Can plastic bottles be recycled?

And the answer is yes,

But not all plastic bottles can be recycled. As different plastic materials have different properties, it determines whether the plastic bottles can be recycled. So, as an ordinary person, how to distinguish these materials and recycle the plastic bottles correctly? We can compare from two senses:

First, eye view contrast: we often notice that the bottle is with transparent or translucent color. Transparent bottle materials are PET, PVC, PS, PC; the opaque bottle material has HDPE, LDPE, and PP

Second, hand feeling comparison, or hardness and softness comparison: among the common plastic raw materials, the softest raw material is LDPE, followed by PET, PC, PVC, and then HDPE, PP, the hardest but fragile hand is PS, so PS is not used to make plastic bottles, but other plastic products.

If you have noticed, at the bottom of plastic bottles, most of them have a recycling symbol, which means that the bottle is recyclable, and inside each recycling symbol is either marked with the raw material or a number to replace the raw material. What do these Numbers represent, and how do you use them to determine what plastics are made of and how to use them? Here is a brief explanation:

PET – recyled number 1

stands for PET, which is a transparent raw material. It is commonly used in mineral water bottles and beverage bottles in daily life and can be recycled. However, the heat resistance of this material is only 70℃, and it is easy to deform at high temperature and produce harmful substances to human body.

HDPE- recyled number 2

represents HDPE, which is an opaque raw material. Its natural color is translucent and can be recycled. Most of the bottles of cleaning and bathing products we see in supermarkets are made from this plastic material. However, empty bottles must be thoroughly cleaned.

PVC – recyled number 3

represents PVC, which is a transparent raw material. However, since the raw material itself is toxic, the plastic bottles made from this material cannot be recycled. Therefore, it is mostly used on packaging, and has little direct contact with human body. Therefore, it can be recycled in this purpose.

PE – recyled number 4

represents LDPE, the same as HDPE, its natural color is a translucent raw material, than HDPE soft. After being made into plastic bottles, the biggest characteristic is that it is easy to squeeze. Most of the common ketchup bottles are made with LDPE. The plastic bottles can be recycled.

PP – recyled number 5

represents PP, its natural color is also translucent, characteristics and HDPE, can be recycled, but it can withstand  high temperature with 130℃, is the most environmentally friendly plastic bottle of a raw material.

PS – recyled number 6

represents PS. It is a transparent material that can be recycled, but it cannot be made into plastic bottles due to its properties.

PC – recyled number 7

represents PC, A transparent raw material, which can be recycled. Before, it was mostly used in milk bottles and water cups. However, in recent years, it has been proposed that the higher the temperature, the more bisphenol A will be released in PC, and the faster the speed will be.

In addition, it is worth noting that in the process of recycling, it is necessary to pay attention to the cleanliness of the bottles, avoid high temperature, and replace them regularly. Aging plastic bottles should not be used. For discarded plastic bottles, they can be recycled uniformly.

Related Article:

How To Choose The Right Plastic Material?

Sanle plastics is a custom plastic bottle manufacturer, we always produce the plastic bottles and containers with various recycled material. You could choose the best suitable material for plastic bottle packaging. To learn more about the details about the plastic material, please contact with us.