The number (1-7) in the triangle holds the clue to the type of plastic you're dealing with. Using plastics can help reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions throughout the life of a product or package by allowing manufacturers and consumers to do more with less. This system allows recycle processors to control the quality and characteristics of their production. In 2010, ASTM published D7611 based on the original SPI codes. The reason for the confusion is the resin identification code a number from 1 to 7 encircled by the . See also List of symbols Recycling codes Plastic recycling Thermoplasticsoftens with heat The term "plastics" includes materials composed of various elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, chlorine, and sulfur. You will also find the code on almost every other plastic product around your home, from your grocery bags to your children's playground equipment. In addition, PP is also highly recyclable, and has a resin identification code of 5. Recycling codes are used to identify the material from which an item is made, to facilitate easier recycling or other reprocessing. The use of a Resin Identification Code on a manufactured plastic article does not imply that the article is recycled or that there are systems in place to effectively process the article for reclamation or re-use. There are seven resin codes, 1-7, to identify plastic products. Resin code 2: High Density Polyethylene - Recyclable. It was created for workers in the plastic and recycling industry to be able to sort and recycle plastics more efficiently. See also [ edit] List of symbols Recycling codes Plastic recycling Thermoplastic softens with heat There are a total of seven resin codes and according to Oceana, each number signifies a different category of plastics. The Resin Identification Code is, though, an aid to recycling. The SPI resin identification coding system is a set of symbols placed on plastics to identify the polymer type. Plastics with the recycling labels #1, #2 and #4 on the bottom are safer choices and do not contain BPA. The resin identification code (what appears to be the recycling symbol with a number in the middle) appearing on your plastic bottles refers to the type of plastic used in the bottle. "7" signifies other plastics, such as acrylic, nylon, polycarbonate and polylactic acid (PLA). Polylactic acid (PLA) is one of several structures and polymers using resin identification code (RIC) #7. Below is a table illustrating the different "Resin Identification Codes" of plastic materials. These are (1) polyethylene terephthalate, (2) high-density polyethylene, (3) polyvinyl chloride, (4) low-density polyethylene, (5) polypropylene, (6) polystyrene, and (7) other plastics. The ASTM International Resin Identification Coding System, often abbreviated RIC, is a set of symbols appearing on plastic products that identify the plastic resin out of which the product is made. It's estimated that only 32% of recyclable materials are actually recycled in the United States, largely because of a sorting issue. Resin Identification Code. The numbers 1 through 6 in the Resin Identification Code indicate that the plastic used to make the packaging is one of these six distinct types of plastic: The number 1 refers to polyethylene terephthalate, often known as PET plastic bottles; the number 2 refers to high-density polyethylene (HDPE); the . It was developed by the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) in 1988 and is used internationally. It is easily formed into sheet and is thermoformable. Why recycling efforts are getting trashed: "This is a total no-no" 06:31 A potent symbol. Let's take a closer look at what each of these Resin Identification Codes means. Plastic Number 1 - PETE (Polyethylene Terephthalate) Each number represents a different type of plastic and how/where it can be disposed. To further encourage and enable plastic recycling, the Plastic Industry Trade Association created the Resin Identification Codes in 1988 (par. The RIC system was designed to make it easier for workers in materials recovery and recycling facilities to sort and separate items according to their resin type. Here is a list of the materials identified by the resin codes 1-7 and whether or not they can be recycled in your curbside bin Resin code 1: Polyethylene Terephthalate - Recyclable. PETE or PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) You should always recycle any plastic that has the number 1 symbol on it. ASTM D7611 currently provides codes for the six most commonly found resin types, with a seventh category created for all other types. Around the time that the Resin Identification Codes (RICs) were created in 1988, public opinion polls showed that an increasing percentage of the general public believed that plastics were harmful to public health and the environment. Plastics reduce vehicle weight . 1 PETE polyethylene recycling code, plastic recycle symbol, triangle and arrows, isolated icon Types of plastic symbols. Say so long to recycling code arrows. 1, "spi"). Here are the codes and what they mean: "1" means it's made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), commonly found in cups, beverage bottles, and containers for packaging food Plastic recycling code, 1 PETE recycle symbol, isolated icon. Cornell notes that the subject of the RIC is required by law in 39 U.S. states, often referred to in statute as the SPI resin identification code. Plastic identification code The recycling code, known as "plastic identification code" or "resin identification code", is an international recognized code representing different types of resins used in a product's package ("Plastic recycling", n.d., n.p.g.). The primary purpose of the codes is to allow efficient separation of different polymer types for recycling. These codes were developed by the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) in 1988 to provide an industry-wide standard that would make it easier to identify and sort recyclable plastic. It is a resin identification code which is usually mistaken as a recycling symbol because of the stark similarity between the two. Packaging labeled as 7 is not recyclable in most of the United States, but some specific types of packaging currently labeled 7 may become recyclable at some point in the future.. What code numbers can be recycled? But it also helps recycling collectors determine what items they can accept and which ones go in the trash. Illustration about Resin identification codes. A little confusing, yes? Resin identification