Which Plastics Are the Least Recyclable?

Pick up any plastic item in your home, and there’s a good chance you’ll see a familiar symbol of three looping arrows, the universal sign for recycling. The numbers inside the arrows represent resin identification codes, a classification created by the industry to denote different kinds of plastics. It’s a symbol commonly associated with environmentalism, a sunny reminder that we can always reduce, reuse — and recycle. As we face a global plastic crisis, it’s comfor