Plastics: Revisited

A little more info on plastics and recycling, courtesy of the Recyclenow.org website:


Plastic #1: Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE)Common uses: 2 liter soda bottles, cooking oil bottles, peanut butter jars. This is the most widely recycled plastic and often has redemption value under the California "Bottle Bill."
Plastic #2: High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)Common uses: detergent bottles, milk jugs.
Plastic #3: Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)Common uses: plastic pipes, outdoor furniture, shrink wrap, water bottles, salad dressing and liquid detergent containers. Please note that plastic bags are not accepted for recycling curbside. However, Safeway Stores, Alberton's Food and Drug, Raley's, Ralphs Food Companies, and G&G Supermarkets accept plastic bags for recycling. Please remove food waste and receipts.
Plastic #4: Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)Common uses: dry cleaning bags, produce bags, trash can liners, food storage containers. Safeway Stores and Lucky Food Centers accept HDPE (#2) and LDPE (#4) plastic bags for recycling.
Plastic #5: Polypropylene (PP)Common uses: bottle caps, drinking straws. Recycling centers almost never take #5 plastic.
Plastic #6: Polystyrene (PS)Common uses: packaging pellets or "Styrofoam peanuts," cups, plastic tableware, meat trays, to-go "clam shell" containers. Many shipping/packaging stores will accept polystyrene peanuts and other packaging materials for reuse. Cups, meat trays, and other containers that have come in contact with food are more difficult to recycle. If you have large quantities call the Eco-Desk Hotline at 707-565-3375.
Plastic #7: OtherCommon uses: certain kinds of food containers and Tupperware. This plastic category, as its name of "other" implies, is any plastic other than the named #1-#6 plastic types. These containers can be any of the several different types of plastic polymers. Recycling centers cannot recycle plastic #7. Look for alternatives.

I looked around my kitchen and found a mix of several of these plastics. I was especially intrested to learn that my Starbucks waterbottle was a #7 plastic so when I am done with it, it'll just have to go to a landfill...