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Concept
Resin identification code
Summary
The ASTM International Resin Identification Coding System, often abbreviated RIC, is a set of symbols appearing on plastic products that identify the plastic resin out of which the product is made. It was developed in 1988 by the Society of the Plastics Industry (now the Plastics Industry Association) in the United States, but since 2008 it has been administered by ASTM International, an international standards organization.
The US Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) first introduced the system in 1988 as the "Voluntary Plastic Container Coding System". The SPI stated that one purpose of the original SPI code was to "Provide a consistent national system to facilitate recycling of post-consumer plastics." The system has been adopted by a growing number of communities implementing recycling programs, as a tool to assist in sorting plastics. In order to deal with the concerns of recyclers across the U.S., the RIC system was designed to make it easier for workers in materials recovery and recycling facilities to sort and separate items according to their resin type. Plastics must be recycled separately, with other like materials, in order to preserve the value of the recycled material, and enable its reuse in other products after being recycled.
In its original form, the symbols used as part of the RIC consisted of arrows that cycle clockwise to form a triangle that encloses a number.
1: polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) (beverage bottles, cups, other packaging, etc.)
2: high-density polyethylene (HDPE) (bottles, cups, milk jugs, etc.)
3: polyvinyl chloride (PVC) (pipes, siding, flooring, etc.)
4: low-density polyethylene (LDPE) (plastic bags, six-pack rings, tubing, etc.)
5: polypropylene (PP) (auto parts, industrial fibres, food containers, etc.)
6: polystyrene (PS) (plastic utensils, Styrofoam, cafeteria trays, etc.)
7:(OTHER)/(PLA) other plastics, such as acrylic, nylon, polycarbonate and polylactic acid.
The numbers also indicate general ease (and thus, cost-effectiveness) of recycling, with 1 being the easiest and 6 and 7 being very difficult.
Official source
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