Plastics, both soft and hard, are a continuing source of questions for people who use the recycling depot here on Bowen. Hard plastics in particular seem to be the biggest source of confusion. The reason for this is that many hard plastics are stamped with a symbol that appears to make it recyclable when in fact it is not.
There are two types of symbols that are currently being used in the recycling world. The first is the Mobius Loop, which consists of three arrows that are twisted or folded over and form a triangle. This symbol is used to represent materials that can be recycled. It is stamped onto a variety of different products such as cardboard or packaging used for food stuffs. Materials stamped with this symbol are generally recyclable and can be taken to the Depot.
The other type of symbol is called a resin identification code, which looks very similar to a Mobius Loop, but actually signifies something very different. This symbol consists of three flat arrows that form a triangle with a number in the middle. The numbers represent the type of plastic that is contained in the package.
Although the resin identification code looks like the Mobius Loop, it is not meant to be a recycling symbol. The code is meant strictly to differentiate the type of plastic used to create the packaging. An example of this would be plastic stamped with a three. This material is made with Polyvinyl Chloride and is used for lawn chairs, non-food bottles and children’s toys. Materials stamped with this code are not recyclable.
If you are still unclear as to what type of plastics you can recycle, check out the Recycle BC website (www.recyclebc.ca) for a full list of all the materials accepted at the depot. Just remember
