Recycling codes

Short description: Code identifying material, for recycling

Recycling codes on products

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.[1] 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.

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.[2] 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.[3]

## Contents

* 1 Resin identification codes and codes defined by the European Commission
* 2 Chinese codes for plastics products
* 3 Alternative recycling labels
* 4 See also
* 5 References
* 6 External links

## Resin identification codes and codes defined by the European Commission

Symbol[lower-alpha 1] | Code[6] | Description  | Examples

|
|
|

Plastics (see resin identification code)[7]
| 1 PET(E)  | Polyethylene terephthalate | Polyester fibers, soft drink bottles, food containers (also see plastic bottles)
| 2 PEHD or HDPE  | High-density polyethylene  | Plastic milk containers, plastic bags, bottle caps, trash cans, oil cans, plastic lumber, toolboxes, supplement containers
| 3 PVC  | Polyvinyl chloride | Window frames, bottles for chemicals, flooring, plumbing pipes, phonograph records (vinyl records)
| 4 PELD or LDPE  | Low-density polyethylene  | Plastic bags, Ziploc bags, buckets, squeeze bottles, plastic tubes, cutting boards
| 5 PP  | Polypropylene | Flower pots, bumpers, car interior trim, industrial fibers, carry-out beverage cups, microwavable food containers, DVD keep cases
| 6 PS  | Polystyrene | Toys, video cassettes, ashtrays, trunks, beverage/food coolers, beer cups, wine and champagne cups, carry-out food containers, Styrofoam
| 7 O (Other)  | All other plastics  | Polycarbonate (PC), polyamide (PA), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), acrylic plastics/polyacrylonitrile (PAN), bioplastics
| ABS  | Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene | Monitor/TV cases, coffee makers, cell phones, calculators, most computer plastic, Lego bricks, most FFF 3D printed parts that are not bioplastic such as PLA
| PA  | Polyamide (nylon)  | Toothbrush bristles, socks, stockings, automobile seatbelts, backpacks, parachutes, kites
Batteries (see also battery recycling)
| Lead–acid battery | Car batteries, truck and semi truck batteries, buses and coaches, boats and jet skis, jump starters, data centers
| 9 Alkaline  | Alkaline battery | TV Remote batteries, flashlight batteries
| 10 NiCD  | Nickel–cadmium battery | Older batteries; camcorders, walkie-talkies and two-way radios, RC cars, rechargeable razors
| 11 NiMH  | Nickel–metal hydride battery | Rechargeable AA/AAA batteries, cordless phone batteries, older hybrid car batteries (Toyota Prius), power tool battery packs
| 12 Li  | Lithium battery | Cell phone batteries, computer batteries, camera batteries, e-cigarettes
| 13 SO(Z)  | Silver-oxide battery  | Wristwatches, small medical devices (hearing aids), precision laser pointers, digital thermometers
| 14 CZ  | Zinc–carbon battery  | Flashlight batteries, clocks, smoke detectors
Paper[6]
| 20 PAP  | Corrugated fiberboard (cardboard)  | Cardboard boxes, eg. shipping, food delivery
| 21 PAP  | Non-corrugated fiberboard (paperboard)  | Cereal boxes, cracker boxes, tissue boxes, medicine boxes, greeting cards
| 22 PAP  | Paper | Newspaper, books, magazines, wrapping paper, wallpaper, paper bags, paper straws
Metals

| 40 FE  | Steel | Food cans (soup, beans), coffee tins, bottle caps, aerosol cans, paint cans, electronic casing such as USB shields

