1
PET / PETE
Often used for: water bottles, soft drink bottles, peanut butter jars.
Usually one of the easiest plastics to collect and recycle. Rinse before sorting.
Recycling code guide
What type of plastic is it?
Recycling labels are not a promise that an item will be recycled. They are a material code. The next step is checking what your local system actually accepts.
Seven common groups
The restored archive guide, made easier to scan.
The original site listed the main plastic families, examples and recycling difficulty. This version keeps the same practical structure while removing the old heavy Tilda animation layer.
2
HDPE
Often used for: detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, grocery bags and yogurt cups.
Durable and commonly accepted, especially when packaging is clean and separated.
3
PVC
Often used for: pipes, window frames and some flexible packaging.
Hard to recycle and unsuitable for food reuse. Avoid when better options exist.
4
LDPE
Often used for: bread bags, garbage bags, cling film and soft packaging.
Accepted in some systems, but thin films need dedicated collection points.
5
PP
Often used for: margarine tubs, ketchup bottles and food containers.
Strong and heat resistant. Recycling options vary by city and collector.
6
PS
Often used for: egg cartons, disposable cups, meat trays and foam.
Accepted less often. Best avoided for one-time use because it breaks easily.
7
OTHER
Often used for: mixed plastics, large reusable bottles and specialty packaging.
A mixed category. Local acceptance is limited and must be checked case by case.
Microplastics pathway
Small fragments move through water, food webs and everyday life.
The archive explained a simple route: plastic breaks down, tiny pieces are eaten by plankton or small animals, and the problem moves through the food chain. Modern research still treats prevention as the cleaner strategy.
Choose prevention habits
Before you sort
Local rules beat generic recycling advice.
Two items with the same plastic code can be treated differently if one is black, dirty, multi-layered, too small, or mixed with metal or paper. When in doubt, check the collector’s rules first.
Better sorting starts with three questions: is it clean, is it accepted locally, and can it be reused before it is recycled?