Plastic 2 — HDPE (high-density polyethylene)
Plastic 2 — HDPE (high-density polyethylene)
High-density polyethylene — milk jugs, detergent and bleach bottles, shampoo, yoghurt drink bottles.
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What it looks like
A triangle with 2 inside and HDPE below. Often an opaque or milky bottle rather than a clear one.
What it means
Stiff, chemically stable and accepted kerbside almost everywhere, which together make it the most reliably recycled plastic after PET. It has no plasticisers to migrate and a melting point around 130 °C, so it is considered one of the safest for food and for repeated use, though it goes cloudy and brittle after long UV exposure. Natural HDPE — the uncoloured, milky sort — is worth more as scrap than pigmented HDPE, which is why milk bottles have stayed translucent.
Defined by ASTM D7611. Where a symbol differs between standards, the difference is described above rather than resolved — both versions are in circulation on real labels.
Other plastic resin codes symbols
| Symbol | Means |
|---|---|
| Resin identification code (the number in a triangle) | Which plastic the item is made of. It is not a statement that the item is recyclable. |
| Plastic 1 — PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) | Polyethylene terephthalate — clear drinks bottles, salad and fruit punnets, oven-ready trays. |
| Plastic 3 — PVC or V (polyvinyl chloride) | Polyvinyl chloride — pipe, window frames, blister packs, faux leather, garden hose, some cling film. |
| Plastic 4 — LDPE (low-density polyethylene) | Low-density polyethylene — carrier bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, squeeze bottles, six-pack rings. |
| Plastic 5 — PP (polypropylene) | Polypropylene — yoghurt pots, margarine tubs, takeaway containers, bottle caps, microwave dishes, kettles. |
| Plastic 6 — PS (polystyrene) | Polystyrene — disposable cups and cutlery, meat trays, foam packaging, CD cases, yoghurt pots in some markets. |
| Plastic 7 — OTHER | Anything that is not codes 1 to 6 — a catch-all, not a material. |
| Plastic 7 marked PC — polycarbonate | Polycarbonate — a rigid, transparent, impact-resistant plastic made using bisphenol A. |
| Plastic 7 marked PLA — polylactic acid | Polylactic acid — a compostable bioplastic made from fermented plant sugars, usually maize. |
Common questions
- What does the plastic 2 — hdpe (high-density polyethylene) symbol mean?
- High-density polyethylene — milk jugs, detergent and bleach bottles, shampoo, yoghurt drink bottles.
- What does it look like?
- A triangle with 2 inside and HDPE below. Often an opaque or milky bottle rather than a clear one.
Related pages
- Plastic 4 — LDPE (low-density polyethylene) Low-density polyethylene — carrier bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, squeeze bottles, six-pack rings.
- Plastic 5 — PP (polypropylene) Polypropylene — yoghurt pots, margarine tubs, takeaway containers, bottle caps, microwave dishes, kettles.
- Resin identification code (the number in a triangle) Which plastic the item is made of. It is not a statement that the item is recyclable.
- Resin identification code (the number in a triangle) Which plastic the item is made of. It is not a statement that the item is recyclable.
- Plastic 1 — PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) Polyethylene terephthalate — clear drinks bottles, salad and fruit punnets, oven-ready trays.
- Plastic 3 — PVC or V (polyvinyl chloride) Polyvinyl chloride — pipe, window frames, blister packs, faux leather, garden hose, some cling film.
- Plastic 4 — LDPE (low-density polyethylene) Low-density polyethylene — carrier bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, squeeze bottles, six-pack rings.
- Plastic 5 — PP (polypropylene) Polypropylene — yoghurt pots, margarine tubs, takeaway containers, bottle caps, microwave dishes, kettles.
- Plastic 6 — PS (polystyrene) Polystyrene — disposable cups and cutlery, meat trays, foam packaging, CD cases, yoghurt pots in some markets.
- Plastic 7 — OTHER Anything that is not codes 1 to 6 — a catch-all, not a material.
- Plastic 7 marked PC — polycarbonate Polycarbonate — a rigid, transparent, impact-resistant plastic made using bisphenol A.
- Plastic 7 marked PLA — polylactic acid Polylactic acid — a compostable bioplastic made from fermented plant sugars, usually maize.
Sources
- US Environmental Protection Agency — EPA (Public domain (US Government))