Recycling symbols

Plastic Type Recycling Symbol Recycling Number... 

Polypropylene products can be identified with the recycling symbol containing the number 5 with the letters PP underneath the symbol. Several important characteristics of polypropylene are compared to polyethylene in Table 76.1. 

Prior to leaving the manufacturing plant, all lead-add batteries should be labelled (Fig. 16.3) in accordance with prevailing national and international [8] regulations and with the international recycling symbol ISO 7000 1135, better known as the Moebius loop. Furthermore, there should be instructions for the recycling of the battery or a point of contact clearly displayed when it is at the end of its useful life. Each label should state, lead-acid battery , Pb or the words LEAD , RETURN and RECYCLE . If possible, the label should also have a bar code which contains information about the place of manufacture, the date of production, the battery type, and its components. 

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. 

The recycling symbol for polyvinyl chloride is the number 3 inside a triangle made of three arrows. 

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. 

Recycling symbols used for different classes of polymers... 

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. 

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