Recycle and Reuse
Plastic packaging can be reused and recycled. In 1994 over 1 billion pounds of plastic was recycled. That figure has grown dramatically as new technologies, markets and collection systems have developed. Over 15,000 communities have tripled their collection of plastics for recycling over the last four years.

Recycled plastic bottles are now being reused to create new products like carpeting, packaging, building material, fiberfill for winter clothing and remade into new bottles. Recycled milk containers are being used to create drainage pipes, buckets and plastic timber.



Plastic Recycling Symbols
Although many items that we discard today can be recycled, before recycling can be done, items must first be separated into groups according to the material from which they are made. Sorting plastics is an issue. It's not as easy as sorting aluminum cans from paper. There are many different types of plastic that look similar, and it is often difficult to identify one type from another.



Recycling Symbols
Many products are now being marked with symbols to identify the materials that they are made from. The following chart shows us what the various symbols represent.

	PET-Polyethylene Terephthalate is a transparent plastic with good gas barrier properties. It is especially suitable for producing soft drink bottles and food packaging.
	HDPE-High Density Polyethylene is another plastic commonly used for drink containers. It is translucent and strong with a good resistance against chemicals.
	PVC- Polyvinyl Chloride is frequently used for drainage pipes because of its superior chemical resistance. It is also a good insulator used for cable jacketing
	LDPE- Low Density Polyethylene is a tough and highly flexible plastic that is used for producing plastic bags, cable jacketing, and bottles.
	PP- Polypropylene is a strong and light plastic. It has a relatively high melting point and is used in products exposed to high temperatures. These include yogurt and ice cream containers that are filled while hot.
	PS- Polystyrene is a rather stiff and rigid plastic. In this form it is used for disposable cutlery and CD cases. Packing foam is also produced by blowing air bubbles into the PS wile it is setting
	Other- This designation is used for plastic products that do not fall into any of the other catagories. Further sorting of these items is required at recycling centers.

Packright Manufacturing Ltd Unit 119-1525 Broadway St. Port Coquitlam, BC, V3C 6P6 Phone: 604.468.4305 Fax: 604.468.4365