The short answer
Rinse and dry items, keep polymers separate, and check the resin code stamped on the item. Types 1 (PET) and 2 (HDPE) are recycled almost everywhere and are worth money. Type 5 (PP) is increasingly accepted. Types 3, 6 and 7, along with multi-layer sachets and black trays, are usually not recyclable through normal channels.
Read the resin code first
The number inside the small triangle is not a recyclability badge — it identifies the polymer. Two items can look identical and belong to completely different streams.
- 1 — PET: water and soft-drink bottles. Widely recycled, high value.
- 2 — HDPE: milk jugs, detergent bottles, caps. Widely recycled, high value.
- 3 — PVC: pipes, some packaging. Rarely accepted; keep it out.
- 4 — LDPE: bags, films, squeeze bottles. Accepted only via specialist film collection.
- 5 — PP: tubs, yoghurt pots, bottle caps. Increasingly accepted.
- 6 — PS: foam cups, trays. Almost never economically recyclable.
- 7 — Other/mixed: multi-layer and composite. Effectively unrecyclable.
How to prepare items so they hold value
Contamination is the main reason otherwise good material gets rejected. Food residue, liquid and mixed polymers downgrade a whole bale, not just one item.
- Empty and rinse — no residue, no liquid
- Let items dry; moisture causes mould in stored bales
- Keep caps and bottles separate unless your buyer says otherwise
- Crush bottles to save space, but don't shred — shredded mixed plastic is hard to sort
- Never bag recyclables inside a black bag; it gets treated as waste
Mistakes that ruin a load
Wish-cycling — putting something in hoping it qualifies — is expensive for whoever processes it. The most common offenders are greasy food containers, plastic-lined paper cups, cling film, disposable nappies, oxo- and bio-degradable bags, and anything still holding chemicals.
If there is no collection service where you live
Most people in low-collection regions have no kerbside pickup at all. The practical route is a nearby buy-back or aggregation point: separate PET and HDPE, keep them clean and dry, store them in a shaded place, and sell by weight.
That aggregation layer is exactly what AfriloopX is being built to provide — a paid, walkable drop-off point where plastic becomes income instead of litter. Our first hub is in development.
Frequently asked questions
- Which plastics can actually be recycled?
- PET (1) and HDPE (2) are recycled almost everywhere and have real resale value. PP (5) is increasingly accepted. PVC (3), PS (6) and mixed type 7 plastics are generally not recyclable through normal channels.
- Do I need to wash plastic before recycling it?
- Yes. Rinse out food and liquid residue and let items dry. Contamination is the most common reason a batch of otherwise recyclable plastic is downgraded or rejected.
- Can I recycle plastic bags with bottles?
- No. Thin film jams sorting equipment and belongs in dedicated film collection where it exists. Keep bags out of bottle and tub streams.
- What do the numbers on plastic mean?
- They are resin identification codes showing which polymer the item is made from, from 1 (PET) to 7 (other/mixed). They identify the material, not whether it is recyclable in your area.
Building this with us
AfriloopX is developing community-based plastic collection and recovery networks that create income for youth and women. We work with embassies, donors, NGOs and industry partners at the pilot stage.
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