Recycling symbols can be further divided into two separate
categories.
-
'Recyclable' symbols marking products made from specific materials that
are suitable for recycling depending on whether there is a collection
mechanism in place within the local community for those particular
materials.
- 'Recycled'
symbols designating products containing recycled materials.
The use of the terms
'recycled' and 'recyclable', among others, and the display of the
symbols is governed by the Federal Trade Commission's Guides for the
Use of Environmental Marketing Claims. These
guidelines govern all environmental claims attached to and/or
associated with products, including those described in labelling,
advertising, and all forms of marketing.
The international standard for
defining environmental claims on products or packaging can be found in
ISO 14021: Environmental Labels and Declarations-Self-declared
Environmental Claims.
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The
symbols to the left represent two variations of the original recycling
symbol. The upper symbol in outline form is accepted as the
traditional, or universal recycling symbol while the lower one was a
modification. Paper products typically display the outline form, often
with lettering such as- 'This product can be recycled' or 'Recyclable'.
When identified with one of the symbols, products, containers or
packaging materials are referred to as recyclable
products, or products that are able to be recycled. A product marked
with either symbol can be recycled if the
regulations and/or ordnances of the local community provide for its
collection. Although the symbols are used on products
distributed nationwide, the laws governing collection of these products
for the purpose of recycling are determined locally and vary widely
from locality to locality. |
 |
A
product, which may be a container or package, marked with this symbol
was manufactured with at least some materials that have been recycled.
Generally, additional information is conveyed with the symbol such as-
'Printed on recycled paper'. |
 |
When
a percentage is indicated within the symbol, that percentage of the
product has been made from recycled materials. |
These last two symbols are 'recycled' symbols and are
portrayed in a graphical style consistent with the original recycling
symbol promulgated by the American Forest and Paper Association and its forerunners, including the American Paper
Institute and the Container Corporation of America. These symbols are
typically used on paper and paperboard products. On these products you
will usually see the 'recycled' symbol with an explanation denoting the
percentage of recycled content. However, even paper and paperboard
products already made from recycled materials can be considered
recyclable.
 |
A
third 'recycled' symbol is also in use. This symbol differs from the
first two by having solid black arrows within an outer black circle.
The outer black circle denotes that at least some content came from
recycled material. This symbol is also seen with arrows of a particular
colour. |
CARTON MADE WITH
 MINIMUM 25% POST
CONSUMER CONTENT
|
In
recent years a new 'recycled' symbol specific to the use of recycled
paperboard has been developed. The graphical portion is a registered
trademark and is controlled by the 100% Recycled Paperboard Alliance, an association of paperboard manufacturers, and is
commonly seen on folding cartons or paperboard containers such as
cereal boxes. |
For illustration purposes only on this webpage, the
registered trademark is shown in green while the descriptive
explanation (not registered) is presented in black and varies from
product to product. The symbol and explanation, as might be displayed
on a carton, can be interpreted as follows. The paperboard material of
the carton has been made from 100% recycled content. Of that recycled
content, at least 25% came from post consumer content. In other words,
at least 25% of the paperboard used to make the carton came from
recycled products that passed through the hands of consumers. The
remaining recycled paperboard content most likely resulted from
material discarded from an earlier manufacturing process. Remember,
even though a product has been made from recycled materials, that same
product can still be recycled for use in another product whose material
requirements are less stringent.
 |
The
Glass Packaging Institute (GPI) has also developed a 'recyclable' symbol for
use on glass packaging that can be recycled. Although most glass
containers can be considered recyclable, the symbol nevertheless
encourages the systematic identifying, and reusing, of recyclable
materials. |
Lastly, the Corrugated Packaging Council (CPC) has developed a 'recyclable' symbol for use on
corrugated packaging that can be recycled. The symbol may be used
without specific permission on all corrugated products that are readily
recyclable. If a corrugated product is coated with a material that is
not repulpable (not convertible to pulp), then it is not readily
recyclable. A wax or asphalt coating, for example, prevents a
corrugated product from being readily recyclable. The symbol is merely
a general statement that the corrugated product on which it appears can
be recycled. It is not meant to imply that any content was already
recycled or a product of recycling. The CPC is a non-profit
organization that develops and coordinates industry-wide programs to
address corrugated packaging issues. It is sponsored by the Association of Independent Corrugated
Converters (AICC), and the Fibre Box Association (FBA).
