Recycling codes


Recycling codes are used to identify the materials out of which the item is made, to facilitate easier recycling process. The presence on an item of a recycling code, a chasing arrows logo, or a resin code, is not an automatic indicator that a material is recyclable; it is an explanation of what the item is made of. Codes have been developed for batteries, biomatter/organic material, glass, metals, paper, and plastics. Various countries have adopted different codes. For example, the table below shows the polymer resin codes. In the United States there are fewer, because ABS is placed with "others" in group 7.
A number of countries have a finer-grained system with more recycling codes. For example, China's polymer identification system has seven different classifications of plastic, five different symbols for post-consumer paths, and 140 identification codes. The lack of a code system in some countries has encouraged those who fabricate their own plastic products, such as RepRap and other prosumer 3-D printer users, to adopt a voluntary recycling code based on the more comprehensive Chinese system.

Resin identification codes and codes defined by the European Commission

Chinese codes for plastics products

The Standardization Administration of the People's Republic of China has defined material codes for different types of plastics in the document GB 16288-2008. The numbers are consistent with RIC up to #6.
CodeAbbreviationName
1PETpolyethylene terephthalate
2HDPEpolyethylene, high density
3PVCpoly
4LDPEpolyethylene, low density
5PPpolypropylene
6PSpolystyrene
7ABAcrylonitrile-butadiene plastic
8ABAKAcrylonitrile-butadiene-acrylate plastic
9ABSAcrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene plastic
10ACSAcrylonitrile-chlorinated polyethylene-styrene
11AEPDSAcrylonitrile--styrene plastic
12AMMAAcrylonitrile-methyl-methacrylate plastic
13ASAAcrylonitrile styrene acrylate plastic
14CAcellulose acetate
15CABcellulose acetate butyrate
16CAPcellulose acetate propionate
17CEFcellulose formaldehyde
18CFcellulose-formaldehyde resin
19CMCcarboxymethyl cellulose
20CNcellulose nitrate
21COCcycloolefin copolymer
22CPcellulose propionate
23CTAcellulose triacetate
24E/PEthylene-propylene plastic
25EAAEthylene-acrylic acid plastic
26EBAKEthylene-butyl acrylate plastic
27ECethyl cellulose
28EEAKEthylene-ethyl acrylate plastic
29EMAEthylene-methacrylic acid plastic
30EPepoxide; epoxy resin or plastic
31ETFEEthylene-tetrafluoroethylene plastic
32EVAEthylene-vinyl acetate plastic
33EVOHEthylene-vinyl alcohol plastic
34FEPperfluoro plastic
35FFFuran-formaldehyde resin
36LCPLiquid-crystal polymer
37MABSmethyl methacrylate-acrylnitrile-butadiene-styrene plastic
38MBSmethyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene plastic
39MCmethyl cellulose
40MFMelamine-formaldahyde resin
41MPMelamine-phenol resin
42MSANα-methylstyrene-acrylonitrile plastic
43PApolyamide
44PAApoly
45PAEKpolyaryletherketone
46PAIpolyamidimide
47PAKpolyacrylate
48PANpolyacrylonitrile
49PARpolyarylate
50PARApoly
51PBpolybutene
52PBAKpoly
53PBATpoly
54PBD1,2-polybutadiene
55PBNpoly
56PBSpolybuthylenesuccinate
57PBTpoly
58PCpolycarbonate
59PCCEpoly
60PCLpolycaprolactone
61PCTpoly
62PCTFEpolychlorotrifluoroethylene
63PDAPpoly
64PDCPDpolydiclopentadiene
65PECpolyester carbonate or poly
66PECpolyestercarbonate
67PE-Cpolyethylene, chlorinated
68PEEKpolyetheretherketone
69PEESTpolyetherester
70PEIpolyetherimide
71PEKpolyetherketone
72LLDPEpolyethylene, linear low density
73MDPEpolyethylene, medium density
74PENpoly
75PEOXpoly
76PESpoly
77PESTURpolyesterurethane
78PESUpolyethersulfone
79UHMWPEpolyethylene, ultra high molecular weight
80PEURpolyetherurethane
81VLDPEpolyethylene, very low density
82PFPhenol-formaldehyde resin
83PFAPerfluoro alkoxyl alkane resin
84PGApoly
85PHApolyhydroxyalanoic or polyhydroxyalkanoates
86PHBpolyhydroxybutyric acid or polyhydroxybutyrate
87PHBVpoly-
88PIpolyimide
89PIBpolyisobutylene
90PIRpolyisocyanurate
91PKpolyketone
92PLApolylactic acid or poly lactide
93PMIpolymethacrylimide
94PMMApoly
95PMMIPoly-N-methylmethacrylimide
96PMPpoly-4-methylpenten-1
97PMSPoly-α-methylstyrene
98POMpolyoxymethylene; polyacetal; polyformaldehyde
99PPCcarbon dioxide and propylene copolymer
100PPDOPoly
101PPEpoly
102PP-Epolypropylene, expandable
103PP-HIpolypropylene, high impact
104PPOXpoly
105PPSpoly
106PPSUpoly
107EPSpolystyrene, expandable
108HIPSpolystyrene, high impact
109PSUpolysulfone
110PTFEpoly tetrafluoroethylene
111PTMATpoly
112PTTpoly
113PURpolyurethane
114PVApoly
115PVOHpoly
116PVBpoly
117PVC-Cpoly, chlorinated
118PVC-Upoly, unplasticized
119PVDCpoly
120PVDFpoly
121PVFpoly
122PVFMpoly
123PVKPoly-N-vinylcarbazole
124PVPPoly-N-vinylpyrrolidine
125SANStyrene-acrylonitrile plastic
126SBStyrene-butadiene plastic
127SIsilicone plastic
128SMAHStyrene-maleic anyhydride plastic
129SMSStyrene-α-methylstyrene plastic
130UFUrea-formaldehyde resin
131UPunsaturated polyester resin
132VCEvinyl chloride-ethylene plastic
133VCEMAKvinyl chloride-ethylene-methyle-acrylate plastic
134VCEVACvinyl chloride-ethylene-vinyl acrylate plastic
135VCMAKvinyl chloride-methyl acrylate plastic
136VCMMAvinyl chloride-methyl methacrylate plastic
137VCOAKvinyl chloride-octyl acrylate plastic
138VCVACvinyl chloride-vinyl acetate plastic
139VCVDCVinylchloride-vynylidene chloride plastic
140VEvinyl ester resin