The Resin Identification Code (RIC), the number in the triangle on the bottom of plastic containers, indicates what resin was used to manufacture the container. The RIC system was designed to make sorting easier for Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs). The number has no bearing on the degree to which a particular item is or isn’t recyclable as a practical matter. Technically, most plastic items can be recycled into another form - but “recyclability” is a matter of whether there is a buyer for the recovered plastic. If nobody wants to buy the recovered plastic (likely because there’s no plastics manufacturing or processing nearby), then that plastic isn’t going to be recycled. Because your recycling collector may or may not be able to sell a type of resin, follow your recycling collector's guidelines regarding what plastics they accept.
Choose to Refuse. Say NO to purchasing items that are not ultimately recyclable. Single-use plastic items have an average life span of 15 minutes before they are thrown away—and much of it ends up as litter!
Next time you have a choice, refuse single-use plastic bags, water bottles, cups, and straws and instead opt for reusable bags, refillable beverage containers, and paper or washable metal straws. Take your own containers from home for any leftovers; use your own cutlery for take-out or delivered meals.
The only plastic generally accepted in Fairfax County curbside recycling programs include bottles, jugs, and dairy containers. Please rinse before discarding at home or at one of the County’s drop-off centers at I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill to avoid contamination..