Plastic bottles, containers and packaging typically
have a symbol that indicates the type of plastic resin from which the
item was made. The resin coding system was introduced in 1988 by the
Society of the Plastics
Industry (SPI). The symbols imprinted on
plastic bottles, containers and packaging are a variation of the
original three wide mobius arrows. They have been modified to a simpler
and thinner version. On a bottle, the symbol can usually be found on
the bottom, molded into the plastic itself as a raised impression and
thus not always easily seen. The symbol includes a number within the
mobius arrows, and usually, but not always, the chemical resin below
the mobius arrows in acronym form. Although presence of the symbol
implies that the plastic item is recyclable, the symbol is actually
only intended to identify the plastic resin from which the item was
made. Recyclability is ultimately determined by the local governing
ordnances concerning what materials are collected for recycling.
More information:
Association of Post consumer
Plastic Recyclers (APR)
MOLECULAR FORMULA:
Within the United States PETE is an acronym that is
used specifically by manufacturers to mark and identify plastic bottles
or containers made from polyethylene terephthlate for the purpose of
recycling. The acronym PET is more generally utilized within the
chemical industry to designate the plastic material polyethylene
terephthalate, which can also be written as poly (ethylene
terephthalate). PET is the acronym accepted by standards organizations
including American Society for Testing and Materials
International, (ASTM International- formerly
just ASTM), and the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Nevertheless, the acronyms PETE and PET refer to the same class of
plastic materials. In the discussion below, PETE is used in reference
to a recyclable container made from PET, while PET refers directly to
the plastic material polyethylene terephthlate. However, please note
that packaging manufactured outside of the U.S. may utilize the marking
PET.
 |
Properties: toughness, strength, heat
resistance, barrier to moisture and gas. Density: 1.35-1.38 g/cc
Statistic: In 1999 PET accounted for 48% of
plastic bottle resin sales, making it the most widely used resin in
plastic bottles
Description: PET, also referred to as
polyester, is a popular packaging material for food and non-food
products because it is inexpensive, lightweight, resealable,
shatter-resistant and recyclable. PET is clear and has good moisture
and gas barrier properties. Its colour may be green. The flakes and
pellets of cleaned post consumer recycled PET are in heavy demand for
use in spinning carpet yarns and for producing fiberfill and
geotextiles.
|
Packaging applications: Soft
drink bottles, water bottles, beer bottles, mouthwash bottles, peanut
butter containers, salad dressing containers, juice bottles, vegetable
oil bottles
Recycled products: Fiber,
tote bags, new PETE containers for both food and non-food products,
fabric for clothing, athletic shoes, luggage, upholstery, furniture,
carpet, fiberfill for sleeping bags and winter coats, industrial
strapping, sheet, and film, and automotive parts, such as luggage
racks, headliners, fuse boxes, bumpers, grilles and door panels
More information:
National Association for PET Container
Resources (NAPCOR)
 |
Although the acronym PETE was adopted by manufacturers to identify
packaging made from PET, primarily in response to a potential trademark
dispute, a recycling symbol that includes the designation PET rather
than PETE has been identified on packages of products imported from
outside of the US. |
(NOTE: C6H5 in the molecular formula comprises a benzene
ring. Benzene is generally considered a carcinogenic substance.)
MOLECULAR FORMULA:
The C=C double
bond in an ethylene monomer is transformed into a C-C single bond in
the polymer.
 |
Properties: toughness, strength, stiffness,
ease of forming, ease of processing, resistance to moisture and
chemicals, permeability to gas. Density: 0.94-0.96 g/cc
Statistic: In 1999 HDPE accounted for 47% of
plastic bottle resin sales, making it the second most widely used resin
in plastic bottles. HDPE and PETE together accounted for 95% of plastic
bottle resin usage.
|
Description: Bottles made
from HDPE come in both pigmented and unpigmented resins. The
unpigmented resin is translucent. It also has good stiffness and
barrier properties. Thus, it is ideal for packaging products having a
short shelf-life such as milk. HDPE's good chemical resistance allows
it to be used in containers holding household or industrial chemicals.
The pigmented resin has even better crack resistance and chemical
resistance than the unpigmented resin.
