Recycling codes

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Recycling codes on products

Recycling codes are used to identify the material from which an item is made, to facilitate easier recycling or other reprocessing. The presence on an item of a recycling code, a chasing arrows logo, or a resin code, is not an automatic indicator that a material is recyclable; it is an explanation of what the item is made of. Codes have been developed for batteries, biomatter/organic material, glass, metals, paper, and plastics.[citation needed] Various countries have adopted different codes. For example, the table below shows the polymer resin (plastic) codes. In the United States there are fewer, because ABS is placed with "others" in group 7.

A number of countries have a more granular system of recycling codes. For example, China's polymer identification system has seven different classifications of plastic, five different symbols for post-consumer paths, and 140 identification codes.[1] The lack of a code system in some countries has encouraged those who fabricate their own plastic products, such as RepRap and other prosumer 3-D printer users, to adopt a voluntary recycling code based on the more comprehensive Chinese system.[2]

List of resin identification codes (RIC) and codes defined by the European Commission[]

Symbol Code[3] Description Examples
Plastics (see resin identification code[4]) [5]
Plastic Recycling Code 01 PET.svg[a] #1 PET(E) Polyethylene terephthalate Polyester fibers, soft drink bottles, food containers (also see plastic bottles)
Plastic Recycling Code 02 PE-HD.svg[a] #2 PEHD or HDPE High-density polyethylene Plastic milk containers, plastic bags, bottle caps, trash cans, oil cans, plastic lumber, toolboxes, supplement containers
Plastic-recyc-03.svg[a] #3 PVC Polyvinyl chloride Window frames, bottles for chemicals, flooring, plumbing pipes
Plastic Recycling Code 04 PE-LD.svg[a] #4 PELD or LDPE Low-density polyethylene Plastic bags, Ziploc bags, buckets, squeeze bottles, plastic tubes, chopping boards
Plastic Recycling Code 05 PP.svg[a] #5 PP Polypropylene Flower pots, bumpers, car interior trim, industrial fibers, carry-out beverage cups, microwavable food containers, DVD keep cases
Plastic Recycling Code 06 PS.svg[a] #6 PS Polystyrene Toys, video cassettes, ashtrays, trunks, beverage/food coolers, beer cups, wine and champagne cups, carry-out food containers, Styrofoam
Plastic-recyc-07.svg[a] #7 O (Other) All other plastics Polycarbonate (PC), polyamide (PA), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), acrylic plastics/polyacrylonitrile (PAN), bioplastics
Plastic-recyc-abs.svg #ABS[citation needed] Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene Monitor/TV cases, coffee makers, cell phones, calculators, most computer plastic, Lego bricks, most FFF 3D printed parts that are not bioplastic such as PLA
Plastic-recyc-pa.svg #PA[citation needed] Polyamide (Nylon) Toothbrush bristles, socks, stockings, etc.
Batteries (see also battery recycling)
Recycle-8.png #8 Lead[citation needed] Lead–acid battery Car batteries
Recycle-9.png #9 Alkaline Alkaline battery TV Remote batteries, flashlight batteries
#10 NiCD Nickel–cadmium battery Older batteries
