When it comes to reducing your environmental footprint, recycling is a great place to start. Recycling is the act of converting waste materials into something else. Through recycling, materials can be remolded to make a new product, over and over again. This prevents waste from simply gathering in a landfill.
It’s important to think about the types of materials that you are consuming and the impact that they have on the world around you. While it’s best to minimize your consumption overall, it’s near impossible to live without any waste product, which is where recyclability is a good consideration.
Why are Recycling Signs and Symbols Important?
While many products are recyclable, unfortunately, not everything has a second life ahead of it. Knowing whether a product is recyclable is important for several reasons. Firstly, it may influence your decision to buy it. If you have the choice to buy something recyclable, that’s a far more sustainable option than buying something that isn’t.
Secondly, it’s important to know how to correctly recycle your products once you are finished with them. This ensures that they do go on to be used again and don’t just go to waste.
The recycling symbol we all recognize today dates back to 1970 when the first Earth Day was held. The symbol was introduced at this time, and it continues to be used today, along with variations that provide us with different information.
Different Types of Recycling Signs and Symbols
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There are several different recycling symbols that are commonly used in the U.S. and around the world. While there’s no law standardizing these, there are overseeing bodies that have helped create and promote the symbols.
The American Paper Society (APS) is largely responsible for paper recycling symbols, and the Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) has also created symbols to represent the recyclability of glass products.
The plastic recycling symbols, which are most commonly recognized as the “chasing arrows,” were put in place by the American Society of the Plastics Industry (ASPI) back in 1988 and have been used ever since.
Recycled or Recyclable?
When you’re looking at a symbol on packing, it’s important to be clear whether it’s showing that a product can be recycled or whether it is made from recycled materials. In an ideal world, they’d be the same thing, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. Plastic and paper degrade over time, and most of these materials have a short life span. Paper can only be recycled 5 – 7 times before it is no longer fit for repurposing, according to the Environmental Agency, and plastic is even lower at only 2 – 3 times.
Plastic Recycling Symbols
Products including this symbol are made predominantly from Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). It’s most commonly used to make food and drink containers; particularly thin, clear ones designed for single use. PET plastics are some of the most recycled plastics in the U.S., and they’re usually recycled into food and drink containers again.
This symbol is used on products made from High-Density Polyethylene, or HDPE. These are the thicker, colored plastics that you’ll find milk, cleaning products, and some food items packaged in. HDPE plastics are also very commonly recycled, and most recycling programs in the U.S. will take these items. These plastics are often recycled into piping or recycling bins.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is a flexible plastic that is used in many industrial areas. You’re likely to find them around your house in bathroom equipment or piping and also in medical equipment and devices, as well as plastic gloves. PVC is easy to recycle, although not all centers have the right facilities. If it is recycled, PVC is melted down into pellets and then reshaped and repurposed.
You’ll find this number on Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE). This plastic is commonly used in grocery bags, plastic wrap, as well as thin, flimsy plastic containers such as toothpaste tubes. These plastics are also not often recycled, although soft-plastic recycling bins are popping up in some states, so keep an eye out for one near you. When they are recycled, LDPE is turned into items such as trash bags, shipping envelopes, or even furniture.
Polypropylene (PP) is a strong but flexible plastic, and it’s found in items such as ice cream containers, kitchen equipment, bottle caps, and some medication bottles. Polypropylene can often be recycled, provided that it’s clean. In those cases, it’s used to make clothing materials, food containers, or gardening equipment.
When you see the number “6” on your products, it’s a bad sign. These are made from Polystyrene (PS), which is typically not accepted in curbside recycling programs. Polystyrene is commonly found in food containers, particularly takeaway meals, and it’s definitely something to avoid.
This symbol is used to simply show that something is made from “other” plastics. The main material in products showing this symbol isn’t one of the commonly used 6 listed above. This makes it very hard to recycle these products, although it’s not impossible. If you talk to a recycling center near you, they might have some options to keep these items out of the landfill. Bioplastics, DVDs, and some sports equipment are a few of the things that usually fall into this category.
Paper Recycling Symbols
This symbol denotes that something is made primarily from corrugated cardboard. This type of cardboard is found mainly in packaging materials, and it can be repurposed into packaging.
A product showing this symbol and number is also cardboard, made from mixed paper. Again, this is likely to appear on items used for packaging, and when it’s recycled, it can become packaging again.
These items are made from plain paper. Plain paper is used in a variety of products, and you’ll commonly find it in newspapers, magazines, books, and other everyday paper items. Paper like this can be recycled and used again in the same types of products.
Glass Recycling Symbols
You’ll find this number on clear glass. Whether it’s a beer bottle, a jar, or a kitchen item, clear glass can almost always be recycled. It’s simply turned into more glass products of the same kind.
There’s no limit to how many times glass can be recycled, so from an environmental perspective, this is a good material to consider using. Glass can also be recycled into glass wool, which is used as insulation in homes.
This number is used to indicate that something is made from green glass. Just like clear glass, this product is commonly used on bottles, jars, or kitchen items, and it can easily be recycled.
Brown glass will have this symbol on it. It’s no different to clear or green glass from a recycling perspective, and while the glass colors may need to be separated, this is also an easily recyclable material.
Metal Recycling Symbols
This symbol indicates that something is made from steel. Steel is an excellent material when it comes to recycling, as it can be used an infinite number of times, never losing its strength. You’re likely to find steel in things like paper clips, scissors, and some sporting equipment.
Items with this symbol are mainly made from aluminum. Aluminum is a commonly used metal, and you’ll find it in cars, planes, houses, and so much more. In your household, your beverage cans are usually made from aluminum, and so are many pots and pans.
These are easily recycled and can be turned into more cans, auto equipment, or other aluminum-based products. Just like glass, aluminum can be recycled again and again, which makes it a far more eco-friendlier material than most plastics.
Compostable Symbols
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There’s no standardized symbol to show that something is compostable, and this area can be a little bit tricky.
While most food items are obviously compostable, whether in your home compost or somewhere commercial, it’s difficult to know whether bioplastics can be compostable. This is complicated by businesses advertising their products are compostable and “eco” when it’s really difficult and impractical to compost them.
If something is labeled as compostable, it may still need an industrial composting facility to provide the right conditions. This means that if you put it in your home composter, it may not break down or could contaminate your batch.
Final Thoughts on Recycling Signs and Symbols
Recycling symbols are a great tool to help understand what can and can’t be recycled in your area. It’s important to know and understand these symbols so that you can help prevent unnecessary waste from making its way to a landfill. If you aren’t sure whether something is recyclable in your area, you can call up your local recycling center to let them know which symbol you’re talking about and find out more.
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