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· 5 min read
Top 3 Recycling Code Lookup Alternatives
Heshan Fernando
Co-founder & COO
You are standing at the bin holding a yoghurt pot with a small triangle on the bottom and a 5 inside it. The question is simple and the answer is not obvious: what is this made of, and does it go in the recycling?
The confusion is baked into the symbol itself. The chasing-arrows triangle looks like a recycling instruction and is not one — it is a resin identification code, which tells you what plastic the item is made from and nothing about whether your local service will take it. Those are two different facts, and treating the first as the second is why contaminated recycling loads are such a persistent problem.
How to judge a recycling code reference
Does it distinguish resin type from recyclability? The code identifies material. Acceptance is a local matter and no chart can settle it.
Does it cover all seven codes? 1 and 2 are widely accepted; 3 through 7 are where the useful detail lives.
Does it name real-world examples? “Polypropylene” means less than “yoghurt pots and bottle caps” when you are holding the item.
Is it a chart or a lookup? A chart makes you scan seven rows. A lookup takes the number you have.
The comparison
| Tool | Best for | Free tier | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia: Resin identification code | The authoritative definition and full code list | Free, no account | Encyclopaedic depth rather than a quick practical answer |
| Earth911 recycling codes infographic | A visual chart plus local recycling search | Free to use | US-oriented, so local acceptance guidance may not apply elsewhere |
| Almanac plastics guide | Plain-language explanation of each code with uses | Free to read | Article format, so you scroll to find your number |
Facts checked August 2026; plans can change.
Wikipedia: Resin identification code
For getting the concept right, this is the best source on the list. It sets out what the codes are, who administers them, and — crucially — that they identify resin type rather than indicating recyclability, which is the single most misunderstood point in the whole category.
It is a reference article, not a practical aid. If you want to know what to do with the pot in your hand right now, you are reading past standards history to reach the table.
Earth911 recycling codes infographic
Earth911 pairs a clear visual chart of the seven codes with something more useful than any chart: a recycling locator that tells you what is accepted near you. Since acceptance is genuinely local, a tool that can answer the local half is doing more than a code reference can.
Its guidance is oriented to the US. The resin codes themselves are international, but the acceptance advice attached to them will not transfer to a council in the UK or a municipality elsewhere.
Almanac plastics guide
The Almanac’s guide is the most readable of the three. It walks through codes 1 to 7 with the products each is typically used for and notes on safety and reuse, in plain language aimed at someone who is not a materials scientist.
It is an article. There is no input field, so finding your number means scrolling — fine once, mildly tedious as a repeated reference.
Recycling Symbol Lookup
Ours is the lookup version: enter the number inside the triangle and it returns the resin type it represents and general notes on recyclability. One input, one answer, no scrolling. It runs entirely in your browser.
The limitation is the one that constrains every tool in this category, and it is worth being blunt about it. It can tell you that a 5 is polypropylene; it cannot tell you whether your kerbside collection accepts polypropylene, because that depends entirely on your local authority or waste contractor and changes over time. Our notes are general. The only authoritative answer to “does this go in my bin” comes from whoever empties it.
Which one to pick
- If you want to understand what the codes are and are not, read the Wikipedia article.
- If you are in the US and want to know what is accepted near you, Earth911’s locator answers the question that matters.
- If you want a plain-language walkthrough of all seven, the Almanac guide reads best.
- If you have a number and want the material in two seconds, use ours.
How to do it with Recycling Symbol Lookup
- Find the triangle on the item, usually moulded into the base.
- Open the Recycling Symbol Lookup and enter the number inside it.
- Read the resin type and the general notes.
- Check your local authority’s accepted materials list before binning it. More environmental tools are in the tools directory.
You might also need
- Compost vs Landfill Impact Estimator — for the organic waste that should never have gone in a bin at all.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free recycling code lookup that doesn’t need an account?
Yes — all three references above are free without registering, and ours requires no account because the site has no signup at all.
Does the recycling triangle mean an item is recyclable?
No, and this is the central confusion. The US EPA’s guidance on recycling makes the point that the resin code identifies the plastic type, while whether an item is actually recycled depends on local collection, sorting capability, and end markets. Many items carrying a code are not accepted anywhere near you.
Which plastic codes are most widely accepted?
1 (PET) and 2 (HDPE) are the most commonly collected — drinks bottles and milk jugs. Codes 3 through 7 vary enormously by area, and 7 is a catch-all “other” category that can contain almost anything.
Final thought
Use the code to learn what the item is, then use your local list to learn where it goes. Putting hopeful plastic in the recycling makes the load worse, not better.