Week 22 - Plastic

The little dog sniffs the plastic container. 'PLASTIC!' thinks Fat Dog. The dog rolls the bottle over so he can see the bottom. The bottle has a number '1' in a triangle mark on the base. 'What does this mean' thinks the little dog? In the UK humans only recycle the plastic marked with either a 1, 2 or a 3. The other types of plastic (from 4 to 7) can be recycled but they are low grades and humans use they to fill up very large holes in the ground. So remember Fat Dog says look at the number on the base! 1,2,3 is good and must be recycled. They get the FAT DOG SQUIRREL MARK of approval! If in doubt, think FAT DOG and look for the triangle mark & remember 123 PET-HDPE-PVC


1 PET Polyethylene terephthalate - Fizzy drink bottles and oven-ready meal trays.

2 HDPE High-density polyethylene - Bottles for milk and washing-up liquids.

3 PVC Polyvinyl chloride - Food trays, cling film, bottles for squash, mineral water and shampoo.

4 LDPE Low density polyethylene - Carrier bags and bin liners.

5 PP Polypropylene - Margarine tubs, microwaveable meal trays.

6 PS Polystyrene - Yoghurt pots, foam meat or fish trays, hamburger boxes and egg cartons, vending cups, plastic cutlery, protective packaging for electronic goods and toys.

7 OTHER Any other plastics that do not fall into any of the above categories. - An example is melamine, which is often used in plastic plates and cups.

More information here: http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/Plastics.htm