Recycling symbols can be used to identify the material an item is made of, to facilitate recycling or other reprocessing. Such symbols have been defined for batteries, organic material, glass, metals, paper and plastics.
plastics. They provide the consumer and/or the waste manager with additional information on the product or packaging.
There are a number of recycling symbols, many of which can be confusing if you don’t know what they mean. That said, we highlight how these unique numbers can indicate the type of plastic, and what they mean when it comes to recycling.
By understanding what these symbols mean, you will be better equipped to help reduce waste, limit your carbon footprint and help the environment.
Contenidos
Universal recycling symbol (origin and other data)
The original recycling logo was created in a design competition among US students in 1970 as part of the first Earth Day. The winner was Gary Anderson, a senior at the University of Southern California in California.
For this, he based himself on the Mobius circle, which was discovered in 1858 by the German mathematician and astronomer August Ferdinand Mobius (1790-1868). Its three arrows represent the steps in the recycling process: collect materials, recycle yourself and buy recycled products, so that the system continues again and again.
This symbol is in the public domain, i.e. it is not trademarked. So you can download any of these recycling colouring pictures without any problems.
As a universal symbol, it already has a place within Unicode (a character encoding standard designed to facilitate computer processing, transmission and display of text):
- U + 2672 ♲ Universal recycling symbol
- U + 267B ♻ Universal recycling symbol black
Symbols to identify materials
This symbol is based on the Möbius loop, but features a simpler curvature (rather than bent) that can be embossed into surfaces without losing detail. The arrows are formed in a flat two-dimensional triangle instead of the three-dimensional triangle used in the original recycling logo.
What does the materials triangle mean?
At the bottom of the plastic containers there is a symbol in the shape of a triangle with three arrows and a number in the centre.
The symbol means that the product is recyclable and the number indicates the type of plastic the product is made of.
Plastic recycling symbols
- PET or PETE (Polyethylene terephthalate). This is the plastic from which food and beverage containers are made. This type of material is lightweight, cheap and recyclable.
- HDPE (High Density Polyethylene). It is widely used in the manufacture of packaging for household cleaning products or industrial chemicals, such as bottles of gel, detergent, bleach, etc. It is also used to manufacture packaging for milk, juice, yoghurt, water and various types of bags.
- PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride). Very resistant material, used for detergent bottles, oils and hoses, medical and construction materials. It is not usually recycled, PVC releases toxins when burned.
- LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene). It is a flexible, strong and transparent plastic that can be seen in a wide variety of bottles and bags.
- PP (Polypropylene). It has a high melting point that allows the manufacture of containers capable of holding liquids and hot food. It can be recycled for reuse.
- PS (Polystyrene). It is the most commonly used material in disposable plates and cups, egg cups, meat trays, medicine containers. Contact with heat causes it to melt. It is difficult to recycle.
- Other. A wide variety of plastics that are difficult to recycle are grouped here. These materials are used to make some types of water bottles, sunglasses or mp3 players.
Let’s look at some of the most common recycling symbols and how you can make sure that plastic sheets, tubes and rods get into the right bin.
Recycling symbols glass
Glass bottles also have a specific symbol, there is often a question mark when disposing of glass containers in the glass bin. Glass and crystal are not the same thing: if we throw glass into the glass container, the recycling process alters the composition of the new materials that are generated.
In the case of glass collected from green bins, it is crushed to obtain its original mineral, silica, from which new containers are made. Here are the symbols of glass recycling:
Metal recycling symbols
Metals can also be recycled and have their own symbols and meaning Aluminium and steel are two of the recyclable metals where we can see the symbols of metal recycling.
Recycling arrows
This is the recycling symbol we see most often on packaging. It consists of two rounded arrows that join together to form a circle. This symbol is created in the framework of the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive which makes companies responsible for the recycling of their products.
Tidyman symbol
Waste should not only be managed by companies, it is also our responsibility. In addition to recycling at home, it is important to dispose of waste in bins when we are away from home. It is important not to leave waste in nature.
The Tidyman symbol, which depicts a person throwing rubbish into a bin or container, is intended to educate people to dispose of their waste in the appropriate places, whether bins or special containers.
Other meanings of symbols you may be interested in
These are categories of symbols that you will want to know their meanings:
