The numbers inside the "chasing arrows" recycling symbol on the bottom of plastic containers sadly aren’t a consumer guide to recyclability. They cryptically indicate the plastic resin content of the plastic. Your local recycler or pickup service can tell you which numbers it accepts for recycling — but it’s not quite that simple.

A-1: The initial application or contents play an important role in whether or not plastics can be considered recyclable. Example; EPA and DOT both restrict the storage and/or transportation of containers that may contain or leak hydrocarbons, hazardous waste or other unknown liquids. Therefore, those used to contain oils, pesticides, herbicides, other hazardous substances or drip unknown substance considered a threat to life or the environment must be properly disposed of.

All plastics can be recycled in City of Fresno blue carts and bins. This includes unnumbered plastics but not Styrofoam.

Commercial recycling service is available for recycling most types of rigid and film plastics, including molded parts, bags, lumber wrap, pallet wrap and pipe. You pay for container rental and hauling. If the material has a positive value, you receive a credit applied to your account. If the material has a negative value, you are charged accordingly for the materials. Even if there is a charge, in almost all cases, costs to recycle are still less than disposal costs.

Any plastic item with a recycling arrow (# 1-7) on the bottom is recyclable at MIT: additionally, plastic tableware, plastic food platters and clear covers, and clear plastic food containers can be placed in the bins, as long as they are relatively free of food debris. Please, no plastic bags or plastic wrap.

Toyota's Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries are considered "non-hazardous waste" [See "high voltage electrical systems"]. Toyota has had a battery recycling program since 1998 and even offers dealers a $200 bounty to ensure batteries aren't just thrown away (described at end of linked document). Lithium-Ion batteries share many characteristics with NiMH.

Plastics are man-made synthetic substances, yet they emulate materials found in nature featuring valuable engineering properties. Since the days of the first synthetic material, plastics have evolved from the cheap mass-produced products of yesteryear to a group of highly specialized materials capable of solving a multitude of unusual problems. Modern plastics are incorporated into the design of airplanes, radio telescopes, automobiles, and artificial lakes.

Click on the Recycling Guidelines link on the left hand side of this page, or contact us if further clarification is necessary.

Every area has different recycling rules so please check with your local recycling center for details. Here is some general information: Silk Live!? Soy Yogurt cups and caps are made from Polypropylene (PP), which is classified as a #5 plastic. Silk Shelf Stable quart cartons and 8.25 oz. prisma packs can be recycled in certain areas of the U.S. Silk Single Serves (11 oz. bottles) are in #1 containers and are recyclable after removing the plastic label.

Our trays are made from CPET, a crystallized form of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), and are marked with an SPI code of #1. PET is used for such packaging as plastic soda bottles. Unfortunately, the recycling market for color PET is still somewhat weak and a number of recycling programs do not accept the PET products. Check with your local recycling organizations in your area to see if you can recycle the trays.

Many experts, including doctors and scientists, recommend using glass for food and beverage storage, because it is non-toxic, inert, and 100% recyclable. It has three main drawbacks: (1) it is heavier than plastic or stainless steel; (2) it is breakable; and (3) because it is breakable, it may not be allowed everywhere (e.g., school, swimming pools, beaches).

The Plastics Web® from IDES is your portal into everything plastics! The site enables you to quickly locate plastics content available from both IDES and other plastics industry websites - all from one search. You can find plastics suppliers, grades of plastic, detailed information on material families, and an enormous amount of technical information so that you can find answers to your questions quickly. Read more about The Plastics Web®.

Theoretically all plastics are recyclable. However, there must be an end market for the type to be recycled, and they must be separated into the same resin type. A number inside a triangle of "chasing arrows" on the bottom of each container indicates the type of plastic. _______

Since April 2005 the council has introduced plastic bottle banks at some recycling centres. We can only recycle plastic bottles and cannot accept items such as food trays, carrier bags, tubs and yoghurt pots. For more information see our section on plastics recycling.

The Plastics Exchange is the spot market for trading commodity grade resins and a trusted source of market intelligence.

Polypropylene (PP) and polypropylene copolymer (PPCO) products can be autoclaved many times. We have PP containers in our lab that have been autoclaved over 100 times and, although they have yellowed somewhat, they are still in service. Fluoropolymer products, i.e., products made of Teflon PFA, FEP or ETFE, can all be autoclaved without problems, except for the stopcocks in NALGENE Separatory Funnels, which should not be autoclaved because of resultant leakage problems.

No. The great advantage offered by plastics is that they can be custom-engineered for a particular application. A slight change in a plastic's molecular structure can result in substantial changes of its properties.

POLYETHYLENEA chemically stable, transparent, food safe plastic used in photographic preservation materials. PVC (POLYVINYL CHLORIDE)PVC is a common plastic which because it is chemically unstable releases a chlorine gas. When this gas settles onto a surface it turns into hydrochloric acid. This acid will cause photographs to fade and discolour. PAGE PROTECTORThese are protective plastic sleeves which cover your scrapbook pages.

There is nothing more frustrating than a crack in a piece of Plexiglas or Lexan. Both of these materials are "notch sensitive". By the way, so is glass! That's why you can scribe and break glass (and Plexiglas) along the scribe. These materials have no grain and therefore cracks can travel as they please. However, cracks can be stopped with a simple procedure. Using a very small drill bit, 1/16" or so, drill a hole through the material at the end of the crack. That's it.

The packaging on our Dare Ultimate cookie bag is laminated paper and can be recycled with your plastics.

Your recyclables will be picked up the day of your trash day, every other week, according to the schedule set by sanitation. Click here for more information.

The following items can be recycled; paper, glass, aluminum beverage cans, tin or metal cans, corrugated cardboard broken down to 2' X 2' pieces, plastic bottles and containers (with lids removed) that have #1 or #2 stamped on them. Lids for these containers cannot be recycled. To see more about recycling, please visit www.rumpkerecycling.com.

XLR8 MouthGuard is not recyclable because of the blend of materials but all of the packaging components are recyclable.

When the battery is finished, you can dispose of INSTANT POWER batteries in the same way that you dispose of your alkaline batteries. They are safe and environmentally friendly, and therefore can even be disposed of with your household trash. Like primary alkaline batteries, INSTANT POWER batteries are recyclable. However, there are currently no commercial recycling facilities available anywhere in the world for either alkaline or zinc-air batteries.

Most Ocean Spray® products are packaged using recyclable PET (number 1) plastic juice containers. They can be recycled where facilities exist.

The material used for the Comic Relief Red Noses is polyurethane (PU) foam. This foam is recyclable, reusable, and UV (sunlight)-degradable. Please contact your local council about local recycling facilities. In sourcing these products we have not tested them on animals. It is not our intention to create any product that would need to be tested on animals.

Not in the traditional sense of the word. But composting can be considered as biological recycling so Earthcycle Packaging can be biologically recycled.