Recycling

How Does Plastic Recycling Work?

Recovering plastic from waste and turning it into new products is a process our industry has been refining for decades.​ In most cases, the collected material is melted down and reformed into pellets before getting added​ to virgin polymers at an OEM-defined level of acceptance or "let down ratio" — typically 5%.​

In 1988, the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), now known as the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS), created the Resin Identification Code (RIC) system. Their goal was to provide a consistent national program that would help sorting line workers group post-consumer packaging types into seven basic recyclable classes, each with unique processing needs.

Those classes are:

#1 - Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET/PETE)

Examples include clear water and drink​ bottles, food jars, and clamshell food containers. Curbside recycling is available for these plastics.​

#2 - High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

Examples include AG pipe, natural gas pipe, detergent, antifreeze, milk jugs, juice bottles, pails, and containers. Curbside recycling is widely available for these plastics.​

#3 - Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

​Examples include siding, flooring, hose, medical tubing, plumbing,​ window frames, and wire insulation. Curbside recycling is NOT available for these plastics.

#4 - Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)

Examples include clear water and drink​ bottles, food jars, plastic bags, squeeze bottles, and cosmetics. Curbside recycling programs may be limited for these plastics.

#5 - Polypropylene (PP)

Examples include auto, commercial, and industrial parts, caps, containers, tapes,​ yogurt cups, straws, and hinged containers. Curbside recycling acceptance is growing for these plastics.

#6 - Polystyrene (PS)

Examples include trays, disposable drink cups and plates, takeout containers, toys, and cutlery. Curbside recycling is rarely available for these plastics.

#7 - Other: Nylon, Acrylic, Polycarbonate, etc.

Examples include auto parts, riot face shields, impact windows, helmets, bioplastics, and safety glasses. While curbside recycling is NOT available for these products, many can be processed through traditional mechanical recycling or by using advanced molecular recycling technologies.

Design® for Recycling: New Guidelines that Supplement RIC Codes

While RIC codes help with sorting, they don't guarantee a product is recyclable in practice. A PET (#1) bottle might carry the right code but get rejected if it’s designed poorly — if it has shrink sleeves or adhesives that prevent proper melt filtration, for example.

That's why the Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) created the Design® for Recycling Guidelines. These are voluntary, widely-adopted recommendations for packaging designers, brands, and manufacturers that evaluate the entire packaging system, including caps, labels, adhesives, inks, and additives. They assess how well the package performs in real-world recycling conditions.

According to APR, a recyclable package should be made of a compatible base resin, avoid barrier materials that complicate sorting, use labels that float and detach in caustic wash systems, and avoid pigments that would contaminate regrind.

Following the guidelines, a clear PET bottle with a floatable PP cap and a washable label would be considered “Preferred Design.” Meanwhile, the same PET bottle with a PVC shrink sleeve or metallic ink would be classified as “Detrimental” or even “Non-Recyclable."

RIC codes tell you what the material is, but APR tells you whether it’s truly recyclable using today’s infrastructure.