A quick guide to recycling symbols
Recycling our plastic packaging can be baffling, can’t it?
Something so important as reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill would, you’d think, be made as straightforward as possible - but sadly, it’s not the case.
Research shows confusion abounds when it comes to household recycling. A YouGov survey in 2018 revealed that only 38% of respondents felt confident they knew what could and couldn’t be recycled; 42% found on-pack recycling labels hard to understand. And it comes as no surprise; labelling can at best be described as vague on so many consumer products.
Evidence shows that most confusion exists around triangle number symbols (AKA Resin Identification Codes), as well as the ‘Green Dot’ symbol - what looks like a circular arrow -and the ‘Not widely recycled’ symbol.
So here’s a little clarity:
The triangle symbols with numbers 1, 2 and 5 are recyclable.
The others generally aren’t. Symbol number 4 can sometimes be, depending on where you live and what collection points are close by. There’s now the option to drop off or post many of those harder-to-recycle items to TerraCycle, an innovative recycling company that deals with some of the most problematic waste items.
The Green Dot looks similar to recycling symbols (see below) but confusingly doesn’t mean that the packaging is recyclable or recycled.
It just indicates that an undisclosed “offsetting” fee has been paid towards recycling of other materials.
The ‘Not yet recycled’ symbol can mislead because in some areas these items can be recycled. It’s applied to packaging which is collected by less than a fifth of local authorities, such as crisp packets.
Note, crisp packets can also be recycled via Terracycle’s Crisp Packet Recycling Scheme, with public drop-off points within four miles of 80% of households in the UK.
It’s promising to know that progress is being made. In England, the recycling rate has quadrupled in the last two decades (from 11% to 44%) and work is ramping up to improve recycling infrastructure, encourage greater consistency across council collections, and make labelling clearer.
In the meantime, we can just do our best to educate ourselves and share our knowledge with those around us.
COMMON SYMBOLs:
1 PETE: IS RECYCLABLE. Polyethylene Terephthalate is one of the most common packaging plastics and easiest to recycle.
Examples include drink bottles, tubs and common food packages.
2 HDPE: USUALLY RECYCLABLE. High-Density Polyethylene is another common plastic, often used for milk bottles, toys, kitchenware and cable insulation.
3 POLYVINYL CHLORIDE: NOT RECYCLABLE. Used for manufacturing window frames and doors, flooring, footwear and wire insulation.
4 LDPE: NOT USUALLY RECYCLABLE. Low Density Polyethylene commonly used for squeeze bottles and packaging films.
5 PP: CAN USUALLY BE RECYCLED. Polypropylene is often used for blow moulded or injection moulded products, plus bottle tops, food containers and packing tape.
6 PS: NOT RECYCLABLE. Polystyrene is used for protective packaging inserts, takeaway food trays and insulation products.
7 OTHER: GENERALLY NOT RECYCLABLE. Other kinds of plastic not defined by previous groups.
E.g.s include: BPA, Polycarbonate, LEXAN.
MOBIUS LOOP symbol: Indicates that the packaging (or sometimes product itself) is recyclable.
MOBIUS LOOP (with percentage): Indicates that the packaging is recyclable, and gives the percentage that has been made from recycled material.
THE GREEN DOT: Signifies the packaging producer has made contribution towards packaging recycling. Doesn’t necessarily mean the packaging itself is recyclable.
THE SEEDLING: Compostable. Proves that a product is certified industrially compostable according to European standards.
The Forest Stewardship Council®️ (FSC) certification - meaning packaging / products contain wood from well managed forests.
FSC 100%: All materials used in products bearing this label are sourced from certified forests that are managed according to FSC’s standards.
FSC Recycled: Products contain 100% recycled content.
FSC Mix: Products are made using a mixture of materials from FSC-certified forests, recycled materials or FSC controlled wood.
WIDELY RECYCLED: Packaging that is collected by 75% (or more) of local authorities across the UK.
You might see this symbol with additional instructions - e.g: RINSE | LID ON | FLATTEN
NOT YET RECYCLED: Indicates that less than 20% of local authorities will collect the packaging for recycling.
An example of this is crisp packets, which can (in many cases) now be collected via TerraCycle, so check for the opportunity to recycle via other services.
ALUMINIUM: Used to indicate aluminium packaging that is fully recyclable (including foil, fizzy drink cans etc.)
TIDY-MAN: This doesn’t relate to recycling, but acts as a reminder not to litter.
WASTE ELECTRICALS: Tells us we shouldn’t place the electrical item in general waste (but instead take to a local recycling centre).
What else is being done to improve recycling?
With the goal of 70% of all plastic packaging to be effectively recycled or composted by 2025, efforts are underway to drive up recycling rates.
The Plastics Industry Recycling Action Plan (PIRAP) has been set in motion, which involves improving collection methods, optimising sorting infrastructure and developing end markets for recycled plastics.
WRAP UK has also launched the Clear on Plastics social media-led campaign in 2020 to help drive awareness around plastic packaging and help clear up confusion.
“The means of delivering increased rates of recycling is ensuring that people have a better understanding of what is recyclable and how to do it. ”
Retailers and manufacturers are working on introducing a clearer system that could involve giving all products a number that will correspond to the same number on a bin in the home. On-Pack Recycling Label Ltd also introduced new simplified labelling in 2020 and a new Certification scheme.
More here on people’s general confusion over the symbols according to research carried out by SaveOnEnergy.com.