Packaging applications: Milk
containers, juice bottles, water bottles, bleach, detergent, and
shampoo bottles, trash bags, grocery and retail carrying bags, motor
oil bottles, butter and margarine tubs, household cleaner bottles,
yogurt containers, and cereal box liners
Recycled products:
Drainage pipe, liquid laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens,
benches, doghouses, recycling containers, floor tile, picnic tables,
fencing, lumber, and mailbox posts
 |
Plastic bag manufacturers have adopted a somewhat different symbol
identification for HDPE as shown at the left. |
MOLECULAR FORMULA:
The C=C double
bond in each monomer is transformed into a C-C single bond in the
polymer.
The V in the first (and original) symbol actually stands for
vinyl, however, the plastic resin is usually referred to as polyvinyl
chloride (PVC) and therefore the symbol has evolved to the resin
designation of PVC.
 |
Properties: toughness, strength, ease of
blending, ease of processing, resistance to grease, oil, and chemicals,
clarity. Density: 1.32-1.42 g/cc
Statistic: In 1999 PVC accounted for 2% of
plastic bottle resin sales.
Description: Vinyl, or polyvinylchloride,
has stable electrical and physical properties. It has excellent
chemical resistance and good weather ability. Its flow characteristics
make it well-suited for injection molding.
|
Packaging applications: Window
cleaner bottles, cooking oil bottles, detergent bottles, shampoo
bottles, clear food packaging, wire and cable jacketing, medical
tubing, with additional significant usage in household products and
building materials, particularly siding, piping, and windows
Recycled products:
Binders, decking, paneling, mudflaps, roadway gutters, flooring,
cables, speed bumps, and mats
More information:
The Vinyl Institute, Vinyl products
NOTE: The Cl (chlorine atom) in the molecular formula
renders PVC a potentially toxic material when it is burned. The burning
of PVC can result in the creation of dioxins, a material that is
considered highly carcinogenic.
MOLECULAR FORMULA:
 |
Properties: toughness, strength,
flexibility, ease of sealing, ease of processing, barrier to moisture.
Density: 0.91-0.93 g/cc
Statistic: In 1999 LDPE accounted for just
1% of plastic bottle resin sales.
|
Description: Because of its
toughness , flexibility, and transparency, LDPE is commonly used in
applications where heat sealing is necessary. It is also widely used in
wire and cable insulation and jacketing.
Packaging applications: Squeezable
bottles, bread bags, frozen food bags, tote bags, clothing, furniture,
dry cleaning bags, and carpet
Recycled products: Film
and sheet, floor tile, garbage can liners, shipping envelopes,
furniture, compost bins, panelling, trash cans, lumber, landscaping ties
 |
 |
Plastic bag manufacturers have adopted somewhat different symbol
identifications for LDPE bags as shown at the left. |
(NOTE: The molecular formulas for LDPE and HDPE are the same. The
difference in the plastics is the density of the molecular chains. The
density varies in the manner in which the polymeric chains form. In
HDPE the chain is essentially one long continuous chain, allowing the
strands to fold back upon one another and densely occupy space. In LDPE
the chains have multiple branches, which interfere with a neatly
organized packing of chains. Instead the packing is more disorganized,
occupying more space and thus resulting in a lower density.)
 |
Plastic bag manufacturers are also making their products using low low
density polyethylene, a symbol for which appears to the left. As you
might guess, low low density polyethylene has a molecular density even
less than low density polyethylene. |
MOLECULAR FORMULA:
The C=C double
bond in each monomer is transformed into a C-C single bond in the
polymer.
 |
Properties: toughness, strength, resistance
to heat, grease, oil, and chemicals, barrier to moisture. Density:
0.90-0.92 g/cc
Statistic: In 1999 PP accounted for 2% of
plastic bottle resin sales.
|
Description: Polypropylene
has the lowest density of the resins used in packaging. It is strong
and is resistant to chemicals. Since it has a high melting-point it can
be utilized in applications requiring that a container be filled with a
hot liquid.
