Recycle codes

Nor is it tme that poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and high density polyethylene (HDPE) packaging are hsted as 1 and 2 in the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) recycling coding system because they are the most recyclable. The numbers assigned to each plastic in the SPI coding system are purely arbitrary and do not redect the material s recyclabihty. 

TABLE 19.3 Recycling code Recycling Codes Polymer Recycling code Polymer... 

Once a consumer has purchased a material made of a polymer, the likelihood of it being recycled is dramatically reduced. In the United States there are three resins that are commonly recycled polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate, SPI (The Society of the Plastics Industry) recycling codes, found on the bottom of food containers, provide the consumer with information as to the recyclability of the material. Table 17,1 lists these codes. 

Table 17.1 SPi s Recycling Codes and Acronyms Found Embossed or Printed on Recyclable Polymeric Materials ...

Society of Flavor Chemists, Inc., 11 563 Society of Rheology nomenclature, 21 704 Society of the Plastics Industry, The (SPI) on PVC recycling, 25 680 recycling coding system of, 25 681 Sociopolitical dimensions, of sustainable development, 24 189—190 Socks (mid-calf)... 

FIGURE 1.1 The Society of Plastics Industry recycling codes utilizing the numbers 1-7 and bold, capital letters to designate the material utilized to construct the container. 

Identify what the bottles are made of from the following recycling codes found on their bottoms (a) 4 with the letters LDPE (b) 6 with the letters PS (c) 5 with the letters PP. 

Addition Polymers Repeating Unit Common Uses Recycling Code... 

If you are working in a group, outline the duties to be performed. Assign duties to each group member. Research your project. Look for chemical structures of ingredients, recycling codes, safety and WHMIS considerations, additives to foods, etc. You may wish to research in any of these areas ... 

Although thousands of different synthetic polymers have now been prepared, six compounds, called the Big Six, account for 76% of the synthetic polymers produced in the United States each year. Each polymer is assigned a recycling code (1-6) that indicates its ease of recycling the lower the number, the easier to recycle. Table 30.1 lists these six most common polymers, vas well as the type of products made from each recycled polymer. 

Only Codes 1 and 2 are widely accepted for recycling. Codes 3 and 6 are rarely recycled. Find out what types of plastics are recycled in your area. If you know what the codes... 

What do the recycling codes on plastic products indicate ... 

Recycling code Type of plastic Physical properties Examples Uses for recycled products... 

Given the recycling code for an object, identify the polymer used to make the object. 

Find three plastic objects in your home that are labeled with a recycling code of 1. From what substance are these objects made Are objects of this type recycled in your town ... 

Find one object representing each of the recycling codes 3, 4, 5, 6. From what substance is each object made Can these objects be recycled in your town ... 

The popularity of clothing made of polyester-cotton blends testifies to the economic impact of this polymer. Poly(ethylene terephthalate) is the PETE referred to in the recycling codes listed in Table 27.1. Plastic bottles for juice, ketchup, and soft drinks are usually made of PETE, as is Mylar film (Figure 27.8). 

Table 4.7 Annual world production and recycling codes of the most important plastics...

Origin Plastic (abbreviation) Estimated world production (million t, 2008) Recycling code(s)... 

Six types of plastics are commonly used for packaging apphcations. In 1988, manufacturers adopted recycling code numbers developed by the Society of the Plastics Industry (Table 16.2). Because the plastics recycling industry stiU is not fully developed, only PET and HDPE are currently being recycled in large quantities. LDPE, which accounts for about 40% of plastic trash, has been slow in finding acceptance with recyclers. Facilities for the reprocessing of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) exist but are rare. 

Recycling Code Polymer Common Uses Uses of Recycled Polymer... 

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. 

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