Posted by Doug Malawey on Mon, Mar 22, 2010
Number 4 Plastics
LDPE (low density polyethylene)
Found in: Squeezable bottles; plastic soft drink, water, sports drink, beer, mouthwash, catsup and salad dressing bottles; plastic peanut butter, pickle, jelly and jam jars; oven able film and oven able prepared food trays, bread, frozen food, dry cleaning and shopping bags; tote bags; clothing; furniture; carpet. Also used in film applications due to its toughness, flexibility and relative transparency, making it popular for use in applications where heat sealing is necessary, like bread bags, dry cleaning, or frozen food bags.
Recycling: LDPE is a flexible plastic with many applications. Historically it has not been accepted through most American curbside recycling programs, but more and more communities are starting to accept it. Plastic shopping bags can be returned to many stores for recycling.
Recycled into: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, paneling, lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile
LDPE can also be foamed or expanded. In this case it can look like EPS, (expandable polystyrene) or "Styrofoam" packaging. This is why when recycling, it's important to recognize the recycling symbol to know which plastic material you have. In the world of plastics recycling, mixing these materials can be considered contamination to a recycler.
Additional numbers coming soon. Reprinted in part with permission, this information is ©1986-2010 by IDES. http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycling-symbols-plastics-460321
Posted by Doug Malawey on Fri, Feb 26, 2010
Number 6 Plastics
PS (polystyrene)
Found in: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers, aspirin bottles, compact disc cases and in the foamed or expanded form as packaging, EPS or expanded polystyrene
Recycling: Number 6 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs and the number of recycling centers that are accepting the foamed version, (EPS) is continuing to grow.
Recycled into: Insulation, light switch plates, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers, chair rails and crown moldings and picture frames
Polystyrene can be made into rigid products (PS-polystyrene), or foam products (EPS-expandable polystyrene)- in the latter case it is often incorrectly referred to as Styrofoam. (See "What is Styrofoam") blog entry. While many places still don't accept it, it is gradually gaining traction as more and more people are becoming aware that it is indeed a valuable recyclable material, and easy to do so with the right equipment. Just look for the symbol show above on the product to determine if it is PS, EPS, or a different category of plastic all together.
This information is reprinted in part with permission and is ©1986-2010 by IDES