| 41 ALU  | Aluminium | Soft drink cans, deodorant cans, disposable food containers, aluminium foil, heat sinks
Biomatter/Organic material
| 50 FOR  | Wood | Furniture, cutting boards, brooms, pencils, cocktail sticks, wooden spoons
| 51 FOR  | Cork | Bottle stoppers, place mats, construction material
| 60 COT  | Cotton | Towels, t-shirts, cotton buds/swabs, cotton pads
| 61 TEX  | Jute  | Burlap sacks, twine/rope, carpet backing, "Hessian" fabric, reusable grocery bags
| 62-69 TEX  | Other textiles  | Summer shirts, high-end bed sheets, tablecloths, tea towels. Heavy-duty canvas bags, sustainable clothing, rope, industrial twine. Sweaters (Jumpers), winter coats, suits, blankets, carpets. Ties, high-end dresses, scarves, luxury bedding. Polyester, Nylon, Spandex, "Poly-cotton" blends, microfiber cloths.
Glass
| 70 GL  | Clear Glass  | Food storage jars such as spirit bottles, soda bottles
| 71 GL  | Green Glass  | Wine bottles and spirits, carafes
| 72 GL  | Brown Glass  | Beer, light-sensitive products, ink bottles, photo developer
| 73 GL  | Dark Sort Glass  | Wine bottles, sparkling water bottles, champagne bottles, high-end olive oil
| 74 GL  | Light Sort Glass  | Voss water, Light-blue perfume bottles
| 75 GL  | Light Leaded Glass  | Televisions, high-end electronics display glass like in calculators
| 76 GL  | Leaded Glass | Older televisions, ash trays, older beverage holders
| 77 GL  | Copper Mixed/Copper Backed Glass  | Electronics, LCD heads, clocks, watches
| 78 GL  | Silver Mixed/Silver Backed Glass  | Mirrors, formal table settings
| 79 GL  | Gold Mixed/Gold Backed Glass  | Computer glass, formal table settings
Composites (80—99)
| 80 Paper  | Paper and miscellaneous metals  | Insulated Mailing Envelopes
| 81 PapPet  | Paper \+ plastic | Consumer packaging, pet food bags, cold store grocery bags, ice cream containers, cardboard cans, disposable plates
| 82 C/PAP  | Paper and fibreboard/Aluminium  | Butter & margarine wrappers, chewing gum foil, cigarette inner liners, soup/sauce sachets, candy bar wraps
| 83 C/PAP  | Paper and fibreboard/Tinplate | Composite cans (e.g., cocoa powder, infant formula), high-end tea canisters, heavy-duty mailing tubes, luxury gift tubes (whisky/perfume)
| 84 C/PAP (or PapAl)  | Paper and cardboard/plastic/aluminium | Liquid storage containers, juice boxes, cardboard cans, cigarette pack liners, gum wrappers, cartridge shells for blanks, fireworks colouring material, Tetra Brik.
| 85 C/PAP  | Paper and fibreboard/Plastic/Aluminium/Tinplate | Large industrial canisters or specific heavy-duty dry food storage
| 87 CSL (Card-Stock Laminate)  | Biodegradable plastic | Laminating material, special occasion cards, bookmarks, business cards, flyers/advertising
| 90 C/LDPE  | Plastics/Aluminium | Plastic toothpaste tubes/some vacuum packed coffee bags
| 91 C/LDPE  | Plastic/Tinplate | Laminated wet-wipe canisters, industrial grease tubs
| 92 C/LDPE  | Plastic/Miscellaneous metals | Anti-static electronics bags, specialized vacuum-sealed industrial parts
| 95 C/GL  | Glass/Plastic | Safety-coated laboratory bottles, aerosol perfume glass, shatter-proof cosmetic jars
| 96 C/GL  | Glass/Aluminium | Pharmaceutical vials with crimped caps, premium spirits bottles with metal sleeves
| 97 C/GL  | Glass/Tinplate | Decorative food jars, high-end candle jars, vintage-style apothecary bottles, heavy-duty storage canisters
| 98 C/GL  | Glass/Miscellaneous metals | Vacuum-insulated glass panels, high-end laboratory electronics, specialized optical lenses
| 99  | other  | Solar panels, high-tech vacuum packaging, specialized military "MRE" pouches, heavy-duty electronics shielding

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".[4] The three-arrow symbol was based on the Universal Recycling Symbol and is still in widespread use.[5]

