The Easy Guide to Plastic Recycling Symbols

From children’s toys to automotive parts, food packaging to clothing, it's fair to say that plastic is a huge part of our everyday lives.

But when it comes to recycling our used plastic, do we fully understand all the information that’s there to assist us?

For example, did you know that the familiar ‘chasing arrows’ symbol that we see on a host of our plastic products doesn’t mean that the product is recyclable? Instead, it’s the little number inside the triangle that tells the true story.*

This number based system, known as the ‘Resin Identification System’, identifies which type of plastic has been used in the construction of the product, as well as informing us that not all plastics are recyclable, or even reusable.

If you know what each symbol means, it makes recycling your plastic waste a whole lot easier. With that in mind, take a look at our easy guide to plastic recycling symbols, it could help us all create a more sustainable future!

It’s really important to remember that just because a product may have a recycling symbol, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is collected for recycling. If in doubt, it’s always best to check with your collection program administrators, who will be able to advise you on exactly which plastics they do and don’t collect.