The Plastic Identification Code

Bottoms up! Recycling plastic is easy at work and at home

• Ring your local Council or Plastics New Zealand
to find out what plastic is recycled in your area
• Most City Councils recycle PET & HDPE plastic
• We make recycling easy by coding your plastic
• Check the bottom of bottles and containers for
the plastic identification code!
• Rinse
• Squash
• Remove the cap
• Put it in your recycling bin or drop off at your
local resource exchange centre.
Did you know: Recyclers need more milk and soft
drink bottles. Are you recycling these at home, at
school, and at work?

An investment in your future NZ Plastic Recycling 1997 - 2000

30000
Plastics New Zealand Incorporated works to maximise
the growth and success of Plastics-based technology 25000

in New Zealand in an economically, socially and

Tonnes

20000
environmentally responsible manner. 15000

Our members voluntarily label their plastic products 10000

so they are easily identified for reuse and recycling. 5000

Plastics New Zealand introduced its plastic 1997 1998 1999 2000
Year
identification coding system in the early 1990s. A
growing number of New Zealand towns and cities
are implementing recycling schemes in an effort to
reduce waste to landfills. Because these target
packaging the coding system focuses on the six most
common plastics. Currently, over 60% of recovered
plastic comes from commercial sources.

All plastics can technically be recycled but what is

being recycled varies from area to area. This is usually
because of economic or volume constraints.
Check with your local Council.
NEW ZEALAND PLASTIC RECYCLING 2000
Plastic Tonnes
1 PET 4772t
I NLE A
W
S TICS
Z E A L A N D
2 HDPE
3 PVC
5736t
2180t
4 LDPE 5229t
P O Box 76 378 Manukau City 5 PP 574t
Phone: 64 9 262 3773 6 PS 978t
Fax: 64 9 262 3850 7 Industrial Film 340t
Email: info@plastics.org.nz 8 Other 5893t
TOTAL 26,702t
www.plastics.org.nz
 The Plastic Identification Code
Symbol Type of Plastic Properties Common Uses Recycled In

PET Clear, tough, solvent resistant, Soft drink and water bottles, Pillow and sleeping
1 Polyethylene Terephthalate barrier to gas and moisture, salad domes, biscuit trays, salad bag filling, cloth-
softens at 80°C dressing and peanut butter ing, soft drink
PET containers bottles, carpet

PE-HD Hard to semi-flexible, resistant Crinkly shopping bags, freezer Recycling bins,
High Density Polyethylene to chemicals and moisture, bags, milk bottles, ice cream compost bins,
2 waxy surface, opaque, softens containers, juice bottles, buckets, detergent
at 75°C, easily coloured, shampoo, chemical and containers, posts,
PE-HD processed and formed detergent bottles, buckets, rigid fencing, pipes
agricultural pipe, milk crates

PVC Strong, tough, can be clear, can Cosmetic containers, electrical Flooring, film and
Unplasticised Polyvinyl be solvent welded, softens at conduit, plumbing pipes and sheets, cables, speed
Chloride PVC-U 80°C fittings, blister packs, wall bumps, packaging,
3 cladding, roof sheeting, bottles binders, mud flaps
Plasticised Polyvinyl and mats
PVC Chloride Flexible, clear, elastic, can be Garden hose, shoe soles, cable
PVC-P solvent welded sheathing, blood bags and
tubing, watch straps

PE-LD Soft, flexible, waxy surface, Glad wrap, garbage bags, Rubbish bin liners,
4 Low density Polyethylene translucent, softens at 70°C, squeeze bottles, black irrigation pallet sheets
scratches easily tube, black mulch film, garbage
PE-LD bins

PP Hard but still flexible, waxy Dip pottles and ice cream tubs, Pegs, bins, pipes,
Polypropylene surface, softens at 140°C, potato chip bags, straws, pallet sheets, oil
5 translucent, withstands microwave dishes, kettles, funnels, car battery
solvents, versatile garden furniture, lunch boxes, cases, trays
PP blue packing tape

PS Clear, glassy, rigid, brittle, CD cases, plastic cutlery, Coat hangers,

6 Polystyrene opaque, semi-tough, softens imitation 'crystal glassware', coasters, white ware
at 95°C. Affected by fats and low cost brittle toys, video components,
PS solvents cases stationery trays and
accessories
PS-E Foamed, light weight, energy Foamed polystyrene hot drink
Expanded Polystyrene absorbing, heat insulating cups, hamburger take-away
6 clamshells, foamed meat trays,
pro-tective packaging for frag-
PS-E ile items

OTHER Includes all other resins and Car parts, appliance parts, Car parts, concrete
7 Letters below indicate ISO multi materials (e.g. laminates) computers, electronics, water aggregate, plastic
code for plastic type Properties dependent on plastic cooler bottles, packaging timber
OTHER e.g. SAN, ABS, PC, Nylon or combination of plastics