Plastic 6 — PS (polystyrene)
Plastic 6 — PS (polystyrene)
Polystyrene — disposable cups and cutlery, meat trays, foam packaging, CD cases, yoghurt pots in some markets.
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What it looks like
A triangle with 6 inside and PS below. Either rigid and glass-clear, or white expanded foam.
What it means
Almost never collected kerbside. Expanded foam is over 95% air, so it costs more to transport than the recovered material is worth, and several jurisdictions have banned it for food service outright. Residual styrene monomer can migrate into food, and it does so faster with heat and fat, which is the argument against hot drinks and oily takeaways in foam containers. Rigid PS is brittle and cracks rather than flexes, which is how CD cases and cheap cutlery break the way they do.
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 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 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 6 — ps (polystyrene) symbol mean?
- Polystyrene — disposable cups and cutlery, meat trays, foam packaging, CD cases, yoghurt pots in some markets.
- What does it look like?
- A triangle with 6 inside and PS below. Either rigid and glass-clear, or white expanded foam.
Related pages
- Plastic 3 — PVC or V (polyvinyl chloride) Polyvinyl chloride — pipe, window frames, blister packs, faux leather, garden hose, some cling film.
- 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 7 — OTHER Anything that is not codes 1 to 6 — a catch-all, not a material.
- 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 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 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))