Questions about recycling vinyl packaging
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How do I recognise a PVC Bottle or Container?
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PVC is indicated by the Plastics Identification Code No. 3.
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Look for the code on the base of packaging, containers and bottles. Bottles include those which are intended for storage of cordial, rice, sugar and edible oil, as well as smaller bottles used for honey and juices.
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Why do the different plastics need to be separated?
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Bottles and other packaging are manufactured from a variety of plastics. Each type has a different chemical composition or polymer. Compatibility between the polymers is not high as they have different melt temperatures. Plastics must be separated into each polymer stream to boost their value as a recyclable/reusable resource. Workers at Materials Recovery Facilities (MRF) sort the materials collected from the kerbside. For more information on plastics recycling, review the QuickStart fact sheet Design for end of life produced by the Victorian Government and PACIA.
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Can dirty bottles be recycled?
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Any contamination may make the recyclate unworkable. The recycling processor needs to remove all contamination: dirt, printing ink, paper, foils or incompatible plastics. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) can bear a higher level of contamination than polyethylene terephthalate (PET), making PVC somewhat less problematic to recycle.
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What happens when a decorative sleeve is a different polymer to the bottle?
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Decorative or shrink sleeves are popular and PVC is a common choice for this design feature. The sleeve provides colour and can be moulded around the base bottle. However, difficulties can arise with recycling such bottles, due to the incompatibility of the plastics. The Vinyl Council recommends any polymer sleeves and labels that are used on plastic bottles be compatible with the container polymer.
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