In the United States, most products have a recycling code printed somewhere on the surface. This includes all types of packaging, including plastic packaging, cardboard packaging, glass and metal. Each of these codes identifies what materials were used to create the products and they are helpful to those who work at recycling facilities. Here is some information about the different codes and what they mean.
The codes all look similar, they are a triangle created from three arrows and a number is placed inside this triangle. The number is what identifies the actual materials that were used to form the item. The numbers 1-7 all refer to resin identification codes for plastics. For example, a triangle with a 1 or 01 stands for polyethylene terephthalate, a thermoplastic that is used to create products such as soft drink bottles and water bottles. In addition to these seven numbers used to identify plastics, the number 9 and sometimes the letters ABS are used to identify a type of plastic used to make cell phones and computers called acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.
Recycling centers also recycle all kinds of paper. There are also numbers used to identify the several types of paper products which are the numbers 20, 21, 22 and 23. The number 20 is used for the cardboard and paper like magazines and mailed items will use the number 21. Regular paper like the printer paper uses the number 22. Paperboard that is the thick paper for making poster boards, greeting cards and book covers uses number 23.
The number 40 or 41 are used for metals. Steel uses the number 40 while for aluminum the number 41 is used. Sometimes though the number 41 is not used for aluminum but instead there are letters used - ALU. Aluminum can be used again and again to create products because it is the most recyclable metal on the planet. Almost all "tin" cans are made by using aluminum due to its abundance and malleability.
There are some organic materials which can be recycled or biodegrade and these include wood, cork and cotton, which also have their own numbers for identification. Cotton is identified with a number 60, and many people are unaware that this material can be recycled. Wood has been given the number 50, although there are many types of wood. Cork has the number 51 and it is not just used for preserving wine. Cork can be used for several things like for making musical instruments and also for flooring.
There is another material though that is separated by different categories and that is the glass which many recycling facilities identify them with ten different versions. Separated by color, glass is generally differentiated with categories like clear glass, green glass, dark glass and so on. There is also a section for composites which could include an item that is a combination of paper and plastic. In many places, only aluminum and plastics with a 1 or a 2 printed on them can be recycled, although potentially all thermoplastic packaging can be recycled, it's just a question of having a facility to recycle these materials.
The codes all look similar, they are a triangle created from three arrows and a number is placed inside this triangle. The number is what identifies the actual materials that were used to form the item. The numbers 1-7 all refer to resin identification codes for plastics. For example, a triangle with a 1 or 01 stands for polyethylene terephthalate, a thermoplastic that is used to create products such as soft drink bottles and water bottles. In addition to these seven numbers used to identify plastics, the number 9 and sometimes the letters ABS are used to identify a type of plastic used to make cell phones and computers called acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.
Recycling centers also recycle all kinds of paper. There are also numbers used to identify the several types of paper products which are the numbers 20, 21, 22 and 23. The number 20 is used for the cardboard and paper like magazines and mailed items will use the number 21. Regular paper like the printer paper uses the number 22. Paperboard that is the thick paper for making poster boards, greeting cards and book covers uses number 23.
The number 40 or 41 are used for metals. Steel uses the number 40 while for aluminum the number 41 is used. Sometimes though the number 41 is not used for aluminum but instead there are letters used - ALU. Aluminum can be used again and again to create products because it is the most recyclable metal on the planet. Almost all "tin" cans are made by using aluminum due to its abundance and malleability.
There are some organic materials which can be recycled or biodegrade and these include wood, cork and cotton, which also have their own numbers for identification. Cotton is identified with a number 60, and many people are unaware that this material can be recycled. Wood has been given the number 50, although there are many types of wood. Cork has the number 51 and it is not just used for preserving wine. Cork can be used for several things like for making musical instruments and also for flooring.
There is another material though that is separated by different categories and that is the glass which many recycling facilities identify them with ten different versions. Separated by color, glass is generally differentiated with categories like clear glass, green glass, dark glass and so on. There is also a section for composites which could include an item that is a combination of paper and plastic. In many places, only aluminum and plastics with a 1 or a 2 printed on them can be recycled, although potentially all thermoplastic packaging can be recycled, it's just a question of having a facility to recycle these materials.
About the Author:
Lenna Stockwell loves writing about how stuff is made. To get further information about custom plastic packaging solutions or to find out more about food packaging design, please check out the Indepak website today.
