With a little bit of care much plastic can be recycled, and collection of plastics for
recycling is increasing rapidly. Plastic
recycling faces one huge problem: plastic types must not be mixed for
recycling, yet it is impossible to tell one type from another by sight or touch. Even a small amount of the wrong type of plastic can ruin the melt. The plastic industry has responded to this problem by developing a series of cryptic markers, commonly seen on the bottom of plastic containers. These markers
do not mean the plastic can be recycled, these makers
do not mean the container uses recycled plastic. Despite the confusing use of the chasing arrow symbol, these markers only identify the plastic type.
Virtually everything made of plastic should be marked with a code. Not all types can actually be recycled. Types 1 and 2 are widely accepted in container form, and type 4 is sometimes accepted in bag form. Code 7 is for mixed or layered plastic with
virtually no recycling potential. You should place in your bin only those types of plastic listed by your local recycling agency! Due to fluxuating market conditions, some colors or shapes may be useless to the recycling agency.
Plastic Containers (milk, soap, juice, fresh pasta, water, etc.)
All plastic containers you purchase should be marked with a large and clear recycling code (C). This code must be molded into the plastic and located on the bottom surface of the container. Ideally the entire container should be made of the same plastic to avoid confusion, but often the caps are of a different type. Caps should be separately marked, but few are (B). Note that most caps are NOT of the same type as the bottle they sit on.
Grocery sacks, produce bags, and other packaging
These are great to reuse. Not only do you save a new bag, but your old bags don''t smell like chemicals (the ''plastic bag smell'' is mostly plasticizer chemicals that outgas from the bags).
Plastic grocery and produce sacks are commonly, but not always, made from plastic types 2 or 4. These bags are often collected in barrels at grocery stores, and usually end up as plastic lumber. Collection is not particularly profitable.
Other Plastic Items
Any product made of a single plastic type should be marked -- after all the product may one day break or be replaced. This includes toys, plastic hangars, trash cans, shelves, baskets, rain ponchos, and many other products (B). Many products, such as compact discs, video tapes, and computer discs, are made from mixed materials which can''t be recycled unless first disassembled.