This handy guide to recycling plastic will tell you everything you need to know about plastics, including the recycling symbols meaning.
All plastics are not created equal. If you must buy plastic, use this handy guide from The Daily Green to choose the best type.
Number 1: PET or PETE (Polyethylene terephthalate)
Found in: Soft drink and water bottles, boil-in-bag containers, condiment containers
Recycling: Most curbside recycling programs
Number 2: HDPE (High density polyethylene)
Found in: Milk jugs, personal care bottles, trash and shopping bags, butter/yogurt tubs, cereal box liners
Recycling: Most curbside recycling programs
Recycled into: Detergent bottles, pens, floor tile, pipe, lumber, outdoor furniture, fencing
Number 3: V or PVC (Vinyl or polyvinyl chloride)
Found in: Cleaning product bottles, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, medical equipment, siding, windows, piping
Recycling: Rarely recycled but accepted by some plastic lumber makers
Recycled into: Decks, paneling, mudflaps, gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats
Number 4: LDPE (Low density polyethylene)
Found in: Grocery bags, dry cleaning bags, squeezable bottles, tote bags, clothing, furniture, carpet
Recycling: Not often recycled through curbside programs; shopping bags can be recycled through many stores
Recycled into: Trash cans/liners, compost bins, shipping envelopes, lumber, landscaping, tile
Number 5: PP (Polypropylene)
Found in: Syrup/ketchup bottles, yogurt containers, drink lids, caps and straws, medicine bottles
Recycling: Recycled through some curbside programs
Recycled into: Streetlights, battery cables, brooms, rakes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, bins
Number 6: PS (Polystyrene)
Found in: Disposable dishes, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers, medicine bottles, CD cases
Recycling: Recycled through some curbside programs
Recycled into: Insulation, light-switch plates, egg cartons, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers
Number 7: (Miscellaneous, including polycarbonate)
Found in: “Bullet-proof” materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod/computer cases, signs and displays, food containers, nylon
Recycling: Traditionally not recycled; some curbside programs now take them
Recycled into: Plastic lumber, custom-made products