## 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]

Code | Abbreviation | Name

|
|

1 | PET | polyethylene terephthalate
2 | HDPE | polyethylene, high density
3 | PVC | poly(vinyl chloride)
4 | LDPE | polyethylene, low density
5 | PP | polypropylene
6 | PS | polystyrene
7 | AB | Acrylonitrile-butadiene plastic
8 | ABAK | Acrylonitrile-butadiene-acrylate plastic
9 | ABS | Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastic
10 | ACS | Acrylonitrile-chlorinated polyethylene-styrene
11 | AEPDS | Acrylonitrile-(ethylene-propylene-diene)-styrene plastic
12 | AMMA | Acrylonitrile-methyl-methacrylate plastic
13 | ASA | Acrylonitrile styrene acrylate plastic
14 | CA | cellulose acetate
15 | CAB | cellulose acetate butyrate
16 | CAP | cellulose acetate propionate
17 | CEF | cellulose formaldehyde
18 | CF | cellulose-formaldehyde resin
19 | CMC | carboxymethyl cellulose
20 | CN | cellulose nitrate
21 | COC | cycloolefin copolymer
22 | CP | cellulose propionate
23 | CTA | cellulose triacetate
24 | E/P | Ethylene-propylene plastic
25 | EAA | Ethylene-acrylic acid plastic
26 | EBAK | Ethylene-butyl acrylate plastic
27 | EC | ethyl cellulose
28 | EEAK | Ethylene-ethyl acrylate plastic
29 | EMA | Ethylene-methacrylic acid plastic
30 | EP | epoxide; epoxy resin or plastic
31 | ETFE | Ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene plastic
32 | EVA | Ethylene-vinyl acetate plastic
33 | EVOH | Ethylene-vinyl alcohol plastic
34 | FEP | perfluoro (ethylene-propylene) plastic
35 | FF | Furan-formaldehyde resin
36 | LCP | Liquid-crystal polymer
37 | MABS | methyl methacrylate-acrylnitrile-butadiene-styrene plastic
38 | MBS | methyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene plastic
39 | MC | methyl cellulose
40 | MF | Melamine-formaldahyde resin
41 | MP | Melamine-phenol resin
42 | MSAN | α-methylstyrene-acrylonitrile plastic
43 | PA | polyamide
44 | PAA | poly(acrylic acid)
45 | PAEK | polyaryletherketone
46 | PAI | polyamidimide
47 | PAK | polyacrylate
48 | PAN | polyacrylonitrile
49 | PAR | polyarylate
50 | PARA | poly(aryl amide)
51 | PB | polybutene
52 | PBAK | poly(butyl acrylate)
53 | PBAT | poly(butylene adipate/terephthalate)
54 | PBD | 1,2-polybutadiene
55 | PBN | poly(butylene napthalate)
56 | PBS | polybuthylenesuccinate
57 | PBT | poly(butylene terephthalate)
58 | PC | polycarbonate
59 | PCCE | poly(cyclohexylene dimethylene cyclohexanedicarboxylate)
60 | PCL | polycaprolactone
61 | PCT | poly(cyclonhexylene dimethylene terephthalate)
62 | PCTFE | polychlorotrifluoroethylene
63 | PDAP | poly(diallyl phthalate)
64 | PDCPD | polydiclopentadiene
65 | PEC | polyester carbonate or poly(butylene succinate/carbonate)
66 | PEC | polyestercarbonate
67 | PE-C | polyethylene, chlorinated
68 | PEEK | polyetheretherketone
69 | PEEST | polyetherester
70 | PEI | polyetherimide
71 | PEK | polyetherketone
72 | LLDPE | polyethylene, linear low density
73 | MDPE | polyethylene, medium density
74 | PEN | poly(ethylene naphthalate)
75 | PEOX | poly(ethylene oxide)
76 | PES | poly(ethylene succinate)
77 | PESTUR | polyesterurethane
78 | PESU | polyethersulfone
79 | UHMWPE | polyethylene, ultra high molecular weight
80 | PEUR | polyetherurethane
81 | VLDPE | polyethylene, very low density
82 | PF | Phenol-formaldehyde resin
83 | PFA | Perfluoro alkoxyl alkane resin
84 | PGA | poly(glycolic acid)
85 | PHA | polyhydroxyalanoic or polyhydroxyalkanoates
86 | PHB | polyhydroxybutyric acid or polyhydroxybutyrate
87 | PHBV | poly-(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate)
88 | PI | polyimide
89 | PIB | polyisobutylene
90 | PIR | polyisocyanurate
91 | PK | polyketone
92 | PLA | polylactic acid or poly lactide
93 | PMI | polymethacrylimide
94 | PMMA | poly(methyl methacrylate)
95 | PMMI | Poly-N-methylmethacrylimide
96 | PMP | poly-4-methylpenten-1
97 | PMS | Poly-α-methylstyrene
98 | POM | polyoxymethylene; polyacetal; polyformaldehyde
99 | PPC | carbon dioxide and propylene copolymer
100 | PPDO | Poly(p-dioxanone)
101 | PPE | poly(phenylene ether)
102 | PP-E | polypropylene, expandable
103 | PP-HI | polypropylene, high impact
104 | PPOX | poly(propylene oxide)
105 | PPS | poly(phenylene sulfide)
106 | PPSU | poly(phenylene sulfone)
107 | EPS | polystyrene, expandable
108 | HIPS | polystyrene, high impact
109 | PSU | polysulfone
110 | PTFE | poly tetrafluoroethylene
111 | PTMAT | poly(tetramethylene adipate/terephthalate)
112 | PTT | poly(trimethylene terephthalene)
113 | PUR | polyurethane
114 | PVA | poly(vinyl acetate)
115 | PVOH | poly(vinyl alcohol)
116 | PVB | poly(vinyl butyral)
117 | PVC-C | poly(vinyl chloride), chlorinated
118 | PVC-U | poly(vinyl chloride), unplasticized
119 | PVDC | poly(vinylidene chloride)
120 | PVDF | poly(vinylidene fluoride)
121 | PVF | poly(vinyl fluoride)
122 | PVFM | poly(vinyl formal)
123 | PVK | Poly-N-vinylcarbazole
124 | PVP | Poly-N-vinylpyrrolidine
125 | SAN | Styrene-acrylonitrile plastic
126 | SB | Styrene-butadiene plastic
127 | SI | silicone plastic
128 | SMAH | Styrene-maleic anyhydride plastic
129 | SMS | Styrene-α-methylstyrene plastic
130 | UF | Urea-formaldehyde resin
131 | UP | unsaturated polyester resin
132 | VCE | vinyl chloride-ethylene plastic
133 | VCEMAK | vinyl chloride-ethylene-methyle-acrylate plastic
134 | VCEVAC | vinyl chloride-ethylene-vinyl acrylate plastic
135 | VCMAK | vinyl chloride-methyl acrylate plastic
136 | VCMMA | vinyl chloride-methyl methacrylate plastic
137 | VCOAK | vinyl chloride-octyl acrylate plastic
138 | VCVAC | vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate plastic
139 | VCVDC | vinyl chloride-vinylidene chloride plastic
140 | VE | vinyl ester resin

