Plastic container codes

Plastic Container Code System, The Plastic Bottle Information Bureau, Washington, DC. 

Figure 3.3 The SPI voluntary plastic container coding system (Reprinted with the permission of The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc.).

FIGURE 14.14 Plastic container codes, used to identify types of plastic so that containers can be sorted for recycling. 

This paper presents the combined experimental/numerical investigation of the behaviour of fluid-filled plastic containers subjected to drop impact. Drop Impact experiments were conducted on original and modified bottles. During the test, strain and pressure histories were recorded at various positions. Tests were simulated numerically using the two-system FSI model. Both solid and fluid domains remain fixed during the calculations, i.e. a small-strain analysis was performed for the solid while an Eulerian fi-ame of reference was used for the fluid. This procedure was found to be simple, stable and efficient. Numerical results agreed well with experimental data, demonstrating the capability of the code to cope with this complex fluid-structure interaction problem. 

Colorants, other than titanium dioxide, are rarely used in plastic containers however, the use of colorants is required for the cap. The American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recommended to the FDA that a uniform color coding system be established for the caps and labels of all topical ocular medications. Industry new drug applicants are required to either follow this system or provide an adequate justification for any deviations from the system. The AAO color codes, as revised and approved by the AAO Board of Trustees in June 1996, are shown in Table 4. The FDA and AAO have extended the cap color scheme to differentiate different classes of newer Rx drugs for the benefit of the patient who may be using more than one product. The intent is to help prevent errors in medication and improve patient compliance. It is important for the pharmacist to explain this color coding to the patient and/or caregiver since it can be defeated if the cap is not returned to the proper container after each use. 

The World Health Organisation has proposed international requirements for plastic containers for pharmaceutical preparations. These include guidelines on selection of plastics/code of practice, covering the following. 

To find out more about types of plastic, resin codes, and how plastic is recycled, check out the following Web links from the National Plastics Council and the National Association of PET Container Resources www.americanplasticscouncil.org and www.napcor.com/codes.htm. 

Rigid plastic container material code system ... 

TABLE 8.5 States that Require the SPI Coding System on Plastic Containers ... 

Your instructor may ask you to bring a polymer sample of your own choice. If possible, these samples should be clear and as thin as possible (similar to the thickness of plastic sandwich wrap). Good choices of plastic materials include windows from envelopes, plastic sandwich wrap, sandwich bags, soft-drink bottles, milk containers, shampoo bottles, candy wrappers, and shrink-wrap. If necessary, the samples can be heated in an oven and stretched to obtain thinner samples. If you are bringing a sample cut from a plastic container, obtain the recycling code from the bottom of the container, if one is given. 

Voluntary Guidelines, Rigid Plastic Container Material Code System Mold Modification Drawings. SPI Technical Bulletin, RPCD-13, 1989. 

For many years the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) in the United States has romoted a voluntary coding system for the identification of the resins used in rigid plastic containers. The system comprising a number 1 to 7 and several letters is generally moulded into the bottom of a container. For example, the number 1 and the letters PETE indicates that the container is made of polyethylene terephthalate while the number 2 and the letters HDPE signify that the container is comprised of high density polyethylene. Thirty-nine U.S. states have mandated that plastic bottles 16 ounces or more and other rigid plastic containers of 8 ounces or more must carry the SPI resin code. 

You can identify the type of polymer used to manufacture a plastic item by looking for the recycling symbol (arrows in a triangle) found on the label or on the bottom of the plastic container. For example, either the number 5 or the letters PP inside the triangle is a code for a polypropylene plastic. Many cities now maintain recycling programs that reduce the amount of plastic materials that are transported to landfills. 

In order to facilitate identification of containers, the Society of Plastics Industries introduced a code that has been used by most manufacturers since the 1990s. At or near the bottom of almost all plastic containers sold in the United States appears a triangular symbol with a number and an abbreviated name (Table 15.6) [47], While... 

The above-mentioned codes contain requirements for accelerated durabiUty tests. In addition, interlayer manufacturers and laminators expose test samples for several years under extreme weather conditions, eg, the Florida coast and Arizona desert. The laminated products weather extremely well, with no change in the plastic interlayer. Occasionally, clouding is noted around the edges when exposed to high humidity for long periods, but this is reversible. Colored areas of PVB laminates may fade while subjected to extensive uv/solar irradiation, which could cause an appearance issue. This has not, however, been shown to alter the laminate s other performance properties. 

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