Recycling plastics

Plastic is one of the most popular and useful materials of modern times: we now use about 20 times more plastic than we did 50 years ago. Its popularity and widespread use is why handling it responsibly and correctly once it becomes waste is so vitally important. We can optimise the lifespan of plastics by re-using and recycling items as many times as possible.

Every home in Buckinghamshire can recycle plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays at home in the recycling bin. You can use the Waste Wizard to find out which plastic items can be recycled at home.

Many plastic items have numbers on, which identifies the type of plastic it is. 

1 PETE - Recycled PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) e.g drinks bottles, mouthwash bottles, clear plastic jars, some yoghurt pots. This also includes PETG

2 HDPE - Recycled HDPE (High-density Polyethylene) e.g milk bottles, bleach and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, margarine tubs

3 PVC - Not recycled PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) e.g. plastic pipes, lawn chairs, children's toys, electrical insulators, table covers hoses

4 LDPE - Not recycled LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene) e.g. bread bags, frozen food bags, squeezable bottles, carrier bags (mainly recycled at supermarkets)

5 PP - Recycled PP (Polypropylene) e.g. plastic pots, tubs and trays 

6 PS - Not recycled PS (Polystyrene) e.g. takeaway packaging, disposable cutlery, some meat trays, styrofoam

7 OTHER - Not recycled this includes all other plastics e.g. compostable plastic, crisp packets, CD cases