Plastics recycling symbols

FIGURE 185 Plastic recycling symbols for (1) poly(ethylene terephthalate), (2) high density polyethylene, (3) vinyl polymers, (4) low density polyethylene, (5) polypropylene, (6) polystyrene, and (7) aU other polymers. 

Plastic Type Recycling Symbol Recycling Number... 

When plastics are recycled, the various types must be separated from one another. To aid in the separation, many states require manufacturers to include a recycling symbol on their products to indicate the type of plastic. You are probably familiar with these symbols, which are found on the bottom of plastic containers. The symbols consist of three arrows around one of seven numbers an abbreviation below the symbol indicates the type of polymer from which the container is made. The lower the number in the middle of the symbol, the greater is the ease with which the material can be recycled 1 (PET) stands for poly(ethylene terephthalate), 2 (HDPE) for high-density polyethylene, 3 (V) for poly(vinyl chloride), 4 (LDPE) for low-density polyethylene, 5 (PP) for polypropylene, 6 (PS) for polystyrene, and 7 for all other plastics. 

Since there are so many types of plastics, it is necessary to identify, sort, and recycle them separately. To help with this sorting process, manufacturers place recycling symbols on their plastic wares. As you can see in the accompanying table, each symbol corresponds to a different type of plastic. 

Plastic Many plastic bottles are now made of recyclable plastic. Those with a recycling symbol and the numbers 1 and 2 are most commonly accepted for recycling. 

Universal recycling symbols Abbreviation for plastic used in Europe/USA Description of plastic... 

If you look at the bottom of a plastic container, you are likely to see a recycle symbol containing a number, as shown in FIGURE 12.36. The number and the letter abbreviation below it indicate the kind of polymer from which the container is made, as summarized in TABLE 12.6. (The chemical structures of these polymers are shown in Table 12.5.) These symbols make it possible to sort containers by composition. In general, the lower the number, the greater the ease with which the material can be recycled. 

A FIGURE 12.36 Recydng symbols. Most plastic containers manufactured today carry a recycling symbol indicating the type of polymer used to make the container and the polymer suitability for recycling. 

Then ask students to sort the plastics into the identified locations using the recycling symbols on each sample. 

If you look at the bottom of a plastic container, you are likely to see a recycle symbol containing a number, as shown in Figure 12.36. The number and the letter abbreviation below it indicate the kind... 

FIGURE 9.13 Recycling symbols. PETE is polyester (PET), V is vinyl plastics, and the other category covers aU other resins. 

PLASTIC CONTAINERS-Vou can put any plastic container In your recycling bin IF It has the recycling symbol on the bottom with a number of i-7. 

Thermoplastic polymers can be melted down and reformed. But in order to do this, the plastics must be separated into their various components. Most plastic containers contain a symbol on the bottom that indicates what type of plastic the containers are made of. Recyclers can use these symbols to separate the plastics into various categories to make recycling easier. Figure 16-10 shows the recycling symbols for plastics and indicates what type of plastic each symbol represents. 

Plastics became in the 1990s the symbol of a throwaway society and were regarded as a major culprit of the landfill crisis. The response of the industry is plastics recycling [237-241]. Severe restrictions are being imposed on two of the most popular waste management techniques, landfill and incineration [201]. 

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. 

The two forms of polyethylene differ slightly in density. Linear polyethylene is referred to in the recycling business as /ligh-density polyethylene, represented by the symbol HDPE 2 on the bottom of a plastic bottle. The corresponding symbol for branched polyethylene is LDPE 4, indicating low-density polyethylene. (The smaller the number, the easier it is to recycle.)... 

Many plastic containers today are stamped with symbols as an aid to recycling. Identify the source of plastic listed below and give examples of containers that are usually produced from each type of material. 

Symbols on plastics products identifying the material type/grade of which they are made, considerably facilitates pure grade eolleetion. Nowadays there is an obhgation in some countries for identifying plasties, which is a great help with material recycling. 

Common thermoplastics include polyethylene, polystyrene, acrylic, polyvinyl chloride, and polypropylene (see Figure 8-6). We can easily identify a plastic by looking at the recycling triangle symbol code found on each product. Polyethylene is made from natural gas. We use polyethylene for a variety of products such as milk cartons. Polystyrene provides an inexpensive... 

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