12/01/2024
Look at the plastic things you own. Are they recyclable? How do you find out?
All plastic items have the recycle symbol embossed on it, along with a number inside it. These numbers indicate what type of plastic it is and by extension, if it is recyclable.
1- PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) - is often used in most soda and water bottles, jars and caps. These leach carcinogenic chemicals when exposed to high sunlight. It is highly valued in recycling.
2- HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) – shampoo bottles, buckets, toys, garden furniture. Although more stable than PET, it should never be reused to store food. It is commonly recycled as well.
3- PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) - used in pipes, clear plastic food wraps, doors and windows. Dubbed the poison plastic, it leaches the most chemicals. It is almost never recycled.
4- LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene) – is used in sandwich bag, thick shopping bags, plastic wraps, coffee cups, bubble wrap. These leach relatively lesser chemicals than other plastics. Although recyclable, it’s difficult to collect and transport.
5- PP (Polypropylene) – is used for prescription boxes, car parts, straws. It does not leach many chemicals under high temperature. However, it is also one of the least recycled plastics.
6- PS (Polystyrene)- used in takeaway food containers, packing material. This leaches high amount of toxins under heat. It’s very rarely recycled because it’s an expensive process.
7- OTHER – includes all plastic other than the ones mentioned above. This category can often be found on baby bottles, water cans, eye- glasses, chips packets etc. They’re often not accepted by recyclers because of their diverse nature.
