Learn the six polymer resins, what products they make, and what products they can be recycled into.
There are six types of polymers, identified by Resin Identification Codes (RIC). The chemical composition of each group dictates how it can be recycled, into what product, and how many times it can be recycled.
Resin Type #1: PET
Products made from virgin plastic:
Products made from recycled plastic:
Resin Type #2: HDPE
Products made from virgin plastic:
Products made from recycled plastic:
Resin Type #3: PVC
Products made from virgin plastic:
Products made from recycled plastic:
Resin Type #4: LDPE
Products made from virgin plastic:
Products made from recycled plastic:
Resin Type #5: PP
Products made from virgin plastic:
Products made from recycled plastic:
Resin Type #6: PS
Products made from virgin plastic:
Products made from recycled plastic:
Resin Type #7: Other
Products made from virgin plastic:
PET, RIC #1, accounts for 14% of total plastic waste and has the highest recycling rate. It's most commonly used in transparent drinking bottles, making it easily identifiable.
We don't just talk the talk, at Smart Plastic we prove everything we say with credible third-party testing. Below you will find the corresponding tests that apply to all our claims.