The Ultimate Recycling Chart

The Plastic Decoder

[As a general rule, avoid heating plastic, even those considered safe as they can emit toxic chemicals including BPA.]

• 1 PETE or PET
  (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
  Used For: Clear containers, like disposable water bottles and peanut butter containers. Safety Factor: Generally considered safe. Recycles Into: Tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, polar fleece.
• 2 HDPE
  (High-Density Polyethylene)
  Used For: The opaque sister of PETE, you’ll find it in bottles for cleaning products, margarine tubs, cereal box liners. Safety Factor: Generally considered safe. Recycles Into: Pens, recycling containers, picnic tables, lumber, benches, fencing, detergent bottles.
• 3 V or PVC
  (Vinyl)
  Used For: This is the hard, durable plastic you’ll fnd in PVC piping–it’s also in more common household items like cooking oil bottles, clear food wrap, and some toys. Safety Factor: It’s pretty toxic, so the cling wrap you use at home is more likely made from #4, though industrial-grade wraps still come in the #3 variety. Recycles Into: Paneling, flooring, speed bumps, decks, roadway gutters.
• 4 LDPE
  (Low-Density Polyethylene)
  Used For: This is malleable, making it the plastic of choice for anything squeeze-able or thin (shopping bags, bread bags). Safety Factor: While generally considered safe, it’s very dangerous to heat or microwave it in any way. Recycles Into: Compost bins, paneling, trash can liners and cans, floor tiles, shipping envelopes.
• 5 PP
  (Polypropylene)
  Used For: Polypropylene is hard and easy to color–it’s used in ketchup bottles, plastic furniture, individual yogurt tubs, and plastic bottle caps. Safety Factor: One of the safest plastics available. Recycles Into: Brooms, auto battery cases, bins, pallets, signal lights, ice scrapers, bicycle racks.
• 6 PS
  (Polystyrene, a.k.a. styrofoam)
  Used For: You’ll still find this in egg cartons, meat trays, disposable plates, packing peanuts, and to-go containers. Only advanced recycling programs will take it, but it’s important to check, because it sticks around in landfills for an eternity. Safety Factor: Avoid if at all possible–its toxic components are known to leach into food products. Recycles Into: Difficult to recycle, though becomes egg cartons, vents, foam packing, insulation.
• 7 OTHER
  (Misc)
  Used For: #7 is the catch-all for miscellaneous plastic, and it’s usually code for dangerous (many plastics in this category contain BPA). The worst offenders here are 3- and 5-gallon water jugs (the ones from the classic office water cooler), phone and computer cases, and nylon. Safety Factor: Avoid. Recycles Into: Difficult to recycle, though becomes plastic lumber and other custom products.

Special Treatment

• TETRAPAKS, TUPPERWARE, BABY FOOD SQUEEZE PACKS, ETC.The New Jersey based Terracycle organizes programs for hard-to-recycle items, like baby food squeeze packs, Tetra Paks, toothbrushes, wisp flossers, Tupperware, Nespresso Capsules, Scotch Tape, shoes, wine boxes, pet food bags, pens, and more. While a few of these items can be recycled curbside, their mail-in system is a great option if your municipality doesn’t allow it.
• LIGHTBULBSCompact fluorescent bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, so it’s important to recycle them–if they break in the garbage can, that mercury gets released into the landfill. Many hardware stores, like Home Depot or Lowe’s, offer recycling for these and other hard-to-recycle items.
• WATER FILTERSBecause they’re a combination of organic material and plastic, Brita filters aren’t usually recyclable. Brita’s partner company, Preserve, offers drop of locations where they can be picked up and recycled. Unsurprisingly, Terracycle also has a Brita filter recycling program.
• BATTERIESIt’s illegal in many areas to throw batteries in a landfill because of the chemicals that leach into the soil. Car batteries can be returned to any store that sells them. For small, household batteries, check your kids’ school or your local library, where municipalities set up recycling boxes. And if all else fails, you can always mail them in.
• ELECTRONICSBest Buy has drop-off centers for electronics (you can even bring them household appliances, like blenders or microwaves) in all of their stores. While they don’t have recycling facilities in every store, Apple offers gift cards for some old equipment–check their website to see if your local store qualifies.
• WINE CORKSYou can take all wine corks to a Recork drop-off location–they’ll repurpose them into items like yoga blocks and soles for shoes.