Plastic goods are assigned different numbers known as Material Identification Codes (MICs) or Polymer Identification Codes. These numbers are usually placed in a solid triangle or three chasing arrows. MICs are used by packaging manufacturers to inform recyclers which polymer they are handling. This number is NOT a communication to the product consumer about recyclability of the item.

But we can make some generalisations about which polymers are more readily recycled. The most commonly recycled plastics are #1 #2, #4, #5 and #6. However, that does not mean all items with these codes are recyclable. Other factors such as forming method, additives, coloration, contamination, etc have a big impact on the recyclability of an item.

Here are some details to help you understand the different polymer groups, their codes and their uses: