Dear “Earth Talk”: What is the deal with
plastics recycling these days? Can you explain what the different numbers
molded onto the bottoms of plastic containers stand for? —Tom
Croarkin, Fairfield, Conn.
Confusion over what we can and cannot recycle
continues to confound consumers. Plastics are especially troublesome
because different forms of plastic require differing processes to be
reformulated and reused as raw material. Some municipalities accept all
types of plastic for recycling, whereas others only accept jugs,
containers, and bottles with certain numbers stamped on their bottoms. The symbol code we’re familiar with — a
single digit ranging from 1 to 7 surrounded by a triangle of arrows —
was designed by the Society of the Plastics Industry in 1988 to allow
consumers and recyclers to differentiate types of plastics while providing
a uniform coding system for manufacturers. The numbers, which 39 states now mandate be molded or
imprinted on all 8-ounce to 5-gallon containers, identify the type of
plastic and, according to the American Plastics Council, an industry trade
group, help recyclers do their jobs more effectively. The easiest and most common plastics to recycle are
made of polyethylene terephthalate, better known as PETE, and are assigned
a 1. Examples include soda and water bottles, medicine containers, and many
other common consumer-product containers. Once it has been processed by a
recycling facility, PETE can become fiberfill for winter coats, sleeping
bags, and lifejackets. It may also be used to make bean bags, rope, car
bumpers, tennis-ball felt, combs, cassette tapes, sails for boats,
furniture — and, of course, other bottles. No. 2 is reserved for high-density polyethylene
plastics. These include heavier containers that hold laundry detergents and
bleaches, as well as milk, shampoos, and motor oils. No. 2 plastic is often
recycled into toys, piping, plastic lumber, and rope. Like No. 1 plastic,
it is widely accepted at recycling centers. Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, commonly used in plastic
pipes, shower curtains, medical tubing, vinyl dashboards — even some
baby-bottle nipples — gets the No. 3 designation. Like No. 4
(wrapping films, grocery and sandwich bags, and other containers made of
low-density polyethylene) and No. 5 (polypropylene containers used in
Tupperware, among other products), few municipal recycling centers will
accept it because of its very low rate of recyclability. No. 6 goes on
polystyrene (Styrofoam) items such as coffee cups, disposable cutlery, meat
trays, packing peanuts and insulation, which are widely accepted because
they can be reprocessed into many items, including cassette tapes and rigid
foam insulation. Last but far from least are items crafted from
various combinations of the aforementioned plastics or from unique plastic
formulations not commonly used. Usually imprinted with a 7 or nothing at
all, these plastics are the most difficult to recycle and, for this reason,
are seldom collected or recycled. More ambitious consumers can feel free to
return such items to the product manufacturers to avoid contributing to the
local waste stream and instead put the burden on the makers to recycle or
dispose of the items properly.
For more information: Society of the Plastics
Industry, www.socplas.org; American Plastics Council,
www.americanplasticscouncil.org.
Send questions to “Earth Talk” in care of
E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; or e-mail
earthtalk@emagazine.com.
This article appears in Feb 2-8, 2006.
