Recycling Symbols Defined

• Rinse and sort your plastics by number. Recyclable plastic often must be separated by number in order to avoid contamination as it begins the recycling process.
• Recycle type 1 (PETE) and type 2 (HDPE) plastic containers at your curb, according to local instructions. Types 1 and 2 include some plastic bags, detergent containers and milk, soft drink, juice, cooking oil and water bottles.
• Drop off plastic grocery bags for recycling at your grocery store. These are usually type 4, but sometimes type 2. Types 4 and 2 may be mixed.
• Type 6, mainly foam packaging and items such as plastic utensils, are difficult to recycle. For information, call the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers at (410) 451-8340.
• Most of types 3, 5 and 7 are not yet recyclable and will need to be thrown away.
• Take caps and spray tops off containers unless they are marked with a number. The tops are often made of different plastic than the container itself.
  
  

  PETE	Polyethylene Terephalate Ethylene PETE goes into soft drink, juice, water, detergent, and cleaner bottles. Also used for cooking and peanut butter jars.
  HDPE	High Density Polyethylene High Density Polyethylene HDPE goes into milk and water jugs, bleach bottles, detergent and shampoo. Plastic bags and grocery sacks, motor oil bottles, household cleaners and butter tubs.
  PVC	Polyvinyl Chloride PVC goes into window cleaner, cooking oils, and detergent bottles. Also used for peanut butter jars and water jugs.
  LDPE	Low Density Polyethylene LDPE goes into plastic bags and grocery sacks, dry cleaning bags and flexible film packaging. Also some bottles.
  PP	Polypropylene PP goes into caps, disks, syrup bottles, yogurt tubs, straws and film packaging.
  PS	Polystyrene PS goes into meat trays, egg cartons, plates, cutlery, carry-out containers and clear trays.
  OTHER	Other Includes resins not mentioned above or combinations of plastics.