PLASTICS 101 INTRODUCTION The versatility of plastic allows it to be used in everything from car to doll parts, from soft drink bottles to the refrigerators in which they are stored. Name the product, and there is likely a plastic found in it. When recycling plastics, search for the number surrounded by the three chasing arrows recycling symbol. There are seven numbers found on plastic, reflecting the seven different types of plastics available in the market. The number is a resin identification code developed by the plastics industry to identify the type of plastic used in the product. These numbers are found on most of the 200 million tons of plastic produced annually. RECYCLING OF PLASTICS In North Castle and throughout Westchester County, plastics 1 through 7 are recycled. Styrofoam is not recycled at this time even though it has a recycling symbol on it. Symbol Name Recycle it? Common Recycled into Commonly Products Unmarked Materials PET or PETE Yes. Must Soda and water Food and Fiber for Polyethylene be empty bottles, beverage carpet, terephthalate and clean. mouthwash containers, fleece wear, bottles, peanut fleece wear, comforter butter and salad furniture and fill, film, dressing carpet, plastic food containers luggage and and non- polyester food containers HDPE Yes. Must Most plastic milk Bottles, Cereal box High density be empty containers, dish including liners, plastic polyethylene and clean. and detergent liquid laundry lumber for bottles, juice detergent, outdoor bottles, butter shampoo, decks, tubs, toiletries conditioner, fencing and Version 20120223 and shampoo vitamin and picnic tables, bottles motor oil pipe, floor bottles, pipes, tiles, buckets, buckets, crates, flower crates, pots, garden flower pots, edging, film, garden floor tiles, edging, film picnic tables, and recycling plastic lumber bins and fencing V or PVC Most PVC Food wrap, Traffic cones Mud flaps, Polyvinyl products bottles for and garden electrical chloride cannot be cooking oil, hoses boxes, recycled. plastic toys, cables, traffic There are medical tubing, cones and limited wire and cable garden hoses products insulation, PVC in this plumbing and category pipes that may be recycled. LDPE Yes. All Plastic shopping Shipping Shrink wrap Low density plastic bags, dry envelopes and garbage polyethylene bags of cleaning bags, can liners bread bags, any shape or color paper are towel/toilet accepted paper packaging, for and shrink wrap recycling (The bags must at your be labeled) local markets PP Yes. Must Prescription Automobile Oil funnels Polypropylene be empty medicine bottles, battery cases, and garden and clean. ketchup bottles, oil funnels and rakes some yogurt landscape containers, some borders margarine (or similar) tubs, syrup bottles and straws Version 20120223 PS Yes. Must Plastic cups and Styrofoam Thermal Polystyrene be empty plates containers, insulation, and clean. cups, plates, light switch Styrofoam egg cartons, plates, , which is restaurant license plate usually carryout boxes frames, white and or containers packing lightweigh peanuts and t, cannot egg cartons be recycled. OTHER Yes. Must This category Reusable Some bottles Any other be empty means plastic and lumber “everything beverage plastics and clean. applications. else.” It is bottles composed of plastics that were invented after 1987. Products include baby and Nalgene bottles, sports equipment, medical and dental devices, CDs, DVDs and iPods. Version 20120223 .