Plastic 4 — LDPE (low-density polyethylene)
Plastic 4 — LDPE (low-density polyethylene)
Low-density polyethylene — carrier bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, squeeze bottles, six-pack rings.
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What it looks like
A triangle with 4 inside and LDPE below. Usually a film or a squeezable bottle.
What it means
Chemically the same family as HDPE and just as stable in contact with food, but its usual form is the problem: thin film wraps around the spinning shafts in a sorting plant and shuts the line down, so almost no kerbside scheme takes it. Supermarket front-of-store bag collections exist for exactly this reason and do work. Softens around 90 °C, so it is not a hot-liquid material even though it is a safe one.
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 2 — HDPE (high-density polyethylene) | High-density polyethylene — milk jugs, detergent and bleach bottles, shampoo, yoghurt drink bottles. |
| Plastic 3 — PVC or V (polyvinyl chloride) | Polyvinyl chloride — pipe, window frames, blister packs, faux leather, garden hose, some cling film. |
| 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 4 — ldpe (low-density polyethylene) symbol mean?
- Low-density polyethylene — carrier bags, bread bags, bubble wrap, squeeze bottles, six-pack rings.
- What does it look like?
- A triangle with 4 inside and LDPE below. Usually a film or a squeezable bottle.
Related pages
- Plastic 2 — HDPE (high-density polyethylene) High-density polyethylene — milk jugs, detergent and bleach bottles, shampoo, yoghurt drink bottles.
- 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.
- OPRL — Recycle / Don't Recycle (UK) Whether this specific component is collected by most UK councils.
- 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 2 — HDPE (high-density polyethylene) High-density polyethylene — milk jugs, detergent and bleach bottles, shampoo, yoghurt drink bottles.
- Plastic 3 — PVC or V (polyvinyl chloride) Polyvinyl chloride — pipe, window frames, blister packs, faux leather, garden hose, some cling film.
- 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))