Plastic Recycling
Recyclable Plastics
Type 1, Type 2 and Type 5.
Plastics should be free of food waste and rinsed clean. Soft drink and milk bottles are chipped, washed, melted and made into new products like car bumpers and polar fleece.
NOTE: Plastic bags, polystyrene trays or cups, or plastic film will not be accepted. This is because items are made of many different types of plastic, which are not easily recycled and cannot currently be recycled by our re-processor.
| Type of Plastic | Properties | Common Uses | Recyled In |
|---|---|---|---|
| PET Polyethylene Terephthalate |
Clear, tough solvent resistant, barrier to gas and moisture, softens at 80°C | Soft drink and water bottles, salad domes, biscuit trays, salad dressing and peanut butter containers | Pillow and sleeping bag filling, clothing, soft drink bottles carpet |
| PE-HD High Density Polyethylene |
Hard to semi-flexible, resistant to chemicals and moisture, waxy surface, opaque, softens at 75°C, easily coloured, processed and formed | Crinkly shopping bags, freezer bags, milk bottles, ice cream containers, juice bottles, shampoo, chemical and detergent bottles, buckets, rigid agricultural pipe, milk crates | Recycling bins, compost bins, buckets, detergent containers, posts, fencing, pipes |
| PVC Unplasticised Polyvinyl Chloride PVC-U Plasticised Polyvinyl Chloride PCV-P |
Strong, tough, can be clear, can be solvent welded, softens at 80°C Flexible, clear, elastic, can be solvent welded |
Cosmetic containers, electrical conduit, plumbing pipes and fittings, blister packs, wall cladding, roof sheeting, bottles garden hose, shoe soles, cable sheathing, blood bags and tubing, watch straps |
Flooring, film and sheets, cables, speed bumps, packaging, binders, mud flaps and mats |
| PE-LD Low density Polyethylene |
Soft, flexible, waxy surface, translucent, softens at 70°C, scratches easily | Plastic Food wrap, garbage bags, squeeze bottles, black irrigation tube, garbage bins | Rubbish bin liners, pallet sheets |
| PP Polypropylene |
Hard but still flexible, waxy surface, softens at 140°C, translucent, withstands solvents, versatile | Dip bottles and ice cream tubs, potato chip bags, straws, microwave dishes, kettles, garden furniture, lunch boxes, blue packing tape | Pegs, bins, pipes, pallet sheets, oil funnels, car battery cases, trays |
You will find information about the Plastics Identification Codes here: plastics.org.nz