SPI POLICY STATEMENT ON THE RESIN IDENTIFICATION CODE

The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) developed a voluntary resin identification coding system in 1988 at the urging of recyclers around the country. These codes, permanently affixed to any plastic container, identify the resin from which the container is produced, thereby facilitating the separation and marketing of the materials.

As adopted by 39 states and recognized internationally, the resin identification code offers a means of identifying resin content of bottles and containers commonly found in the residential waste stream by enabling recyclers and the public to sort the bottles and containers by resin type. The resin identification code as developed by SPI consists of the numerals 1–7, surrounded by the Mobius loop (the chasing arrows symbol).

To encourage widespread, public use, the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., did not claim any intellectual property rights to the resin identification code.

The resin identification code as developed by SPI is not, and never was intended, to be an indicator of "recyclability/"

It is the policy of the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., that any future proposed changes to the resin identification code from its use and designations as outlined above do not require the assent or approval of the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc.

Approved by the SPI Board of Directors, March 16, 2007

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