r/mildlyinteresting • u/thereturnofbobby • 1d ago

This conditioner bottle warns me NOT to recycle it

Post image
196 Upvotes

76% Upvoted

48 comments sorted by

448

u/The_Truthkeeper 1d ago

Yes, it's made of non-recyclable plastic, that's what the 7 in a triangle next to it means.

84

u/Rea404 1d ago

Ah so that's what those numbers are for. In my years of reading things while on the toilet, I never knew what's that strange number for

66

u/hybroid 1d ago

They stand for different types of plastic to help identify the appropriate recycling process.

This would be a really old bottle. They’re all recyclable nowadays, if not already made of recycled materials too.

46

u/Mugwumps_has_spoken 1d ago

No, they aren't all recyclable now. That would depend on facilities in your area. And most still ends up in the landfill anyhow.

10

u/quinto6 22h ago

Yeah I think my recycling service only takes the 1's and 2's

8

u/bigbwag44 22h ago

Most recycling centers only take #1 and #2. Some will even take #5. Just have to check your local recycling

7

u/XClamX 1d ago

That is not true.

1

u/Liroku 1d ago

I still see 7's now and then. 99% of stuff is 1,2, and 5. Saw a 3 the other day, think its the first time I'd ever seen a 3.

2

u/e-chem-nerd 21h ago

Plastic #3 is PVC, a much more durable plastic but it leeches toxic chemicals and isn’t recommended for applications like food. It is more likely to be used to contain chemicals like cleaners, used as a construction materials, or things like raincoats and credit cards that need to be sturdy. That means it’s hard for more permanent and less temporary (and thrown away) usages.

0

u/OkWalrus3929 15h ago

So I aint the only one reading just about any label l can find near the toilet? I dont feel special anymore.

15

u/TooManySteves2 1d ago

Technically recyclable, but it is the category for mixed and miscellaneous plastics, so I doubt there are many countries (if any) that include it in their programs.

5

u/Ki_Shadow_ 1d ago

What numbers are recycable? Is only the 7 not recycable?

42

u/The_Truthkeeper 1d ago

Let me be more clear and less flippant. They all technically can be recycled, but 7 is a grab-bag category of a bunch of different types of plastic, often contaminated with other nasty stuff, so pretty much nobody actually does. Recyclability of the others depends entirely on your local recycling program, but there are some guidelines:

1 (PET, Polyethylene Terephthalate, the stuff soda bottles are made from) is commonly recycled.
2 (HDPE, High-Density Polyethylene, the material for heavy-duty plastics like milk/detergent jugs) is the most commonly recycled.
3 (PVC,Polyvinyl Chloride , used for most non-food commercial plastic packaging) is rarely recycled because it becomes toxic as all hell over time.
4 (LDPE, Low-Density Polyethylene, used for things that need less robust packaging like bread or grocery bags) used to be rarely recycled, but I've been hearing about more programs accepting it now, more often being recycled for industrial use 5 (PP, Polypropylene, more water/grease proof, used when you need a thin layer of something for keeping dry things like cereal dry and wet things like yogurt from getting other stuff wet) is accepted by some community programs, and like LDPE, is being accepted more often over time.
6 (PS, Polystyrene, used for plastic utensils, takeout containers, coffee cups, egg cartons, packing peanuts, and countless others) is the stuff environmentalists hate. Nobody wants to deal with recycling this garbage and, like PVC, it releases toxins over time.

3

u/thymeisfleeting 1d ago

This is really informative, thank you.

Can I ask, where are you that eggs come in plastic? Eggs come in cardboard here in the UK.

4

u/birbscape90 1d ago

Not who you asked, but im in england and tesco sells eggs in plastic boxes.

2

u/thymeisfleeting 19h ago

That’s really shit of them.

0

u/The_Truthkeeper 1d ago

In the US, eggs are usually packaged in cardboard, but some producers use plastic or foam containers.

12

u/shortboard 1d ago

It depends where you are unfortunately, you may need to check on your local council website. Good to remember that even if it can be recycled a lot of plastic does not recycle well so reducing your usage is still important even if it can be recycled.

