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Descriptions: 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.
Properties: Clarity, strength, toughness, barrier to gas
and moisture, resistance to heat
Packaging Applications: 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.
Recycled Products: Fiber, tote bags, clothing, film and
sheet, food and beverage containers, carpet, strapping, fleece
wear, luggage and bottles. |
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Descriptions: 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.
Properties: Stiffness, strength, toughness, resistance
to chemicals and moisture, permeability to gas, ease of processing,
and ease of forming.
Packaging Applications: Milk, water, juice, cosmetic,
shampoo, dish and laundry detergent bottles; yogurt and margarine
tubs; cereal box liners; grocery, trash and retail bags.
Recycled Products: 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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Descriptions: 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.
Properties: Versatility, clarity, ease of blending, strength,
toughness, resistance to grease, oil and chemicals.
Packaging Applications: 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.
Recycled Products: 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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Descriptions: 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
Properties: Ease of processing, strength, toughness,
flexibility, ease of sealing, barrier to moisture.
Packaging Applications: Dry cleaning, bread and frozen food
bags, squeezable bottles, e.g. honey, mustard
Recycled Products: Shipping envelopes, garbage can liners,
floor tile, furniture, film and sheet, compost bins, paneling,
trash cans, landscape timber, lumber. |
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Descriptions:
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.
Properties: Strength, toughness, resistance to heat,
chemicals, grease and oil, versatile, barrier to moisture.
Packaging Applications: Catsup bottles, yogurt containers
and margarine tubs, medicine bottles
Recycled Products: Automobile battery cases, signal lights,
battery cables, brooms, brushes, ice scrapers, oil funnels,
bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, sheeting, trays. |
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Descriptions:
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.
Properties: Versatility, insulation, clarity, easily
formed
Packaging Applications: Compact disc jackets, food service
applications, grocery store meat trays, egg cartons, aspirin
bottles, cups, plates, cutlery.
Recycled Products: 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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Descriptions: 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.
Properties: Dependent on resin or combination of resins
Packaging Applications: Three and five gallon reusable water
bottles, some citrus juice and catsup bottles.
Recycled Products: Bottles, plastic lumber applications. |
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