning behind the Different Types of Recyclable Plastics by Number
To help protect our planet from things unnecessary like excessive waste which has proven to be dangerous for humans and other species of animals and plants, scientists decided that there were better ways to dispose of waste; the most common and effective way being to recycle and reuse plastic products.Plastic recycling is the process of recovering scrap and waste plastics and reprocessing them into useful products. Sometimes the products are completely different, like plastic bottles into park benches. For those of us who do recycle, we’re sometimes put off by the different numbers used in the process. These numbers are the Plastic Identification Code (PIC).
Seven groups of plastic polymers, each of which have specific properties, are used for packaging applications. Each group of polymer can be indentified by the PIC. The PIC appears inside a three-chasing arrow recycling symbol. This symbol indicates whether the plastic can be recycled into new products.
The PIC was introduced by the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. which provided a uniform system for indentifying various polymer types and helps recycling companies to separate different types of plastic for reprocessing. Manufacturers of plastic food packaging and containers can voluntarily mark their products with the PIC, and consumers can easily spot them and know how to properly dispose.
1: PET - Polyethylene Terephthalate. This plastic is known for its strength, clarity, toughness, and a barrier to gas and moisture. This type of plastics more common applications can be found all around you, and are used for soft drinks, water bottles, peanut butter jars, etc.
2: PE-HD - High Density Polyethylene. Similar to PET, this high-density plastic is also known for its stiffness, strength, but not so much its clarity, and resistance to moisture. You can find this type of plastic with milk and juice containers, trash bags, and other types of plastic bags.
3: PVC - Polyvinyl Chloride. A stronger plastic, PVC is commonly used for pipes: such as plumbing, and also cling films, and juice bottles. It’s also known for extreme versatility and ease of blending. Its durability makes this a great plastic for building.
4: PE-LD - Low Density Polyethylene. Frozen food bags and squeeze bottles are what this type of plastic is commonly used for. The ease of sealing and barrier to moisture make this plastic the ideal choice for these applications.
5: PP - Polypropylene. You can find this type of plastic all over the house as well. It’s used with microwave-safe ware, kitchenware, and cups and plates. This plastic is best known for its resistance to heat. It can be flexible, or stiff and rigid, making it ideal for multiple applications.
6: PS - Polystyrene. This plasti is very easily formed, making it ideal for its use in egg cartons, Styrofoam, cutlery, etc.
7: 0 - Other. The “Other” category is dependent on polymers or the combination of polymers. Some beverage bottles are marked with the 0, and baby milk bottles are also a common item which uses this plastic.
Tags: Plastic Identification Code, Recyclable Plastics, Society of the Plastics Industry
