The one about the recycling symbol with numbers

I always thought the little number inside the recycling triangle meant how many times you can recycle that plastic. Turns out I was way off. I read on the EPA website that the number is actually a resin code that tells you what type of plastic it is, like #1 for soda bottles and #5 for yogurt cups. It doesn't mean it's recyclable in your local bin either. Has anyone else been reading those numbers wrong for years?

2 comments

2 Comments

kellyg148h ago

I read somewhere that #7 is basically a catch-all for all the other plastics that don't fit into 1 through 6... like mixed plastics or stuff with BPA in it. Kinda makes me wonder how many of those #7 containers actually end up getting recycled or if they just get tossed aside.

seandavis5h ago

Most places don't even accept #7 in their recycling bins, so 99% of it probably ends up in a landfill or an incinerator. It fits right in with everything else in our throwaway culture, where the system is designed to make us feel better about buying stuff without actually fixing the problem. You see this same pattern with those "compostable" plastic forks that only break down in industrial facilities nobody has access to. It's all just a way to pass the blame onto the customer while the companies keep pumping out garbage that'll outlive us all.