## 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.

OPRL is a not-for-profit organisation that provides simple, consistent 'recycle' & 'refill' labels for retailer & brand packaging in the UK market. The labels clearly state whether the packaging is recyclable or not, helping consumers recycle better, more often.[11]

## See also

* Resin identification code
* Japanese recycling symbols
* Waste hierarchy
* Waste management
* Food safe symbol
* Bag It (documentary)

## References

1. ↑ "Recycling Codes: What Do Those Numbers Mean?" Bamski Bamski Blog, n.d. Accessed April 18, 2025.
2. ↑ Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China (SAC) GB16288, 2008. Marking of plastics products. Chinese Standard Publishing House, Beijing; 2008.
3. ↑ 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
4. ↑ Jessica Holbrook. Say so long to recycling code arrows. plasticnews.com. June 2013.
5. ↑ "The Complete Guide to Recycling Symbols". https://www.recyclingtoday.org/blogs/news/the-complete-guide-to-recycling-symbols-what-they-really-mean.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 97/129/EC: Commission Decision of 28 January 1997 establishing the identification system for packaging materials pursuant to European Parliament and Council Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste
7. ↑ "Recycling codes and resin identification symbols". https://www.gwp.co.uk/guides/recycling-codes/.
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. ↑ "Plastic by the Numbers". https://plasticactioncentre.ca/directory/plastic-by-the-numbers/#:~:text=The recycling symbol found on,the most commonly recycled plastics..
10. ↑ "Labels - How2Recycle". https://how2recycle.info/labels.
11. ↑ "Label Objectives". https://www.oprl.org.uk/about-oprl/label-objectives/.

## External links

* Packaging Material Codes Includes lists of material codes in Germany.

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