Recyc-11.svg #11 NiMH Nickel–metal hydride battery
Recycle-12.png #12 Li Lithium battery Cell phone batteries, computer batteries, camera batteries
Recycle-13.png #13 SO(Z) Silver-oxide battery
#14 CZ Zinc–carbon battery Flashlight batteries
Paper[5]
Recycling Codes Paper 20 PAP.svg #20 PAP Corrugated fiberboard (cardboard) Cardboard boxes
Recycling Codes Paper 21 PAP.svg #21 PAP Non-corrugated fiberboard (paperboard) Cereal and snack boxes
Recycling Codes Paper 22 PAP.svg #22 PAP Paper Newspaper, books, magazines, wrapping paper, wallpaper, paper bags, paper straws
Metals
Recycling-Code-40.svg #40 FE Steel Food cans
41 ALU Recycling Code.svg
41-ALU
#41 ALU Aluminium Soft drink cans, deodorant cans, disposable food containers, aluminium foil, heat sinks
Biomatter/Organic material
Recycling-Code-50.svg #50 FOR Wood Furniture, chopping boards, brooms, pencils, cocktail sticks, wooden spoons
Recycling-Code-51.svg #51 FOR Cork Bottle stoppers, place mats, construction material
Recycling-Code-60.svg #60 COT Cotton Towels, t-shirts, cotton buds/swabs, cotton pads
Recycling-Code-61.svg #61 TEX Jute Clothing
#62-69 TEX Other textiles
Glass
Recycling-Code-70.svg #70 GL Clear Glass Food storage jars
Recycling-Code-71.svg #71 GL Green Glass Wine bottles
Recycling-Code-72.svg #72 GL Brown Glass Beer, light-sensitive products
No73Dark Sort Glass Recycling Logo.png #73 GL Dark Sort Glass
No74 GLS Light Sort Glass Recycling Logo.png #74 GL Light Sort Glass
No75 GLS Light Leaded Glass Recycling Logo.png #75 GL Light Leaded Glass Televisions, high-end electronics display glass like in calculators
Recycle-76.png #76 GL Leaded Glass Older televisions, ash trays, older beverage holders
Recycle-77.png #77 GL Copper Mixed/Copper Backed Glass Electronics, LCD display heads, clocks, watches
Recycle-78.png #78 GL Silver Mixed/Silver Backed Glass Mirrors, formal table settings
Recycling-Code-79.svg #79 GL Gold Mixed/Gold Backed Glass , formal table settings
Composites (80—99)
Recycling-Code-81.svg #81 PapPet Paper + plastic , pet food bags, cold store grocery bags, Icecream containers, ,
#82 Paper and fibreboard/Aluminium
#83 Paper and fibreboard/Tinplate
Recycling-Code-84.svg #84 C/PAP (or PapAl) Paper and cardboard/plastic/aluminium Liquid storage containers, juice boxes, cardboard cans, cigarette pack liners, gum wrappers, cartridge shells for blanks, fireworks colouring material, Tetra Brik.
#85 Paper and fibreboard/Plastic/Aluminium/Tinplate
No87 Card Stock Laminate Recycling Logo.png #87 CSL (Card-Stock Laminate) Biodegradable plastic Laminating material, , bookmarks, business cards, flyers/advertising
Recycling-Code-90.PNG #90 Plastics/Aluminium Plastic toothpaste tubes/some vacuum packed coffee bags
Recycle-91.png #91 Plastic/Tinplate
#92 Plastic/Miscellaneous metals
#95 Glass/Plastic
#96 Glass/Aluminium
#97 Glass/Tinplate
#98 Glass/Miscellaneous metals
  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g For the resin codes, ASTM International has replaced the three-arrow symbol by a solid, equilateral triangle because "the code is designed for resin-identification purposes and not recyclability".[6] The three-arrow symbol was based on the Universal Recycling Symbol.

