The coding on plastic products can be a bit misleading. 

If you are like many of us, when trying to determine whether to recycle something or throw it in the trash, you look for the “chasing arrows” or recycle symbol.   You may find the symbol on paper, glass, metals, and plastics.   When dealing with plastics, many of them carry the symbol with a number inside. For years, curbside programs relied on these numbers to determine recyclability. Unfortunately, as we see record high contamination rates, that symbol doesn’t always mean an item can go into your recycling bin at home. These numbers, or codes, represent the type of plastic (resin) the item is made from. 

We've created a new web page that will help you understand which items can be recycled and explain what they all mean. Click here to find out more.