What Do All of Those Recycling Symbols Mean Anyway?

How do we make sense of all the different types of recycling symbols? I will cover each type of plastic symbol with hopes of taking the confusion away. If you do not think its worth looking at, take a look around you. Our streets are littered; our waterways are clogged and let’s not forget about our marine life being choked. We can start cleaning up by just educating ourselves. Knowledge is power! So with that being said, let’s get started.



1 - PET or PETE (Polyethylene Terephthalate) - Fizzy drink bottles and oven-ready meal trays.

2 - HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) - Bottles for milk and washing-up liquids.

3 - PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) - Food trays, cling film, bottles, mineral water, plumbing parts & outdoor decking/fencing, just to name a few.

4 - LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) - Carrier bags and bin liners.

5 - PP (Polypropylene) - Margarine tubs, microwaveable meal trays.

6 - PS (Polystyrene) - Yogurt pots, foamed meat or fish trays, hamburger boxes, egg cartons, vending cups, plastic cutlery, protective packaging for electronic goods and toys.

7 - OTHER (Any other plastics) that do not fall into any of the above categories, which is A Lot of different types.

In the next few weeks, I will look at each recycling code, what it is found on, how it is recycled and what it is recycled into.