Packaging applications: Yogurt
containers, syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, caps, straws, medicine
bottles
Recycled products: Signal
lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice
scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, and
trays
 |
An
alternative recycling symbol for polypropylene utilizing the original
design for the mobius arrows, but inverted, is shown to the left. |
MOLECULAR FORMULA:
The C=C double bond in each monomer is transformed into a C-C single
bond in the polymer.
 |
Properties: ease of forming, clarity, low
heat transfer, good thermal insulation. Density: 1.03-1.06 g/cc
Statistic: In 1999 PS usage as a plastic
bottle resin was essentially nil.
|
Description: Polystyrene
can be made into rigid or foamed products. It has a relatively low
melting point.
Packaging applications: Plates,
cups, cutlery, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers, aspirin
bottles, compact disc jackets
Recycled products: Thermal
insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam
packing, carry-out containers
More information:
Polystyrene Packaging Council
(PSPC), Alliance of Foam
Packaging Recyclers (AFPR)
(NOTE: C6H5 in the molecular formula comprises a benzene
ring. Benzene is generally considered a carcinogenic substance.)
 |
Properties: varies according to constituent
resins
Statistic: In 1999 there was minimal usage
of resins in the 'other' category in plastic bottles.
|
Description: The category
of "Other" includes any resin not specifically numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
or 6, or combinations of one or more of these resins.
Packaging applications: Three
and five gallon water bottles, certain food product bottles
Recycled products: Plastic
lumber, custom-made products
You may come across recycling symbols that only indicate a
number without an acronym for the plastic resin. The plastic resin of
containers or packing labelled in this manner can be identified by this
number and although not as informative compared to an acronym listed
below the symbol, it is certainly a workable means of identifying and
classifying recyclable plastics.
An alternative recycling symbol for plastic resins may be
encountered embodying the original mobius three-chasing arrows together
with a number in the centre. These symbols may appear with or without a
descriptive acronym.
You may ask, all those plastic bottles that are recycled, or
those newspapers, what happens to them? Generally, a product that is
recycled is remanufactured into a new product that has less demanding
specifications for the new use of the recycled product. In the case of
paper products, the white copy paper may end up as newsprint. Newsprint
may end up as toilet paper. Plastic materials may be recycled into a
packaging material of less stringent requirements. Thus, resins that
have become a recycled product, are further identified with an R in
front of the previous designation in order to denote that the material
has already been recycled. The symbols identifying these products are
shown above. As an example, RHDPE is the acronym interpreted as
recycled high density polyethylene. However, keep in mind that the
R-materials still have potential for further recycling.
 |
Properties: resilient, low density, rigid,
impervious |
Description: Acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene was not part of the original resin identification
system.
Applications: Pipes, car
bumpers, toy building blocks, golf club heads, enclosures
(NOTE: The three components of ABS, acrylonitrile, butadiene and
styrene are considered probable human carcinogens.)
The original recycling symbol was designed in 1970 by Gary
Anderson, a senior at the University of Southern California at Los
Angeles. It was submitted to the International Design Conference as
part of a nationwide contest for high school and college students
sponsored by the Container Corporation of America. The contest was a
result of continuing growth of consumer awareness and environmentalism
and a response to the first Earth Day.
The recycling symbol represents a Mobius loop
consisting of three-chasing-arrows in the shape of a triangle having
rounded vertices. Each arrow twists and turns itself, and all three
arrows chase each other. It is a consummate representation of
recycling. The mobius loop itself was discovered in 1858 by August Ferdinand Möbius
(1790-1868), a German
mathematician and astronomer, and has been a mathematical marvel of
simplicity, singularity, and continuity ever since.
Each of the three arrows can represent one step in a
three-step process that forms a closed loop, the recycling loop. The
first step represents collection of materials to be recycled. This step
takes place when recyclable materials are placed into your curb side
recycling bin or taken to a local collection centre. The collected
materials are then cleaned and sorted for sale to a manufacturing
facility. The manufacturing process is the second arrow in the
recycling symbol. The recyclable materials are manufactured into new
products for retail or commercial sale. The third step is the actual
purchase and use of the products made from the recycled materials. The
loop is now complete.
The present resin identification coding system that is
detailed above was introduced by the Society of the Plastics
Industry (SPI) in 1988 at the urging of
recyclers around the country. In an effort to decrease the volume of
waste subject to tipping fees at landfills, a growing number of
communities were implementing recycling programs. These programs were
often driven by state-level recycling mandates. The resin
identification code was developed to meet recyclers needs while
providing manufacturers a consistent, uniform system that could apply
nationwide.