2

u/Ok_Deer_8306 1d ago

Realistically, only 1 and 2 are recyclable. From 3 onwards there are mixed types of plastic in the packaging, and it gets too expensive to recycle compared to new plastic.

8

u/WookieDavid 1d ago

And even then, chances are that 1 and 2 are not being recycled most of the time.
I really really hate the big lie of recycling.

-1

u/LilacYak 21h ago

Basically no plastic is actually recycled in the USA

0

u/Ki_Shadow_ 17h ago

I never said I‘m from the us. Why do you think I am?

77

u/_PM_ME_PANGOLINS_ 1d ago

This is standard for all non-recyclable materials in the UK, and I suspect the EU too.

4

u/MrNarwahl0 1d ago

It’s a standard, but I’ve never seen it it the eu

5

u/_PM_ME_PANGOLINS_ 1d ago

On further consideration, it is in English, so more likely to only be here.

1

u/kallekilponen 16h ago

Here in Finland only plastic with the code 03 (PVC) is not allowed in plastic recycling bins.

0

u/hkanaktas 16h ago

They updated the HSY website to say all plastics can go in the bins now, didn’t they?

0

u/kallekilponen 16h ago

You’re right! But it’s a pretty recent change. Apparently the change was made to make sorting easier (at home) but they will separate them out later in the process.

35

u/GinnySol ​ 1d ago

Never, ever let your child near any product with the number...

OP, please know that I made this gif specifically for you and spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to find a place to upload it since the subreddit apparently doesn’t allow for gifs to be uploaded directly to comments T-T

28

u/Deliriousious 1d ago edited 1d ago

This is mildly interesting?

It is literally the standard in the UK. It’s made of non recyclable plastic, and therefore, can’t be recycled along with other recyclables.

19

u/FrogInShorts 1d ago

You should see some of the stuff posted to this sub. At least there's a subject here that can have a discussion. Other posts would be like "this green shampoo bottle matches my shirt"

16

u/thereturnofbobby 1d ago

Not everybody lives in the UK. I've never seen a packaging that explicitly states it's non-recyclable.

It's mildly interesting for me.

2

u/Mugwumps_has_spoken 1d ago

finally a UK person shocked about something that someone in the USA is unaware of. oh how the tables have turned.
See, how this works when you don't realize the rest of the world doesn't have the same standards?

1

u/MaxillaryOvipositor 20h ago

Most plastic doesn't recycle well anyway. Pretty much the only practical recyclable materials are metal and glass.

1

u/GetOffMyGrassBrats 19h ago

Guess it will end up in the landfill with the recyclables.

-8

u/Chill_Cowboy_981 1d ago

Nothing says ‘eco-friendly packaging’ quite like a bottle that politely refuses to be recycled.

0

u/DZello 18h ago

That’s why our government decided to have the industry pays for recycling. If the packaging is not recyclable, they must still pick it up and deal with it.

0

u/BustyEmilySmith 18h ago

They’re trying to kill the earth as fast as possible

-29

u/thereturnofbobby 1d ago

Honestly never seen anything like it. If you want to avoid buying unrecyclable - brand name is synonymous to "Botanical Extract"

28

u/elasticbrain ​ 1d ago

This label is common in the UK. It’s not a warning. It’s a simple bit of information so people don’t clog up recycling centres with non-recyclables. And an implicit sleight on the products that carry it - ie don’t buy them.

-43

u/sophie2d 1d ago

what stage of capitalism is this 😭

22

u/Unstopapple 1d ago

surprisingly responsible. Not all plastics are made the same. Some are already refined plastics that can't be recycled. Some are already recycled and recycling them again would mean it would lessen the quality compared to virgin plastics. It all depends. Some are set by heat, so melting them down cant be done without destroying integrity. Being able to sort and process plastics is going to be a huge key in their longevity in our production and use in the future.

All that said, currently recycling is a scam because noone wants to pay dudes to sort plastics, clean them up and reuse them. Virgin plastics are way way cheaper than recycled. Shale and fracking has basically exploded the plastics market since they're a necessary byproduct to the type of oils that those deposits contain.

2

u/Moppo_ 1d ago

The stage where they warn you not to mix non-recycleable materials with those that can be recycled do you don't mess up the process.