---
title: "Plastic 7 marked PLA — polylactic acid — what it means"
description: "Polylactic acid — a compostable bioplastic made from fermented plant sugars, usually maize. What the symbol looks like, what happens if you ignore it, and where its "
url: https://atoneplace.net/symbol/plastic-7-pla/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Plastic 7 marked PLA — polylactic acid

**Plastic 7 marked PLA — polylactic acid: Polylactic acid — a compostable bioplastic made from fermented plant sugars, usually maize.**

## What it looks like

*[Symbol drawn on the page: Plastic 7 marked PLA — polylactic acid]*

A triangle with 7 inside and PLA below, often with a compostable seedling logo alongside.

## What it means

Cold-drink cups, salad boxes, cutlery, tea bags and most consumer 3D-printing filament. It shares its resin code with polycarbonate and behaves in the opposite way: it is not oil-derived, contains no BPA, and softens around 55–60 °C, which is why a PLA cup collapses in a hot drink or a parked car. Composting it needs an industrial facility running at 55–60 °C; in a home heap, a landfill or the sea it behaves much like ordinary plastic and can persist for years. In a mixed plastics bin it contaminates the PET stream.

> 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 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. |

## Common questions

### What does the plastic 7 marked pla — polylactic acid symbol mean?

Polylactic acid — a compostable bioplastic made from fermented plant sugars, usually maize.

### What does it look like?

A triangle with 7 inside and PLA below, often with a compostable seedling logo alongside.

## Related pages

- [Plastic 7 — OTHER](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/plastic-7-other/)
- [Compostable seedling (EN 13432)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/packaging-compostable-seedling/)
- [Home compostable](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/packaging-home-compostable/)
- [Resin identification code (the number in a triangle)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/plastic-resin-code/)
- [Plastic 1 — PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/plastic-1-pet/)
- [Plastic 2 — HDPE (high-density polyethylene)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/plastic-2-hdpe/)
- [Plastic 3 — PVC or V (polyvinyl chloride)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/plastic-3-pvc/)
- [Plastic 4 — LDPE (low-density polyethylene)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/plastic-4-ldpe/)
- [Plastic 5 — PP (polypropylene)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/plastic-5-pp/)
- [Plastic 6 — PS (polystyrene)](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/plastic-6-ps/)
- [Plastic 7 — OTHER](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/plastic-7-other/)
- [Plastic 7 marked PC — polycarbonate](https://atoneplace.net/symbol/plastic-7-pc/)

## Sources

- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)