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What types of plastic are recyclable?

The question is, What types of plastic are recyclable? Learn all about the different types with our information guide on this topic.

What types of plastic are recyclable?

Plastic has been around for over a century now. At first, it was considered an innovation in packaging as it was a good insulator, durable, and heat resistant. For this reason, it started to be mass-produced. Yet, very soon, experts realized that this material could have a huge negative impact on the environment.

Today, despite being an inseparable part of modern society, plastic is causing a lot of harm to the environment by clogging our oceans and landfills with a material that needs 400 years to decompose. In the UAE, the average individual uses 450 plastic water bottles annually. Plus, over 11 billion plastic bags are used every year in the UAE.

What’s more, the real issue with plastic is that not all types of it can be recycled even if we wanted to. Here are the types of plastic that can be recycled:

In addition, the true problem with plastic is that not all varieties can be recycled, even if we wanted to. The following varieties of plastic can be recycled:

PET/ PETE

If you had a refreshing drink today, you’ve likely used something made of PET. PET is the type of plastic made for producing bottles of soda, water, or other beverages.

HDPE

HDPE type of plastic is also very common. It is found in containers of milk, shampoo, detergent, or other cleaning products

LDPE

Plastic wrappings are made using LDPE plastic. You likely used it today if you used a grocery bag, ate sliced bread, or bought wrapped fresh products like vegetables.

LDPE plastics are harder to recycle as they can tangle in the machinery used for recycling.

Polypropylene (PP)

PP plastic, known as polypropylene, is also very common. You can find it in containers for certain foods such as yogurt, sour cream, or margarine. Plastic products like straws, bottle caps, and rope are also produced using PP plastic.

PS

Disposable coffee cups, takeaway food containers, and egg cartons contain or are made entirely of PS plastic.

Washington University researchers discovered that this type of plastic needs 500 years to decompose.

Plastic combinations

Some plastic products are produced using a combination of different types of plastics. These products can be recognized as they are stamped with a 7. Whether or not they are recyclable depends on the plastic types they include, as some can be recycled, some can’t be recycled.

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