List of Chinese codes for plastics products[]

The Standardization Administration of the People's Republic of China (SAC) has defined material codes for different types of plastics in the document GB16288,2008.[7]

Code Abbreviation Name
1 PET polyethylene terephthalate
2 HDPE polyethylene, high density
3 PVC poly(vinyl chloride)
4 LDPE polyethylene, low density
5 PP polypropylene
6 PS polystyrene
7 AB Acrylonitrile-butadiene plastic
8 ABAK plastic
9 ABS Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastic
10 ACS
11 AEPDS plastic
12 AMMA plastic
13 ASA Acrylonitrile styrene acrylate plastic
14 CA cellulose acetate
15 CAB cellulose acetate butyrate
16 CAP
17 CEF
18 CF
19 CMC carboxymethyl cellulose
20 CN cellulose nitrate
21 COC
22 CP
23 CTA cellulose triacetate
24 E/P plastic
25 EAA plastic
26 EBAK plastic
27 EC ethyl cellulose
28 EEAK plastic
29 EMA plastic
30 EP epoxide; epoxy resin or plastic
31 ETFE plastic
32 EVA Ethylene-vinyl acetate plastic
33 EVOH plastic
34 FEP plastic
35 FF
36 LCP Liquid-crystal polymer
37 MABS plastic
38 MBS plastic
39 MC methyl cellulose
40 MF
41 MP
42 MSAN plastic
43 PA polyamide
44 PAA
45 PAEK polyaryletherketone
46 PAI
47 PAK polyacrylate
48 PAN polyacrylonitrile
49 PAR
50 PARA
51 PB polybutene
52 PBAK
53 PBAT
54 PBD
55 PBN
56 PBS
57 PBT
58 PC polycarbonate
59 PCCE
60 PCL polycaprolactone
61 PCT
62 PCTFE polychlorotrifluoroethylene
63 PDAP
64 PDCPD
65 PEC polyester carbonate or poly(butylene succinate/carbonate)
66 PEC
67 PE-C polyethylene, chlorinated
68 PEEK polyetheretherketone
69 PEEST
70 PEI polyetherimide
71 PEK
72 LLDPE polyethylene, linear low density
73 MDPE polyethylene, medium density
74 PEN
75 PEOX poly(ethylene oxide)
76 PES poly(ethylene succinate)
77 PESTUR
78 PESU polyethersulfone
79 UHMWPE polyethylene, ultra high molecular weight
80 PEUR polyetherurethane
81 VLDPE polyethylene, very low density
82 PF Phenol-formaldehyde resin
83 PFA Perfluoro alkoxyl alkane resin
84 PGA poly(glycolic acid)
85 PHA polyhydroxyalanoic or polyhydroxyalkanoates
86 PHB polyhydroxybutyric acid or polyhydroxybutyrate
87 PHBV
88 PI polyimide
89 PIB polyisobutylene
90 PIR polyisocyanurate
91 PK polyketone
92 PLA polylactic acid or poly lactide
93 PMI polymethacrylimide
94 PMMA poly(methyl methacrylate)
95 PMMI Poly-N-methylmethacrylimide
96 PMP
97 PMS
98 POM polyoxymethylene; polyacetal; polyformaldehyde
99 PPC carbon dioxide and propylene copolymer
100 PPDO Poly(p-dioxanone)
101 PPE poly(phenylene ether)
102 PP-E polypropylene, expandable
103 PP-HI polypropylene, high impact
104 PPOX
105 PPS poly(phenylene sulfide)
106 PPSU
107 EPS polystyrene, expandable
108 HIPS polystyrene, high impact
109 PSU polysulfone
110 PTFE poly tetrafluoroethylene
111 PTMAT poly(tetramethylene adipate/terephthalate)
112 PTT poly(trimethylene terephthalene)
113 PUR polyurethane
114 PVA poly(vinyl acetate)
115 PVOH poly(vinyl alcohol)
116 PVB
117 PVC-C poly(vinyl chloride), chlorinated
118 PVC-U poly(vinyl chloride), unplasticized
119 PVDC
120 PVDF
121 PVF poly(vinyl fluoride)
122 PVFM poly(vinyl formal)
123 PVK
124 PVP
125 SAN Styrene-acrylonitrile plastic
126 SB Styrene-butadiene plastic
127 SI silicone plastic
128 SMAH plastic
129 SMS plastic
130 UF Urea-formaldehyde resin
131 UP unsaturated polyester resin
132 VCE plastic
133 VCEMAK plastic
134 VCEVAC plastic
135 VCMAK plastic
136 VCMMA plastic
137 VCOAK plastic
138 VCVAC plastic
139 VCVDC plastic
140 VE vinyl ester resin

Alternative recycling labels[]

The following recycling label projects are designed with the consumer in mind while SPI or Resin Identification Codes are designed to be recognized by waste sorting facilities. They provide an alternative that eliminates confusion as people often mistake any resin code to be recyclable, but this is not necessarily true. The recyclability of the numbers depends on the abilities of the facilities in the community.[8] Thus, they are not all automatically recyclable!

How2Recycle is a project that started in 2008.[9] The label provides information about the packaging material and clearly indicates whether it is recyclable, partially or totally. If it is not recyclable at all, it is shown by a diagonal line going through the recycling label.

On-Pack Recycling Label used in the UK.[10] It is very simple and only states whether it is recyclable or not.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China (SAC) GB16288,2008. Marking of plastics products. Chinese Standard Publishing House, Beijing; 2008.
  2. ^ Emily J. Hunt, Chenlong Zhang, Nick Anzalone, Joshua M. Pearce, Polymer recycling codes for distributed manufacturing with 3-D printers, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 97, pp. 24-30 (2015). DOI:10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.02.004
  3. ^ "EUR-Lex - 31997D0129 - EN - EUR-Lex". eur-lex.europa.eu. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  4. ^ Plastic Packaging Resins American Chemistry Council
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b Official Journal of the EC; Commission Decision (97/129/EC) establishing the ID system for packaging materials pursuant to European Parliament & Council Directive 94/62/EC
  6. ^ Jessica Holbrook. Say so long to recycling code arrows. plasticnews.com. June 2013.
  7. ^ Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China (SAC) GB16288,2008. Marking of plastics products. Chinese Standard Publishing House, Beijing; 2008, as cited in E. J. Hunt, C. Zhang, N.Anzalone, and J. M. Pearce. Polymer Recycling Codes for Distributed Manufacturing with 3-D Printers, Resources, Conservation and Recycling 97, pp. 24–30 (2015). DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.02.004
  8. ^ https://plasticactioncentre.ca/directory/plastic-by-the-numbers/#:~:text=The%20recycling%20symbol%20found%20on,the%20most%20commonly%20recycled%20plastics.
  9. ^ "Labels - How2Recycle". how2recycle.info.
  10. ^ "Label Objectives".

External links[]

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