If you come across letters, blends, or numbers other than 1-7 please post a reply. I'll eventually make a grid for the forums of specifics when we get enough variations. Similar to the one i made on wikipedia (universal recycling codes) but specific to our needs.
The average American household of 4 in 2014 produced 28lbs of non-recycled waste per week. or 7lbs per person. I personally produce 50lbs avg per YEAR.
First and foremost all plastic is recyclable. In large cities they probably take 1 2 and 4. Some also take 5 (pp) or one of the types of 6 (ps). That's free or paid pickup. 1, 2, 3, and 4 are so cheap and plentiful you're best shot is often just putting it in the recycling bin and forgetting about it. What we'll focus on here is 5 (pp) 6(ps) and 7 (other). then we'll take a brief look at plastic metal alloys and laminate as well.
Regardless of if you're selling or simply recycling it properly sorting is key. Unless you are bringing it for free to a mixed or commingled drop, always sort. Numbers First sort by number, then colour, black from white, from green etc. The final non-7 issue. Polystyrene has 3 types, 2 for your concerns. Expanded makes up things like coffee cups egg cartons, and packing materials. Condensed and compacted both are the same thing for consumer issues like this. This would be internal parts in electronics, cases, some plastic clam shells, coffee cup lids etc. The two types need to be separated for recycling. Expanded always looks like millions of tiny balls stuck together. Condensed ps needs to be sorted by colour as well. Expanded does not. Note: never recycle packing peanuts. There are too many variations in materials and blends, including non-plastics, and they disrupt recycling processes. Give them to a shipper such as ups store, ir fedex office, or pakmail, all happy to take them for free.
7. 7 stands for other and is not set for any specific type. Some 7 is worth lots of money others are not. 7 also includes any 1-7 that is adulterated. That would include metals or paper blends, like laminate. Anything not marked or anything you're not sure of goes in 7. Period. Don't reply and ask if this or that is something else. It may be, but the buyer at your level doesn't care. Not marked is 7 if it's hdpe or not.
Lets start with the 7+ and letter blends you'll be looking for. 3 you always want to look out for and sort separate. ABS. The largest non-numbered class in consumer electronics. From cases to components to your coffee maker and microwave oven. Abs is everywhere, often marked, and an easy profitable sell when you find a buyer. PC. Polycarbonate. The second most plentiful plastic in escrap. Is actually, chemically a metal alloy. Contains carbon in high quantity and most major industrial metal recyclers will buy it. Just call and ask, don't show up with 500lbs and not call and expect thrm to be happy. The last marked clean plastic to look out for is PVC. Like PS there are two formulas for PVC and they should be sorted as such. Rigid makes up the majority of plastic bumpers and tray handles in computer's, most often seen in servers. Some low value budget manufacturers such as dell also use it in mounts and cases as a less expensive alternative to abs. It's half the price of abs with most of the same qualities. Flexible pvc is used for liquid cooling hoses, bumpers, standoffs, and other plyable places. (It's also the most used material in the adult toy industry from clothing to... :cough:) . Back on track. Sort flexible from rigid.
7+ is any blend that is marked and should be kept separate. Abs+PVC. Pc-abs, etc.
Now to the blends. Firstly paper laminate. This is very specific issue for recycling. If it is laminated on only one side you can cut or rip it into pieces smaller than 4x6 inches (rip a page in 4) and recycle in normal paper. Tge same process that removes windows from envelopes removes small squares of plastic laminate from single sided pages. Anything larger or double sided and It can NOT be recycled in standard paper recycling. There are three methods for dealing with laminated paper. First you can go through the extensive time consuming process of splitting the two halves and cutting the resulting single sided laminate to sub 4x6. And recycle it as paper.
2nd. If you live near a large publishing printer that prints magazines or gift cards you can give (or sell) shredded laminate to them. They use it in a specialised process in making semi-plastised card stock covers and paper. Finally as long as no local law prohibits it you can burn it in a VERY open well ventilated burn and sell the resulting soot as "plastic char" to a large steel yard or an iron foundry. Slightly above clean light iron rate.
Finally metal plastic blends, foils, etc. Yards are fickle when it comes to this so ask often and don't get a pattern of dependency going because it changes often. Buy today but not tomorrow. Etc. Aside from copper and aluminium which usually have a laminate class of their own this Type of material will usually fall into the 2nd class (for thick metal with a thin sealant) or lowest class (#3 or #4) for thin laminated strips. Sort metals accordingly. Copper should be separated but will often be purchased as a class of wire for thin strips or as #2 rod for thick pieces. Aluminium has two standardised classes from other industries. Al laminate (thin) will be purchased as household gutters and flashing, or piping (thick) along with water and electric pipes.
The last thing I want to mention is paint. Be it an alloy (added during moulding and part of the plastic all the way through) or after production (sprayed on) metallic paint. A quick scratch test will tell you if it's on the surface or inside. Alloys can often be sold as the lowest non-class for the metal. (Shred or recovery). Paint can be scraped off and sold as "dirty turnings". Three most common metals here are nickel (computer cases), copper (cell phones) and gold (high end portables, eg iPhone, galaxy) and is used as shielding and heat dissipation.
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