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Plastic Recycling Resin ID Code Numbers |
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| Many plastic items are marked with a resin ID code – usually a number (1 through 7) or a letter abbreviation – which indicates a particular type of plastic. The code is typically found on the bottom of a container and is often displayed inside a three-arrow recycling symbol. Resin ID codes are used to help identify different plastics for recycling, but they do not provide guidance on the safe or intended use of a product and should not be used for this purpose | |||
| Resin Code | Symbol | Type of Products | Examples of Products made from Recycled Content |
| 1 – PET |
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Polyethylene terephthalate; includes plastic soda bottles and some detergent bottles; commonly recycled. |
Fiber, tote bags, clothing, film and sheet, food and beverage containers, carpet, strapping, fleece wear, luggage and bottles. |
| 2 – HDPE |
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High density polyethylene; includes milk jugs; commonly recycled. |
Liquid laundry detergent, shampoo, conditioner and motor oil bottles; pipe, buckets, crates, flower pots, garden edging, film and sheet, recycling bins, benches, dog houses, plastic lumber, floor tiles, picnic tables, fencing. |
| 3 – PVC or V |
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Polyvinyl chloride; includes garden hoses, plastic flooring, credit cards, and shower curtains |
Packaging, loose-leaf binders, decking, paneling, gutters, mud flaps, film and sheet, floor tiles and mats, resilient flooring, cassette trays, electrical boxes, cables, traffic cones, garden hose, mobile home skirting. |
| 4 – LDPE |
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Low density polyethylene; includes clear packaging on cassettes or CDs, plastic sandwich bags and plastic grocery bags; recycled at many grocery stores. |
Shipping envelopes, garbage can liners, floor tile, paneling, furniture, film and sheet, compost bins, trash cans, landscape timber, and outdoor lumber. |
| 5 – Polypropylene |
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Includes plastic lids, bottle caps, straws, and some food containers; generally not recyclables |
Automobile battery cases, signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, ice scrapers, oil funnels, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, sheeting, trays. |
| 6 – Polystyrene |
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Styrofoam, such as coffee cups. |
Thermometers, light switch plates, thermal insulation, egg cartons, vents, desk trays, rulers, license plate frames, foam packing, foam plates, cups, utensils |
| 7 – Mixed plastics |
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Several types of plastic mixed together; probably can’t be recycled. |
Bottles and plastic lumber applications.
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| The Society of the Plastics Industry | |||
