Some plastics are easy to recycle, some are not. However, remembering which is which is hard work. I certainly don’t manage it. Therefore here’s a list of what those codes all mean.

• Type 1 PET(E) – Polyethylene terephthalate
• Type 2 PEHD or HDPE – High-density polyethylene
• Type 3 PVC – Polyvinyl chloride
• Type 4 PELD or LDPE – Low-density polyethylene
• Type 5 PP – Polypropylene
• Type 6 PS - Polystyrene
• Type 7 O(ther) – All other plastics

There are some great resources relating to these codes, namely the plastic recycling list which explains what each of the codes mean, where the plastics are typically found, the properties of the plastic, and how it can be recycled.

If you’d like a printable Plastic Identification Card that tells you what can be recycled, there’s a printable PDF version too.