Recycling_codes

Recycling codes

Recycling codes

Code identifying material, for recycling

Recycling codes are used to identify the materials out of which the item is made, to facilitate easier recycling process. The presence on an item of a recycling code, a chasing arrows logo, or a resin code, is not an automatic indicator that a material is recyclable; it is an explanation of what the item is made of. Codes have been developed for batteries, biomatter/organic material, glass, metals, paper, and plastics.[citation needed] Various countries have adopted different codes. For example, the table below shows the polymer resin (plastic) codes. In the United States there are fewer, because ABS is placed with "others" in group 7.

Recycling codes on products

A number of countries have a finer-grained system with more recycling codes. For example, China's polymer identification system has seven different classifications of plastic, five different symbols for post-consumer paths, and 140 identification codes.[1] The lack of a code system in some countries has encouraged those who fabricate their own plastic products, such as RepRap and other prosumer 3-D printer users, to adopt a voluntary recycling code based on the more comprehensive Chinese system.[2]

Resin identification codes and codes defined by the European Commission

More information Symbol, Code ...
  1. For the resin codes, ASTM International has replaced the three-arrow symbol by a solid, equilateral triangle because "the code is designed for resin-identification purposes and not recyclability".[7] The three-arrow symbol was based on the Universal Recycling Symbol.

Chinese codes for plastics products

The Standardization Administration of the People's Republic of China (SAC) has defined material codes for different types of plastics in the document GB 16288-2008. The numbers are consistent with RIC up to #6.[8]

More information Code, Abbreviation ...

Alternative recycling labels

The following recycling label projects are designed with the consumer in mind while SPI or Resin Identification Codes are designed to be recognized by waste sorting facilities. They provide an alternative that eliminates confusion as people often mistake any resin code to be recyclable, but this is not necessarily true. The recyclability of the numbers depends on the abilities of the facilities in the community.[9] Thus, they are not all automatically recyclable.

How2Recycle is a project that started in 2008.[10] The label provides information about the packaging material and clearly indicates whether it is recyclable, partially or totally. If it is not recyclable at all, it is shown by a diagonal line going through the recycling label.

On-Pack Recycling Label used in the UK.[11] It is very simple and only states whether it is recyclable or not.

See also

References

  1. [1]
    Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China (SAC) GB16288, 2008. Marking of plastics products. Chinese Standard Publishing House, Beijing; 2008.
  2. [2]
    Emily J. Hunt, Chenlong Zhang, Nick Anzalone, Joshua M. Pearce, Polymer recycling codes for distributed manufacturing with 3-D printers, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 97, pp. 24-30 (2015). DOI:10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.02.004
  3. [3]
    "EUR-Lex - 31997D0129 - EN - EUR-Lex". eur-lex.europa.eu. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  4. [4]
    Plastic Packaging Resins American Chemistry Council
  5. [5]
    Marking of plastic dishes: see, deciphering markers in plastic containers Plastic how to grind plastic utensils
  6. [6]
    Official Journal of the EC; Commission Decision (97/129/EC) establishing the ID system for packaging materials pursuant to European Parliament & Council Directive 94/62/EC
  7. [7]
    Jessica Holbrook. Say so long to recycling code arrows. plasticnews.com. June 2013.
  8. [8]
    Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China (SAC) GB 16288-2008. Marking of plastics products 塑料制品的标志. Chinese Standard Publishing House, Beijing; 2008, as cited in E. J. Hunt, C. Zhang, N.Anzalone, and J. M. Pearce. Polymer Recycling Codes for Distributed Manufacturing with 3-D Printers, Resources, Conservation and Recycling 97, pp. 24–30 (2015). doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.02.004
  9. [9]
    "Plastic by the Numbers".
  10. [10]
    "Labels - How2Recycle". how2recycle.info.
  11. [11]
    "Label Objectives".
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