Although plastics have had a remarkable impact globally, it has
become increasingly obvious that
recycling of all plastic materials is essential.
To assist recycling of disposable items, the Plastic Bottle
Institute of the Society of the Plastics Industry devised a
now-familiar scheme to mark plastic bottles by plastic type. A
recyclable plastic container using this scheme is marked with a
triangle of three "chasing arrows", which enclose a number
giving the plastic type
| Resin Codes | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
PET | Polyethylene terephthalate - Fizzy drink bottles and oven-ready meal trays. |
 |
HDPE |
High-density polyethylene - Bottles for milk and washing-up liquids. |
 |
PVC |
Polyvinyl chloride - Food trays, cling film, bottles for squash, mineral water and shampoo. |
 |
LDPE |
Low density polyethylene - Carrier bags and bin liners. |
 |
PP |
Polypropylene - Margarine tubs, microwaveable meal trays. |
 |
PS |
Polystyrene - Yoghurt pots, foam meat or fish trays, hamburger boxes and egg cartons, vending cups, plastic cutlery, protective packaging for electronic goods and toys. |
 |
OTHER |
Any other plastics that do not fall into any of the above categories. - An example is melamine, which is often used in plastic plates and cups. |
