What are the different type of plastics i keep reading about type 1 2 3 but don't have a clue what they are

Question

we've only recently began to recycle and we we're not supplied with any info on diffrent types of plastic does this mean that not all plastics can be recycled

Answer 1

You can recycle what your recycler accepts! I know that doesn't make it any clearer. We take ours to a depot that accepts all plastics (1-7) but there is not a lot of money in some plastics. Therefore some service providers won't accept them. You will have to ask your recycler. They often provide a hand out.

But here is a run down on the kinds of plastics by recycle code. Usually, 1, 2, 4 and 5 are readily recyclable.

1—polyethyelene terephthalate (PETE)

2—high-density polyethylene (HDPE)

3—vinyl, polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

4—low-density polyethylene (LDPE)

5—polypropylene (PP)

6—polystyrene (PS)

7—other (includes polycarbonate, acrylic, polylactic acid, fiberglass)

Just so you know, plastic codes 3 and 7 are known as the "poison plastics". Never never never use them for food. In fact, use as little plastic around your food as possible.

Answer 2

The two main types of plastics that you can recycle are numbered 1 and 2. You can read more about them here:

http://www.greenstudentu.com/Plastic.asp...

Answer 3

It will say, usually on the underside of the bottle. Usually 1-7 can be recycled.

Answer 4

Most municipal recycling pickups, and many recycling drop-offs, collect only  #1, #2, and #5.

#4 and #5 (and sometimes #2) plastic are used for plastic bags and some, but not all, grocery stores now offer recycling bins specifically for plastic bags.

Very few programs accept  #6 plastic (which includes styrofoam trays and those crackly-sounding clear clamshells that deli foods come in), so try to avoid buying these items.

(If you end up with clear #6 plastic and want to reuse at least some of it, it can be cleaned and used just like Shrinky-dinks).

Answer 5

Right. There are some 9 different types of polymers - some soft, some hard, some composite. Basically 1, 2 and 3 are the hard types (bottles) and are recyclicable, although this does vary from one council area to another. When I am, there seems to be more plastics that go for landfill than are recycled because the companies won't take them. How annoying!

In an ideal world, it would be good if we could all try and not buy packaged food in the supermarket and go to the family shop (if there are any!) instead, but of course its a question of time, convenience and cost.