What do the little symbols with numbers in them at the bottom of plastic stuff mean?

Question

My friend says that the number means the number of times it can be refilled, but I think it means what type of plastic it is. So... what does it mean and can you give a link to the site? They are the numbers inside the recycling symbol.

Answer 1

each # indicates a different type of plastic.

Answer 2

You're right.  It has to do with the type of plastic it is.  Most recycling programs describe the types of plastic they accept in terms of that number, so it's pretty useful!

Answer 3

They tell us the type of plastic that is involved and what method(s) to use to break them down for recycle.