Recycling...what do those number mean anyway?

vixey

C'est la vie!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
3,020
Reaction score
3,403
In my humble community in Virginia, we have a private trash collection service. Recycling is collected once a week. We conveniently place all recyclables in one bin: newspapers, glass, aluminum, and plastic. It's the plastic that confuses me the most.

There are these neat little triangles (with arrows) on the bottom of plastics with numbers inside. The numbers indicate how recyclable the containers are. In our case, numbers 1 and 2 only qualify for recycling. I understand in more advanced (forgive the slur) communities distinguish between other numbers and accept higher numbers.

At any rate, my beef is more with the fact that these numbers are so small and illegible, I can't, in a rinsing moment's notice, figure out what it says. I want to be conscientious and recycle, but darn it, the plastic container manufacturers make it too freaking difficult.

Is there anyone else who feels this pain?
 

Joe270

Banned
Joined
Jan 3, 2007
Messages
5,735
Reaction score
3,485
Location
Vegas, baby
Just toss all your plastic in the bin and let the recycler sort it, Vix.

The numbers let them know what is compatible for their cooking process. I seriously doubt the guy picking up your plastic will examine all the triangles to ensure the plastic is just what the recycler wants.

Pass your headache on to those who deserve it, I say.
 

vixey

C'est la vie!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
3,020
Reaction score
3,403
I love you, Joe.
 

vixey

C'est la vie!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
3,020
Reaction score
3,403
Seriously. You're right. I don't need to give a gosh darn about who splits what with recycling plastic. But my trash company only wants 1 & 2. So who gives a shit if I deposit 3, 4, 5, etc. You're right. I'm doing my part as a conscientious consumer. Someone else can figure out how to compartmentalize my recylclable goods.

And for that, Joe, and maybe the wine I've had tonight, I love you.
 

Beach Bunny

The Provocative One
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 5, 2008
Messages
3,146
Reaction score
2,971
Location
Where angels fear to tread
Most of the plastic bottles are 1 and 2. Milk jugs, soda bottles, water bottles, juice bottles, etc. The higher numbers are usually used for margarine tubs and the like. And yes, you can toss it all in and let the recyclers figure it out. They know at glance which ones are which.

Thanks for recycling. :Hug2:
 

vixey

C'est la vie!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
3,020
Reaction score
3,403
Most of the plastic bottles are 1 and 2. Milk jugs, soda bottles, water bottles, juice bottles, etc. The higher numbers are usually used for margarine tubs and the like. And yes, you can toss it all in and let the recyclers figure it out. They know at glance which ones are which.

Thanks for recycling. :Hug2:

Um...that's so sweet and everything, Beach Bunny. But what the heck happened to your avatar????
 

vixey

C'est la vie!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
3,020
Reaction score
3,403
I found this handy key for those of you who like the 'old me' thought that sorting out the numbers was important. But I've seen the light. I'll just deposit my plastic irregardless of numbers into the bin and guiltlessly let the sorters figure it out.

I can sleep at night.
 

Beach Bunny

The Provocative One
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 5, 2008
Messages
3,146
Reaction score
2,971
Location
Where angels fear to tread
The 4 - grocerybags, etc. can usually be recycled at the grocery store.

And the 6 - styrofoam - can also usually be recycled at the grocery story (at least mine does.)
 

Arisa81

Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
4,363
Reaction score
532
Location
Canada
Website
pacificpurple.blogspot.com
For us recycling is quite easy I guess, we don't have to worry about numbers and all that. One bin is labeled containers (which is a wide variety of things which seems to also include tin cans as well as the plastic bottles, margarine containers etc.) and the other is paper products (this includes carboards boxes and such). So easy. I guess they sort them at the plant. It should be so easy to recycle everywhere.
 

Yeshanu

Elf Queen
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 14, 2005
Messages
6,757
Reaction score
2,410
Location
Up a Tree
Actually, as someone who used to make a living sorting recyclables, I'd like to discourage you from just throwing anything and everything in your bin.

The little numbers actually indicate what type of plastic the container is made of. Not all centers accept all types of plastic, because it depends if there's a market for them or not, and if there are facilities to recycle those particular types of plastic or not.

If you throw everything into your recycle bin, regardless of whether or not your recycling depot can handle it, nobody wins. The plastic will not get recycled, and it's possible that if your box is contaminated enough, it may not even get sorted, leading to more landfill waste.

The people doing the sorting aren't the people who deserve the headaches, either. They're folks like you and me who can't get a better job than a slightly-higher-than-minimum-wage gig sorting other people's garbage. Have compassion, please!

If you really want to change things, write to your local politicians, urging them to upgrade the facilities to accept all types of plastic, and not just the ones and twos, which are the ones that turn a profit.

