Identification code, recycling

Curbside Separations by Consumers In the last few years, manufacturers of containers (and some film products) have inttoduced an identification code which enables consumers to segregate products by polymer type [13], Thus, almost every bottle and many bags and cups now bear a recycling triangle with number and letter... 

These are technically called Resin Identification Codes (RSI) and were intro-1 duced in the 1980s to make it easy to separate plastics for recycling. The num- ... 

The first step in recycling plastics is to sort the plastics by their resin type, or resin identification code. The resin identification code is a number assigned to a plastic product (or container) according to the type of polymers it is made of. While it was once common to directly use this code to identify the types of polymer(s) present, there are now other methods, such as near-infrared spectroscopy or density sorting approaches, that are used to sort mass quantities of plastic samples for recycling. (See Polymer Chemistry for more information on resin identification codes.)... 

Give reasons why recycling plastics materials is eco-friendly and indicate the significance of lesin identification codes. 

In 1992, IBM became the first major computer maker to code plastic parts for ease in identification for recycling. In 1999, IBM reported that 675,000 pounds of PVC, ABS, and PC/ABS resins recovered from old computers were reused in its products in 1998. Nearly aU the internal plastic parts in IBM PCs were reported to have recycled content at about this time. The company s 2004 server brochure says that IBM uses recycled content resin into systems where technically possible and that several internal resin parts such as stiffeners, clips, and fillers use resin with pre- or postconsumer recycled content. ... 

Apple Computer has banned the use of various chemicals in its products, including PB-DEs. It prohibits any PVC parts or packaging of more than 25 g, except for closures for cables and wires. Several of its computers use recyclable polycarbonate for the enclosure. Large mechanical plastic parts are made of a single material or of compatible materials and marked with resin identification codes to facilitate recycling. ... 

One of the obstacles in the recycling of different types of plastic is their separation and recently manufacturers have started determining the type of plastic using the numerical coding system developed by the Society of Plastics Industry in the 1980s. Table 1.1 summarises the identification code for some household applications [3]. 

Resin Identification Code 1 The price that recycled PET can demand, as with most recycled plastics, closely follows that of the virgin resin. The opportunity to lower costs is the factor that typically drives the manufacturer to look at the recycle market but virgin PET can cost less than recycled PET in some cases. Where PET recycling... 

Identification of plastics can be as simple as finding the resin identification code (typically on the bottom of the component) or as complex as separating the base resin from the filler, reinforcements, and colorants to analyze via infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The resin identification codes developed by the Society of Plastics Industry in 1998 are shown in Table 1.5. Despite the desire of many individuals to recycle, many communities recycle often only recycle plastics polyester (polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). In fact, local recycling companies in the United States will often bury plastics in a landfill, either with the rest of the waste or in separate locations, ostensibly to mine at a later date. Collected recyclables are also shipped from the United States as baled... 

Identification of the materials of construction (i.e., plastics, paper, metal, glass, elastomers, coatings, adhesives, and other such materials) should be identified by a specific product designation (code name and/or code number) and the source (name of the manufacturer) alternate materials of construction should be indicated postconsumer recycled plastic should not be used in the manufacture of a primary packaging component, and if it is used for a secondary or associated component, then the safety and compatibility of the material for its intended use should be addressed appropriately... 

EPA. 1985b. Identification and listing of hazardous waste. Requirements for recyclable materials. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Code of Federal Regulations. 40 CFR 261.6. 

In most cases, different types of plastics must be recycled separately so that the recycled material has the greatest value and potential use. In 1988 the American Society of the Plastics Industry Inc. (SPI) introduced a voluntary resin identification system which indicates the type of plastics that an item is made from. The primary purpose of the codes is to allow for efficient separation of different polymer types for recycling. The symbols used in the code consist of arrows that cycle clockwise to form... 

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