I'm standing in front of my recycling bins with piles of recyclable trash. I'm turning the containers upside down and all around looking for the codes, but what do those symbols mean? Most recycling codes apply to the different kinds of plastic. Every code is in the shape of a triangle (and seriously, some of them are very small and hard to find) but what’s the sense of the numbers?
I decided it's time to learn!
A triangle with the number 1 means PET or PETE, which is an acronym for polyethylene terephthalate. Most beverage bottles (and peanut butter jars) fit into this code. By the way, No. 1 is highly recyclable and the ‘greenest’ plastic you can buy.
No. 2 is HDPE, or high density polyethylene. Milk jugs, shampoo bottles, bleach, detergent, butter and yogurt tubs are made of this stuff. It’s easy to recycle and is often repurposed into fencing, drainage pipes and even floor tile.
No. 3 is PVC, used to make containers for cooking oil, window cleaner, medical equipment and outdoor siding. Clear food packaging is often made of PVC, too. Unfortunately, most neighborhood recycling places won’t take it, even though it can be effectively recycled into mud flaps, doormats and even speed bumps. PVC’s should be handled with care as it is a known carcinogen.
No. 4 is LDPE, or low-density polyethylene. Squeeze bottles, totes, furniture and carpeting are made of this material as well as ice scrapers and plastic brooms. A lot of medicine is packaged in it. Forget trying to recycle it. Nobody will take it so you wind up just throwing it out.
No. 6 is polystyrene, used to make compact disc cases, egg cartons and ‘disposable’ cups and plates, a reminder that while these utensils are disposable they are not really recyclable as few centers will accept them.
Seems that if we're serious about reducing our carbon footprint, it means avoiding (or at least minimizing) buying anything plastic with a number higher than 2.
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