Demystifying Plastics

Published on 24 September 2025

It is probably fair to say that much of our current lifestyle would not be possible if plastic had not been created in the last century, and it is equally true that many of our current waste management problems are due to plastic being among the most durable materials.  Many plastics can be recycled - it is just a matter of knowing which type of plastic can be recycled and what we should be doing with the plastic.

Some people will be aware of the plastic coding system.  The plastic coding system is a series of symbols that identify the most common plastic material used in the manufacturing of products or packaging.  The symbols are usually embossed on the bottom of the plastic containers and bottles.  Their purpose is to assist in the sorting of collected plastics by material type.  Each symbol in the Plastics Coding System consists of a number from 1 to 7, inside a triangle of chasing-arrows.  The Plastics Coding System symbol does not necessarily indicate that the product can be recycled or is made from recycled content, and the symbol should not be mistaken for the mobius loop or recycling symbol, that we are familiar with.

In Yarriambiack we can recycle hard or rigid plastic bottles and containers with the codes 1, 2 & 5.  These plastics include items such as milk bottles, soft drink bottles, and ice cream containers.  When our mixed recycling bins are collected, the contents is sent to a materials recycling facility for sorting and bailing.  The various types of plastics must be sorted so that they can then be used by plastic recyclers to create new products.

As a community, we can each do our bit to help get our recycling right!  To do so, please make sure to rinse the plastic container before recycling, and only place plastics 1, 2 & 5 into the mixed recycling bin.  Please do not place any recycling into plastic bags.  By doing our bit individually, we can together make a big difference to our world!