Plastic materials recycling: The importance of the correct identification

Many plastic-based products show a resin identification code - usually a number from I to 7 inside a three-arrow triangle above a monogram - to identify the type of plastic used to make the product, for assisting in its separation and later recycling. In other words, to facilitate the recovery of plastics discarded with the municipal solid waste. Since packages have a high rotation, the presence of the resin identification code is important for the plastic recycling chain. In the present study, a survey was carried out with 177 rigid plastic packages for food and non-food products available in the Brazilian market. Although the identification code was a requirement from the ABNT NBR 13230 Brazilian standard issued 14 years ago, there are still problems with the resin identification code. Only approximately 80% of the evaluated packages had the resin identification code. Furthermore, up to 40% of packages had incorrect material identification. Therefore, misinformation still occurs in the Brazilian market concerning plastic packaging material type - including lack of resin identification code - as well as lack of information regarding the correct way to display the resin identification code in plastic packages. Both of these factors have negative effect on the plastic recycling chain.