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. |