Most products in the U.S. on its surface have a sign on it which is the recycling code. Each code identifies the materials used to create the products and they can help in identifying them for the workers at the recycling plant. This helps to separate different types of plastic, as well as glass, metal and paper, all of which have to be recycled in different ways. Here is more information about the codes and you can read them all down below.
The codes all look similar, they are a triangle created from three arrows and a number is placed inside this triangle. The number is what identifies the actual materials that were used to form the item. The numbers 1-7 all refer to resin identification codes for plastics. For example, a triangle with a 1 or 01 stands for polyethylene terephthalate, a thermoplastic that is used to create products such as soft drink bottles and water bottles. In addition to these seven numbers used to identify plastics, the number 9 and sometimes the letters ABS are used to identify a type of plastic used to make cell phones and computers called acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.
Another item which shows up in big stacks at recycling facilities is paper. Among the numbers which are used to identify different types of paper products are 20, 21, 22 and 23. For the cardboard it is identified as by 20 and paper like magazines and mailed items are registered as 21. Number 22 signifies the regular paper like the notebook and printer paper. Number 23 is used for the paperboard which is thick paper that is used for making book covers, greeting cards and poster board.
Metals are identified using either the number 40 or 41. The number 40 is used for items made of steel while number 41 was used for aluminum. ALU is used sometimes if the number 41 is not used for aluminum. Since aluminum is something that can be used again and again to create products it is the most recyclable metal on the planet. Even "tin" cans use aluminum to make them because of its vast supply, resistance to corrosion and malleability.
Organic materials such as wood, cork and cotton also have their own number designations. For example, wood has been given a code of 50. Cork is listed as number 51 and it's not just used to preserve wine. Cork is also used for flooring, in musical instruments and sometimes even in printers. Cotton is designated as number 60 and you might be surprised to know that some cotton actually can be recycled.
Another item that is separated into many categories is glass and there are ten different categories for this material. Glass is generally classified into categories specified by their color like clear glass, green glass, dark glass and many more. Composites also have their own section which might include paper and plastic or even a mixture of the two. The problem is there are many cities out there that have no recycling centers for these items. There are some areas which could only recycle plastics which have a 1 or 2 on them and also aluminum.
The codes all look similar, they are a triangle created from three arrows and a number is placed inside this triangle. The number is what identifies the actual materials that were used to form the item. The numbers 1-7 all refer to resin identification codes for plastics. For example, a triangle with a 1 or 01 stands for polyethylene terephthalate, a thermoplastic that is used to create products such as soft drink bottles and water bottles. In addition to these seven numbers used to identify plastics, the number 9 and sometimes the letters ABS are used to identify a type of plastic used to make cell phones and computers called acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.
Another item which shows up in big stacks at recycling facilities is paper. Among the numbers which are used to identify different types of paper products are 20, 21, 22 and 23. For the cardboard it is identified as by 20 and paper like magazines and mailed items are registered as 21. Number 22 signifies the regular paper like the notebook and printer paper. Number 23 is used for the paperboard which is thick paper that is used for making book covers, greeting cards and poster board.
Metals are identified using either the number 40 or 41. The number 40 is used for items made of steel while number 41 was used for aluminum. ALU is used sometimes if the number 41 is not used for aluminum. Since aluminum is something that can be used again and again to create products it is the most recyclable metal on the planet. Even "tin" cans use aluminum to make them because of its vast supply, resistance to corrosion and malleability.
Organic materials such as wood, cork and cotton also have their own number designations. For example, wood has been given a code of 50. Cork is listed as number 51 and it's not just used to preserve wine. Cork is also used for flooring, in musical instruments and sometimes even in printers. Cotton is designated as number 60 and you might be surprised to know that some cotton actually can be recycled.
Another item that is separated into many categories is glass and there are ten different categories for this material. Glass is generally classified into categories specified by their color like clear glass, green glass, dark glass and many more. Composites also have their own section which might include paper and plastic or even a mixture of the two. The problem is there are many cities out there that have no recycling centers for these items. There are some areas which could only recycle plastics which have a 1 or 2 on them and also aluminum.
About the Author:
Lenna Stockwell enjoys blogging about how stuff is made. For more information about custom packaging solutions or to find out more about retail product packaging options, please check out the Indepak.com website now.
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