The resin identification coding system offered a means of
identifying the resin content of bottles and containers commonly found
in the residential waste stream. By identifying the resin content,
consumers would know what types of plastic packaging were being
utilized, and hence, which ones could be recycled. Consumers were, and
will always be, the first line of action in any effective recycling
program. The bulk recyclers would also filter the incoming stream of
post consumer recyclables by looking at the code on the plastic
packaging.
Since the first recycling symbol was designed, and the
plastic resin codes introduced, certain industries have developed
unique symbols specific to an industry. For example, industry
associations for glass, for paperboard, and for corrugated materials
have all developed, and in some cases trademarked, unique recycling
symbols. These three separate symbols can all be classified as
'recyclable' symbols.
 |
A
generic form of the plastic resin identification codes without the
number is also being utilized to designate recyclability of products
that aren't plastic. Usually there is descriptive text designating the
particular content. |
|
In
a further twist to the evolution of recycling symbols, at least one
individual company has promulgated its own version of a 'recycled'
symbol. Hewlett-Packard identifies its packaging materials with a symbol that
is similar to the 'recyclable' symbol for plastic resins. In the
'recycled' symbol that is depicted the basic material is of course
paper. The first number of the pair tells the minimum percentage of
post-consumer recycled content (in this case 50%), while the second
number denotes the total recycled content (in this case 80%). Other
materials, including plastics, are identified with an appropriate
labelling. |
 |
The
symbol with the blue background shows the three arrows in a planar
context. This particular symbol is a relatively new arrival. |
 The Rechargeable Battery Recycling
Corporation (RBRC) is a non-profit, public
service organization that promotes the recycling of portable
rechargeable batteries. These batteries are typically found in cordless
power tools, cellular and cordless phones, laptop computers,
camcorders, digital cameras, and remote control toys. Nickel cadmium
(Ni-Cd) batteries, nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) batteries, lithium ion
(Li-ion) batteries, and small sealed lead (Pb) batteries weighing less
than 2 lbs are all accepted for recycling. Please keep in mind that
batteries CAN NOT be deposited for recycling in a curb side recycling
container with other recyclable products. Batteries must be delivered
to a battery collection site. Visit the RBRC website to find a nearby
collection site or call the phone number shown on the recycling symbol.
The collection sites are widely available and include large well-known
retailers such as Sears, Home Depot, Wal-Mart and Target among others. |
 The green dot
(in German- der grüne punkt) was originally developed by
Duales System Deutschland AG, a privately
owned non-profit German company, in 1991. It has since been adopted by
other countries of the European Union including Austria, Belgium,
France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. It
has also been adopted in the non-EU countries Latvia, Norway, the Czech
Republic, Hungary and Poland.
In 1995, a general license for the 'green dot' was transferred to
Packaging Recovery
Organisation Europe s.p.r.l., otherwise known
as PRO EUROPE, having its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. PRO EUROPE
licenses the 'green dot' to nationally recognized systems set up in European Member States to implement the
European Directive on Packaging and Packaging Waste dated December 20,
1994, with the further objective of making the 'green dot' at least a
pan-European trademark.
The 'green dot', as utilized in Europe, carries a somewhat different
meaning than the recycling symbols used in the United States. The
presence of a 'green dot' symbol on packaging denotes that the
manufacturer of the package has purchased a license for the right to
use the 'green dot' trademark. The cumulative license fees fund a
system of not only recovering and recycling packaging materials, but
also of minimizing the use of packaging material, and of creating
packaging that is easier to recycle. |
Other specialized symbols for aluminium cans and steel cans
are being utilized by individual manufacturers. Therefore, the trend in
the evolution of recycling symbols can be summarized as follows:
- First,
birth of what was intended to be a universal recycling symbol.
- Second,
divergence of the original recycling symbol into a 'recycled' symbol
and a 'recyclable' symbol, with variations of each.
- Third,
proliferation of industry-specific recycling symbols of the
'recyclable' variety together with use of unique symbols by individual
companies, and by other regions of the world.
- Lastly,
additional symbols will continue to appear as new variations and
categories of recycled and recyclable products are developed.
