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About 6% by weight of our household waste is made up of 'hard' plastics, most of which is recyclable but will be consigned to landfill sites.
Plastics use 4% of the World's oil as feedstock and 3 to 4% during manufacture.
There is usually a recycle mark somewhere on the plastic to denote what type it is:
BLIMEE! WHAT DOES ALL THAT MEAN?
Well, plastics come in many types, each suited to a different task.
| Type |
Name
Uses |
Recycled uses include ... |
| PET |
Polyethylene terephthalate
Fizzy drink bottles and oven-ready meal trays |
Deli and bakery trays, carpets, clothing and textiles |
| HDPE |
High density polyethylene
Bottles for milk and washing-up liquids |
Bottles for laundry products, recycling bins, agricultural pipe, bags, engine oil bottles, decking and marine pilings |
|
V
(PVC)
|
Polyvinyl chloride
Food trays, bottles for squash, mineral water and shampoo |
Playground equipment, film and air-bubble cushioning |
| LDPE |
Low density polyethylene
Carrier bags and bin liners |
Bags, shrink film and compost bins |
| PP |
Polypropylene
Margarine tubs, microwaveable meal trays |
Automobile parts, carpets, battery casings, textiles, industrial fibres and films used for packaging products such as sweets |
| PS |
Polystyrene
Yoghurt pots, foam meat trays, hamburger boxes and egg cartons, vending cups, protective packaging for electronic goods and toys |
Office accessories, video cassettes and cases |
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