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Codes
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Descriptions
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Properties
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Packaging
Applications
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Recycled
Products
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Polyethylene Terephthalate
(PET, PETE). PET is clear, tough, and has good gas and moisture barrier
properties. Commonly used in soft drink bottles and many injection molded
consumer product containers. Other applications include strapping and both
food and non-food containers. Cleaned, recycled PET flakes and pellets are
in great demand for spinning fiber for carpet yarns, producing fiberfill
and geo-textiles. Nickname: Polyester.
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Clarity, strength, toughness, barrier to gas
and moisture, resistance to heat
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Plastic soft drink, water, sports drink,
beer, mouthwash, catsup and salad dressing bottles. Peanut butter,
pickle, jelly and jam jars. Ovenable film and ovenable prepared food
trays.
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Fiber, tote bags, clothing, film and sheet,
food and beverage containers, carpet, strapping, fleece wear, luggage
and bottles.
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High Density Polyethylene (HDPE).
HDPE is used to make bottles for milk, juice, water and laundry products.
Unpigmented bottles are translucent, have good barrier properties and
stiffness, and are well suited to packaging products with a short shelf
life such as milk. Because HDPE has good chemical resistance, it is used
for packaging many household and industrial chemicals such as detergents
and bleach. Pigmented HDPE bottles have better stress crack resistance
than unpigmented HDPE bottles.
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Stiffness, strength, toughness, resistance
to chemicals and moisture, permeability to gas, ease of processing, and
ease of forming.
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Milk, water, juice, cosmetic, shampoo, dish
and laundry detergent bottles; yogurt and margarine tubs; cereal box
liners; grocery, trash and retail bags.
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Liquid laundry detergent, shampoo,
conditioner and motor oil bottles; pipe, buckets, crates, flower pots,
garden edging, film and sheet, recycling bins, benches, dog houses,
plastic lumber, floor tiles, picnic tables, fencing.
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Vinyl (Polyvinyl Chloride or
PVC): In addition to its stable physical properties, PVC has excellent
chemical resistance, good weatherability, flow characteristics and stable
electrical properties. The diverse slate of vinyl products can be broadly
divided into rigid and flexible materials. Bottles and packaging sheet are
major rigid markets, but it is also widely used in the construction market
for such applications as pipes and fittings, siding, carpet backing and
windows. Flexible vinyl is used in wire and cable insulation, film and
sheet, floor coverings synthetic leather products, coatings, blood bags,
medical tubing and many other applications.
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Versatility, clarity, ease of blending,
strength, toughness, resistance to grease, oil and chemicals.
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Clear food and non-food packaging, medical
tubing, wire and cable insulation, film and sheet, construction products
such as pipes, fittings, siding, floor tiles, carpet backing and window
frames..
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Packaging, loose-leaf binders, decking,
paneling, gutters, mud flaps, film and sheet, floor tiles and mats,
resilient flooring, cassette trays, electrical boxes, cables, traffic
cones, garden hose, mobile home skirting.
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Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE).Used
predominately in film applications due to its toughness, flexibility and
relative transparency, making it popular for use in applications where
heat sealing is necessary. LDPE is also used to manufacture some
flexible lids and bottles and it is used in wire and cable applications
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Ease of processing, strength, toughness,
flexibility, ease of sealing, barrier to moisture.
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Dry cleaning, bread and frozen food bags,
squeezable bottles, e.g. honey, mustard.
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Shipping envelopes, garbage can liners,
floor tile, furniture, film and sheet, compost bins, paneling, trash
cans, landscape timber, lumber
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Polypropylene
(PP). Polypropylene has good chemical resistance, is strong, and has a
high melting point making it good for hot-fill liquids. PP is found in
flexible and rigid packaging to fibers and large molded parts for
automotive and consumer products. |
Strength,
toughness, resistance to heat, chemicals, grease and oil, versatile,
barrier to moisture. |
Catsup
bottles, yogurt containers and margarine tubs, medicine bottles |
Automobile
battery cases, signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, ice
scrapers, oil funnels, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, sheeting,
trays. |
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Polystyrene
(PS). Polystyrene is a versatile plastic that can be rigid or foamed.
General purpose polystyrene is clear, hard and brittle. It has a
relatively low melting point. Typical applications include protective
packaging, containers, lids, cups, bottles and trays. |
Versatility,
insulation, clarity, easily formed |
Compact
disc jackets, food service applications, grocery store meat trays, egg
cartons, aspirin bottles, cups, plates, cutlery. |
Thermometers,
light switch plates, thermal insulation, egg cartons, vents, desk trays,
rulers, license plate frames, foam packing, foam plates, cups, utensils |
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Other.
Use of this code indicates that the package in question is made with a
resin other than the six listed above, or is made of more than one resin
listed above, and used in a multi-layer combination. |
Dependent
on resin or combination of resins
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Three
and five gallon reusable water bottles, some citrus juice and catsup
bottles. |
Bottles,
plastic lumber applications. |