Articles
Glossary of Plastics
Glossary of Caps/Closures
Glossary of Terms
Recycling Plastic and Glass
Plastic Recycling Codes
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Plastic Recycling Codes
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Code
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Material
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Characteristics
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Common Uses
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Polyethylene Terephalate
PET
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Clear, tough, solvent resistant, often used as a fibre.
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Carbonated soft drink bottles, pillow and sleeping bag filling, textile fibres.
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High Density Polyethylene
HDPE
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Hard to semi-flexible, waxy surface, opaque, melts at 135°C.
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Crinkly shopping bags, freezer bags, milk bottles, bleach bottles, buckets, rigid agricultural pipe, milk crates.
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Unplasticised Polyvinyl Chloride
UPVC
Plasticised Polyvinyl Chloride
PPV PPVC
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Hard, rigid, can be clear.
Can be solvent welded
Flexible, clear, elastic, can be solvent welded.
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Electrical conduit, plumbing pipes and fittings, blister packs, clear cordial band fruit juice bottles.
Garden Hose, shoe soles, cable sheathing, blood bags and tubing, watch straps.
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Low Density Polyethylene
LDPE
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Soft flexible, waxy surface, translucent, melts at 80°C, scratches easily.
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Garbage bags, squeeze bottles, black irrigation tube, black mulch film, garbage bins.
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Polypropylene
PP
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Hard but still flexible, waxy surface, melts at 145°C, translucent, withstands solvents. Very versatile material with many applications.
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Potato crisp bags, drinking straws, microwave ware, plastic kettles, plastic garden settings baby baths, plastic hinged lunch boxes.
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