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Deciphering Recycling for America Recycles Day

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Ospreys in nest with an egg and a blue plastic bag next to it.
06 Nov

America Recycles Day is November 15, and as part of our mission to inspire a more sustainable future, we're spreading the word about how to recycle as much plastic as we can to protect the environment. Over 99% of plastics are produced with fossil fuels, but it only takes one plastic bag to endanger an animal through entanglement or ingestion, or one bottle to leech chemicals into an ecosystem, and every plastic item kept out of the environment helps. Recycling is essential to conservation efforts, so we're providing a handy guide on the different types of plastics and how to recycle them!

What to Look For

  • Plastic items are usually manufactured with a recycling symbol printed or imprinted on them, with a number in the middle of the icon. Each number corresponds to a different type of plastic. The guide below shows what each number means and if or how it can be recycled in a standard commercial facility.

Understanding Plastic Types by Number

  • 1: PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)

    Used mostly in plastic water bottles and plastic food containers. This form is considered generally food safe, and can be easily recycled when available. Be sure to remove labels from water bottles before recycling!

  • PP: Polypropylene

    Use in medicine bottles and caps, low-end structural applications, and some drink jugs and labels. Arizona, Tide, and Hershey bottles are examples of mono material PP bottles, and are easily recyclable, though be sure to wash them first.

  • 2: HDPE (High Density Polyethylene)

    Used in detergent bottles, outdoor furniture, and cutting boards. Very durable and can be melted down and recast to recycle.

  • PS: Polystyrene

    Used for all Styrofoam products and a very good insulator. Very difficult to recycle, so use other products when possible.

  • PVC: Polyvinyl Chloride

    Used in PVC pipes, bags meant to be durable and flexible (such as blood bags), and waterproof clothing. Very useful for pipes, as it will last and can be extruded onsite. Can often be melted down to recycle into end-of-life applications.

  • Other

    Type 7 recyclables are generally accompanied by text below the symbol indicating recyclability, such as "Compostable" or "Non-Recyclable."

  • LDPE: Low-Density Polyethylene

    Shopping bags. Many retail spaces have a tax on shopping bags, and many others let you bring a reusable bag instead.

Aquarium staff member and intern at beach cleanup.

Timeline of the History of Plastics

1869

Celluloid, the first synthetic plastic, is invented.
Used for: a substitute for ivory.

1883

Bakelite, a durable plastic, is patented.
Used for: insulation and household products.

1912

Cellophane is patented.
Used for: packaging and wrapping.

PVC, a flexible and malleable plastic, is also patented.
Used for: pipes, sheets, and waterproof clothing.

1921

Acrylic is patented. This could be used as a more durable glass replacement, such as for the glass in aquariums.

1934

Nylon is commercially produced.
Used for: creating a durable fabric for clothing and bags.

1936

Polyethylenes are patented.
Used for: everything from grocery bags and water bottles to containers and packaging.

1937

Polyurethane is patented.
Used for: insulating foams, protective varnishes, and adhesives.

1941

Teflon is patented.
Used for: a solid lubricant coating in non-stick cookware and machinery.

1951

Polypropylene is commercialized.
Used for: waterproof labels and containers.

1954

Polystyrene is used commercially as an insulator.
Used for: cups, coolers, and packaging.

1955

Polycarbonate is introduced.
Used for: low-end transparent applications like sunglasses lenses.

1965

Kevlar is invented.
Used for: damage-resistant clothing, ropes, and protection on cables.

1972

Microbeads are introduced as a buffing agent.
Used for: toothpastes and exfoliating scrubs.

1977

Plastic grocery bags are introduced as an alternative to paper bags.

1997

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is discovered. Similar patches exist in the midst of every ocean gyre.

2002

Bangladesh becomes the first country to ban plastic grocery bags.

2010

The Circle Economy theory is formally pitched. This economic theory suggests reuse of industrial waste products as inputs and is closely tied to recycling.

2015

Microbeads are banned in products by the EPA in the Microbead-Free Waters Act.

2019

Plastic pollution reaches 459.75 million tonnes annually.

2022

California passes the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, requiring packaging to be compostable or recyclable.

Virginia passes a prohibition on the release of certain balloons that are not made of biodegradable or photodegradable materials, or any material that requires more than five minutes' contact with air or water to degrade.

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