A Brief History of the Recycling Symbol and How it’s Used

The recycling symbol we know today – the chasing arrows symbol – was originally designed in 1970 as a way to inform people that a product was recyclable. Just a few years later, in the 1980s, plastic manufacturers started using a very similar symbol, with a number inside, known as the Resin Identification Code (RIC). The RIC tells plastic manufacturers what type of plastic a container is made from, but doesn’t address the recyclability of the product.

Consumers therefore naturally assume that anything with the arrows symbol is recyclable, creating one of the most common misconceptions about recycling. Because the onus of recycling falls on us to understand these numbers and properly sort them, it’s no surprise that recycling contamination is a problem.

#2 HDPE – High-Density Polyethylene

HDPE is a widely recycled plastic worldwide and is one of the few plastics where there is likely to be an onshore recycling centre. It’s a durable, hard plastic that can withstand most solvents. Because of this, it’s most commonly used for cleaning or personal care products. Since it’s not usually used for food products (except milk bottles), it has a high market value and can be recycled more times than many other types of plastics.

A 2018 study by ESE World B.V. found that non-contaminated HDPE can be recycled up to 10 times, which is an impressive number. (Small recyclers Brothers make have done experiments that have gone well beyound those numbers )This is why it's always important to rinse your recyclables.

Unfortunately no lids of any type can go into New Zealand curbside recycling bins.

Common products that use HDPE:

• Milk bottles

• Cleaning product bottles – especially harsher chemicals such as bleach or ammonia

• Soap and shampoo bottles

And my cool products!