What Does the Number Inside a Recycle Sign Mean?
- Plastics are used to manufacture a range of consumer products, including bottles.water bottle image by Radu Razvan from Fotolia.com
Polymers, or plastics, are used in a wide array of consumer products, from soda bottles to vehicle parts. Their unique qualities make them economical to produce and appropriate for a variety of uses. - Plastics are commonly used to create containers for food.Container of milk. Plastic milk bottle image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
Soda and milk bottles, for example, are made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE); polypropylene (PP) is generally used in yogurt containers and catsup bottles. Harder, durable polymers are used in the manufacturing of construction materials, such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes. - Different types of plastics require different recycling methods.trash image by dinostock from Fotolia.com
Each number inside the recycling symbol represents a type of plastic. The most commonly recycled plastics display either a #1 PET or PETE (for example, single-use bottles for water and soda) or a #2 HDPE (high density polyethylene used in milk bottles and laundry detergent jugs). Recycling code #3 PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is rarely recycled. - Many communities offer recycling either curbside or at a local center.recycling bins image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com
Many communities offer a recycling program through the county or municipal solid waste department. Many offer curbside recycling for a variety of plastics. Some communities provide recycling centers and bins at designated locations or at the local solid waste management facility, and accept a wider range of recyclable plastics.
