Berry Circular Polymers' Guide to Plastic Recycling Grades

Name: Berry Global, Inc.
Address: 101 Oakley Street, Evansville, Indiana, 47710
Telephone: +1 (877) 662-3779
Price range: £000 - £0000000

April 01, 2022

The UK government aims to increase the plastic packaging recycling rate through the development of a sustainable sector. Having provided plastic recycling services for a wide range of industries since 1999, Berry Circular Polymers intends to fully support these initiatives.

We offer competitive prices for all types of plastic waste, from wheelie bins to utility pipe scrap, and are equipped with the latest technology to convert them into high quality, environmentally-friendly compounds that can be tailored to your exact specifications.

The recycling process varies for different types of plastic depending on their chemical makeup. To differentiate them, the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) devised a classification system with grades that are displayed on plastic packaging as a number within the recycle logo, which is a triangle formed by arrows.

To help our readers better understand the different grades of plastics, Berry Circular Polymers has created a guide that can be viewed below, or downloaded as a PDF for easy reference.

Grade	Properties	Examples	Recycled Products
1 Polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE)	Clarity, toughness, barrier to gas and moisture, heat resistant, sinks in water.	Water bottles, food jars, ovenable film, packaging.	Fibres, drink bottles.
2 High density polyethylene (HDPE)	Toughness, resistance to moisture and chemicals, ease of processing, permeability to gas, floats in water.	Thin products e.g. milk containers, juice bottles, butter tubs, cereal bags, rubbish bags, wheelie bins, caps and closures.	Plastic crates, recycling bins, agricultural pipes, pallets.
3 Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)	Clarity, ease of blending, strength, toughness, versatility, resistance to grease, oil and chemicals, sinks in water.	Bottles for storing cleaning products, plumbing pipes, medical products, building windows.	Pipes, packaging.
4 Low density polyethylene (LDPE)	Ease of processing, strength, toughness, flexibility, ease of sealing, barrier to moisture, floats in water.	Usually thin and pliable e.g. shopping bags, squeeze bottles, disposable gloves, frozen food containers, caps and closures.	Plastic bags, dispensing bottles, tubing.
5 Polypropylene (PP)	Strength, toughness, resistance to heat, chemicals, grease and oil, versatility, barrier to moisture, floats in water.	Condiment bottles, medicine bottles, straws, bottle caps, tupperware, caps and closures, buckets.	Rubbish bins, auto parts, industrial fibres, pots, trays, tubs, crates, pallets.
6 Polystyrene (PS)	Versatility, insulation, clarity, easily formed, sinks in water.	Disposable cups, cutlery, food boxes, packaging foam.	Pots, tubs, trays.
7 Miscellaneous	Comprises plastics that are not defined by the other 6 grades. Normally sinks in water.	A large variety of plastics e.g. baby bottles, compact discs, storage containers, number plates.	Car parts, pallets, storage racking.

News & Insights

Spotlight: Empowering Women in Flexography

We are honored to recognize one of our ReMARKable OneBerry team members for her efforts to support and promote women in the flexographic industry. Jennye Scott is helping to create a space where talented women can connect, learn from each other, and encourage each other’s success. This is just one example of the many team members at Berry using their unique knowledge and experiences to make a difference.

Berry Receives Gold Award for Pet Food Packaging Made with Certified-Circular Plastic

A new pet food flexible packaging portfolio from Berry Global and Peel Plastics Products containing certified-circular plastic has received a Gold Award for Sustainability in the 2024 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards from the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA).

Spotlight: High-Performance Barrier Layer Improves Recyclability of Food Packaging

Berry Global partnered with Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc. to improve the recyclability of food packaging with MXD6, a high-performance barrier solution for extruded articles, such as thermoformed items and extruded plastic tubes and bottles. The MXD6 barrier is recyclable up to 12% and received Critical Guidance recognition from the Association of Plastics Recyclers (APR), validating its compatibility with the Polypropylene (PP) recycling stream. Using MXD6 helps eliminate the performance and compatibility limitations of Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH), including limited recyclability and reprocessing issues that cause degradation and contamination, and offers an alternative during material shortages.

Berry Hosts Its Annual Earth Day Event and Supports Efforts to End Plastic Waste

In honor of Earth Day, we are hosting our annual community event at Berry Global’s headquarters in Evansville, IN. We have been celebrating Earth Day with this event for more than 30 years, giving students tours of our company’s largest manufacturing facility to offer an up-close look at how we are giving plastics multiple lives. Tours for more than 800 elementary students from across the local community include educational presentations and activities from Berry team members and our community partners, helping students understand the importance of reducing, reusing, and recycling in their daily lives.

Let us serve you

If you'd prefer to call us: +1 (877) 662-3779
Contact information for our global facilities can be found via our locations page.

Tell us more about how we can serve you so we can connect you with the right person.

*Required for details, read our Privacy and Cookies Policy