On a recycleable item, inside the recycling icon why is there a number and what is it for?

Question

On a recycleable item, inside the recycling icon why is there a number and what is it for?

Answer 1

It represents the ease with which that item can be recycled. Starting with 1, these are the easiest to recycle and can be used over and over again. As we move up recycling becomes difficult and costly.

Answer 2

the number is to used to sort the recyled items into things that can be recycled the same way.  it's for classification.

Answer 3

the number tells u the kind of plastic it is made of and it tells u if its good for the envrioment and if u can recycle it.

Answer 4

The tell what sort of resin the plastic is made with.

While the numbers do matter for recycling, they aren't a hierarchy. (Plastic No. 1 isn't automatically easier to recycle than plastic No. 2.)

All of these can be recycled, but some are rarely taken by recyclers. You may have to find a special recycling event that take plastic No. 6, for instance.

Here's the rundown:

#1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)

Product examples: Disposable soft drink and water bottles, cough-syrup bottles

#2 high density polyethylene (HDPE)/

Product examples: Milk jugs, toys, liquid detergent bottles, shampoo bottles

#3 polyvinyl chloride (V or PVC)

Product examples: Meat wrap, cooking oil bottles, plumbing pipes

#4 low density polyethylene (LDPE)

Product examples: Cling wrap, grocery bags, sandwich bags

#5 polypropylene (PP)

Product examples: Syrup bottles, yogurt cups/tubs, diapers

#6 polystyrene (PS)

Product examples: Disposable coffee cups, clam-shell take-out containers

#7 other (misc.; usually polycarbonate, or PC, but also polylactide, or PLA, plastics made from renewable resources)

Product examples: Baby bottles, some reusable water bottles, stain-resistant food-storage containers, medical storage containers