| Image | Made of | Used in |
|---|---|---|
 |
PETE Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) | Soda & water containers, some waterproof packaging. |
 |
HDPE High-Density Polyethylene. | Milk, detergent & oil bottles, Toys and plastic bags. |
 |
V Vinyl/Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). | Food wrap, vegetable oil bottles, blister packages. |
 |
LDPE Low-Density Polyethylene. | plastic bags. Shrink wrap, garment bags. |
 |
PP Polypropylene. | Refrigerated containers, some bags, most bottle tops, some carpets, some food wrap. |
 |
PS Polystyrene. | Throwaway utensils, meat packing, protective packing. |
 |
Others. | Layered or mixed plastic. |
These symbols are meant to indicate the type of plastic, not its recyclability.
- Types 1 and 2 are commonly recycled.
- Type 4 is less commonly recycled.
- Type 7 No recycling potential.Must be landfilled.
- The other types are generally not recycled, except perhaps in small test programs.
- Common plastics polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) do not have recycling numbers.
- Plastics 3, 6, and 7 probably contain BPA and should not be used to store anything that will be consumed by humans