TYPE OF PLASTIC and ease
of recycling
polyethylene,
terephthalate
Most often bottles for drinks
are made from it. The most commonly recycled plastic,
so it is accepted and collected almost everywhere.
Dense polyethylene.
Considered safe for reuse.
Like PET/PETE, it is accepted
for recycling without problems.
Polyvinyl chloride.
Considered hazardous for food use as it may contain the heavy metal cadmium. Almost impossible to pass for recycling.
Polypropylene. Lasting
and heat resistant plastic.
Its recycling is more difficult,
it is accepted for recycling less often than plastic labeled "1"
and "2".
Foamed plastic.
Accepted for recycling
not everywhere. Best avoided:
PS contains styrene, which makes packaging unreusable and highly toxic in case of burning.
These are mixtures of plastic,
all of its types not listed above.
Thin polyethylene.
Can be reused.
Accepted for recycling but thicker products may not be accepted everywhere. It is better to check in advance at the garbage collection point.