codes. The codes originally consisted of a number inside a . TPEs do not have their own resin identification code due to the wide range of specifications they can be manufactured to, and would likely fall under "other". PET is widely recyclable and accepted by curbside recycling programs. Numbers 1 to 6 were assigned to the more common . It was developed in 1988 by the Society of the Plastics Industry (now the Plastics Industry Association) in the United States, but since 2008 it has been administered by ASTM International, an . So it is not limited to packaging materials. (Alberta . When possible it is best to avoid #7 plastics, especially for children's food. Polyethylene terephthalate is the most common type of polyester and is accepted by the majority of recycling plants and curb-side pick-up services. The accurate use of these codes by manufacturers can have a profound impact on the number of plastic materials that end up in landfills as well as the amount that is recycled into more . It can be used for plastic bottles and containers, food jars and microwave safe food containers. PLA is typically used in applications requiring stiffness, resistance to cracking, clarity and ease of modification. An ASTM International plastics committee has announced a big change to the Resin Identification Code: The iconic chasing-arrows symbol will be replaced by a . Each number identifies the composition and recyclable characteristics of the respective plastic packaging material. The Resin ID codes are the numbers inside of the triangles on various plastic items, seeming signifying that an item can be recycled; however, there is much more to these codes than just that. PLA coded plastics should be thrown in the compost and not the recycle bin since PLA compostable plastics are not recyclable. The SPI resin identification coding system is a set of symbols placed on plastics to identify the polymer type. Most plastics in use today are marked with "Resin Identification Codes". Such symbols have been defined for batteries, biomatter/organic material, glass . Plastic Number 5 - PP (Polypropylene)- Recyclable Plastic number 5 is safe to reuse and are usually found in the form of takeout containers, plates/bowls, ketchup bottles and cutlery. Plastic recycling symbol OTHER 7, Resin identification code, All other plastics, vector illustration. . Due to their thermoplastic properties, they are also completely recyclable, through similar melting and re-extruding processes as other thermoplastics [3]. The primary purpose of the codes is to allow efficient separation of different polymer types for recycling.Separation must be efficient because the plastics must be recycled separately. Since then, the codes have helped recycling coordinators, solid waste managers, legislators, regulators, and the public at large. These numbered symbols make it much easier for plastics collectors and recycle processors to keep the various resin types, or polymers, separate. ASTM International Subcommittee D20.95 on Recycled Plastics, part of Committee D20 on Plastics, has approved major enhancements to D7611, Standard Practice for Coding Plastic Manufactured Articles for Resin Identification. Allen told his fellow lawmakers that he hopes the bill's "truth in labeling approach" helps shift packaging to more recyclable polymers like PET and HDPE, plastics 1 and 2 in the resin ID code. By way of background, Resin Identification Codes (RIC) were originally developed by The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), now known as The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), in 1988 to identify the plastic resin used in manufactured articles to assist in resin identification issues related to the potential for use in recycle. Based on the study of the plastic items commonly found in the residential waste stream, the Resin Identification Code (RIC), as it is known today, was set up using the numbers 1 through 7, to identify the plastic resin used in a manufactured article. International standard symbols for waste sorting, processing and recycling. Plastic Number 6 - PS (Polystyrene)- Non-recyclable The Resin ID codes are the numbers inside of the triangles on various plastic items, seeming signifying that an item can be recycled; however, there is much more to these codes than just that. Which resin identification code does not indicate that a plastic is recyclable? Having a recycling code, the chasing arrows logo or a resin code on an item is not an automatic indicator that a material is recyclable but rather an explanation of what the item is. 1. The Resin Identification Code (RIC) was developed in 1988 by the Plastics Industry Association. The U.S. uses a numbering system for recyclable plastics called the resin identification code, where items are assigned a number from 1 to 7 that identifies the type of resin a plastic is made from. More stock photos from Tupungato's portfolio. (U+267A) is the portion of the symbol without the number or abbreviation. 5. Resin identification codes simply tell you what type of plastic a material is made from, not whether it can be recycled in your community. To further encourage and enable plastic recycling, the Plastic Industry Trade Association created the Resin Identification Codes in 1988 (par. The term "recyclable" or other environmental claims shall not be . It is said that recycling around 10,000 tons can produce as many as six times the amount of jobs as sending the products to landfill. 1, "spi"). Vector icon set. Packages with the code may or may not be recyclable. It also . Through the use of the Resin Identification Code system, bottles and containers are marked with a numeral from one to seven corresponding to a type of plastic resin. There are seven resin identification codes represented by the numbers 1 through 7. Resin code 4: Low Density Polyethylene - Not . Resin Identification Codes. The packages included the chasing arrows symbol around the resin identification code (RIC) and use of the word "recyclable." The expanded polystyrene plate packaging included the instructions "Check your local municipality for recycling guidelines." Illustration of garbage, sort, simple - 175080470 . Resin identification codes, which resemble the recycling symbol, are used only to differentiate between types of plastics; they are not meant to communicate an environmental claim. One repeating unit of Polypropylene. The number that you see on the bottom of some rigid plastic packaging is what's called a Resin Identification Code (RIC). 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