
“Thankfully, it only takes a second to Google ‘which plastic codes does my recycling center accept’ to decide which items can or cannot throw into your recycling bin.” No. But we still have to help them out,” says Ryan. “As technology improves, recycling centers are beginning to accept plastics that they weren’t able to process in the past. PVC can rarely be recycled, but it is accepted by some plastic lumber makers. This type of plastic is not commonly recycled and is used to make everything from shower curtains to garden hoses. 3: Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)Ĭlaim your home to stay up-to-date of your home‘s value and equity. These can then be recycled into items such as flower pots, toys, traffic cones, and trash cans.

This type of plastic is found in milk jugs, laundry detergent bottles, household cleaner bottles, motor oil bottles, and juice bottles. Plastics with this number are also picked up by most curbside programs and can be recycled into many kinds of goods. It’s accepted by most curbside recycling programs and can be recycled to make items like egg cartons, containers, carpet, and more. It is used for soft drink bottles, peanut butter jars, salad dressing bottles, plastic liquor bottles, mineral water containers, fruit juice containers, and cooking oil containers. This number represents the most commonly recycled plastic, which is lightweight and easy to recycle. 1: Polyethylene terephthalate (PETE / PET)


To help you understand the different categories, here’s a breakdown of those tiny numbers. So it’s best to find out what is acceptable in your municipality before tossing any ol’ plastic into your blue bin. 1 and 2, are rarely actually recycled.” Why recycling numbers matterĭifferent cities and towns accept different types of plastics for recycling. “Unfortunately, this promise is a hollow one as most plastic products, except for those with Nos. “For decades, consumers have looked at recycling symbols on plastic products-and the numbers inside-as a promise that their packaging can and will be recycled,” says Matt Littlejohn, senior vice president for strategic initiatives at Oceana, a nonprofit ocean conservation organization.
