PLASTIC RECYCLING FACTS PLASTIC RECYCLING FACTS
There has been a lot of recent publicity related to plastic waste in the environment, especially plastic waste in the ocean. This should be a concern for everyone and we should do more to get everyone to recycle. The current rates of recycling in the USA are very low and are most likely due to:
The lack of curbside recycling in some communities. The cost to pay for recycling services.
The hassle of storing the recycle products until they can be collected or disposed of. Or just plain laziness of people.
The plastics industry has been very active in recycling and in fact there are many companies that buy, sell and use recycled plastic. Many plastic compounders use recycled plastic as the main feedstock for their compounds.
Plastics for recycling can be divided into two main categories: post-industrial and post-consumer. Post-industrial recycle is the scrap that is generated during processing or conversion; that is, it is basically plant scrap. Post-consumer recycle is plastic that has been sold to consumers in some form, such as shampoo bottles, milk jugs, toys, packaging etc. and is now being recycled, often through direct curbside recycling. Most of the post-consumer recycle is high density polyethylene (HDPE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or polypropylene (PP). Post-industrial recycle could be almost any plastic material although polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, ABS and polycarbonate are some of the more common types of plastics seen in post-industrial recycling.
Resin identification codes (RIC) are used to identify the type of plastic material used to produce a consumer product and to make it easier for recycling or reprocessing. However, having a RIC does not mean that a plastic is recyclable. It is simply used to identify the type of plastic used which could make it easier to identify and sort if the plastic material was to be recycled. There are seven common recycling codes used in the USA to identify various plastic materials. These codes are shown in the table below.
The information presented in this document was assembled from literature of the resin product producer(s). The information is believed to be accurate however Entec Polymers (“Entec”) makes no representations as to its accuracy and assumes no obligation or liability for the information, including without limitation its content, any advice giv- 9/9/2019 en, or the results obtained. ENTEC DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The customer shall use its own independent skill and expertise in the evaluation of the resin. product to determine suitability for a particular application and accepts the results at its sole risk.
ENTEC POLYMERS | 1900 Summit Tower Blvd., Suite 900 | Orlando, FL 32810 | P: 833.609.5703 | EntecPolymers.com PLASTIC RECYCLING FACTS
Other countries may use more, less or different recycling codes than what are used in the USA. For example, China’s polymer identification system has seven different classifications of plastics and 140 resin identification codes. There are also identification codes used for batteries, glass, metal, paper and organic materials.
The information presented in this document was assembled from literature of the resin product producer(s). The information is believed to be accurate however Entec Polymers (“Entec”) makes no representations as to its accuracy and assumes no obligation or liability for the information, including without limitation its content, any advice giv- 9/9/2019 en, or the results obtained. ENTEC DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The customer shall use its own independent skill and expertise in the evaluation of the resin. product to determine suitability for a particular application and accepts the results at its sole risk.
ENTEC POLYMERS | 1900 Summit Tower Blvd., Suite 900 | Orlando, FL 32810 | P: 833.609.5703 | EntecPolymers.com