In the meantime, find out what types of things come in what types of containers. Shampoo bottles are almost always threes, for example. Plastic trays in microwave dinners are sixes. Etc.

Once you know which types of products come in the containers your depot recycles, it will be a lot easier to sort your trash.

And get used to sorting, folks. We simply cannot afford any more to throw out every bit of packaging our stuff comes in.

Reduce.

Reuse.

Recycle.

The environment will thank you.
 

Joe270

Banned
Joined
Jan 3, 2007
Messages
5,735
Reaction score
3,485
Location
Vegas, baby
If you throw everything into your recycle bin, regardless of whether or not your recycling depot can handle it, nobody wins. The plastic will not get recycled, and it's possible that if your box is contaminated enough, it may not even get sorted, leading to more landfill waste.

Republic does our recycling here, and I have seen them resort the plastic and glass after the truck empties it at the local hub. They even separate the glass into green, white, and brown bottles, which they sell to recyclers.

I don't have any worries that they are making a dandy profit doing it. I'll sleep just fine at night letting them sort it.

My tax dollars at least give me that much leeway.
 

Beach Bunny

The Provocative One
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 5, 2008
Messages
3,146
Reaction score
2,971
Location
Where angels fear to tread
Actually, Yeshanu makes a good point. It depends on how and where you recycle your containers whether or not you can toss everything in them.

If you recycled at home and have two containers, one for paper, one for plastic, glass, metal etc. Then throwing everything in probably won't be a big problem as they have to sort it all out anyway.

If you have a container for glass, a container for plastic and a container for metal, then don't throw in the numbers they don't want. It can mess up things up as Yeshanu pointed out.

If you are taking the stuff down to a recycling center and tossing them into labeled dumpsters, put the right stuff into the right dumpster and don't toss the extra in anyway.
 

illiterwrite

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 3, 2006
Messages
708
Reaction score
139
Location
Toronto
I agree with Yeshanu too. Far easier to get used to sorting and recognizing the kind of material you can recycle. I can't imagine that you would just toss plastic bags in the recycling bin, right?

Here in Toronto, we're now charged for extra garbage, and it only gets picked up once every two weeks (alternating with recycling). We also have a green bin -- composting -- which gets picked up every week. By sorting through everything, I've realized how much garbage it's possible to produce, mostly through packaging, and I've tried to change my eating/consumer habits because of it. I try to reuse everything -- plastic tubs, plastic bags -- and when I go to the grocery store, I reuse either plastic bags or my own cloth bag (or sometimes I just throw it all in the back of the stroller and don't worry about bags or boxes at all).
 

vixey

C'est la vie!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
3,020
Reaction score
3,403
We have a private company that picks up our trash. We have a single recycling bin that we deposit everything into - no sorting. And from the looks of the guys who come around in their pick up truck to collect it, I don't think they really care about recycling period.

But, in addition to all the good points made here, I think Yeshanu makes an excellent point that we should lobby for better ways to recycle and raise awareness in our communities about plastic wastes.
 

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Messages
29,138
Reaction score
8,563
Location
Toronto
Website
ktcraig.com
You will find a breakdown of what the numbers mean HERE or HERE

For those who don't click links:
1 = polyethylene terephthalate or PET
2 = high-density polyethylene or HDPE
3 = vinyl or polyvinyl chloride or V
4 = low-density polyethylene or LDPE
5 = poly-propylene or PP
6 = polystyrene or PS
7 = OTHER (you should try to never buy this type unless you intend on keeping it forever)

ALWAYS make sure you know what numbers your recycler takes. There are descriptions of each one on the site links I provided. The second one is probably best...but both will do.
 
Last edited:

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Messages
29,138
Reaction score
8,563
Location
Toronto
Website
ktcraig.com
PS: a knowledgeable consumer can decide what plastics they want to dispose of by FIRST deciding what plastics they are willing to bring into the house. Shop wisely.
 

vixey

C'est la vie!
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
3,020
Reaction score
3,403
PS: a knowledgeable consumer can decide what plastics they want to dispose of by FIRST deciding what plastics they are willing to bring into the house. Shop wisely.

I agree. Next time I shop, I'll think twice about selecting a plastic container. For me, learning how to distinguish between the different plastics numbers is comparable to learning how to read nutritional labels. And even if it's difficult to read that number in the triangle, I'll bring my glasses along to figure it out.
 

illiterwrite

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 3, 2006
Messages
708
Reaction score
139
Location
Toronto
We have a private company that picks up our trash. We have a single recycling bin that we deposit everything into - no sorting. And from the looks of the guys who come around in their pick up truck to collect it, I don't think they really care about recycling period.

Our recycling all goes into one bin too. Makes it that much easier.