Recycling Plastic in Chile

José
15 feb 2020
2 Min. de lectura

Actualizado: 2 mar 2020

In this post I provide the steps to follow in order to recycle plastic. In this sense, there are different types of plastic, so it's important to know how to differentiate them first. In the end of this post I included an appendix explaining the plastic classification with supporting images as well.

For the moment, the most important thing to know is that plastic is classified with numbers from 1 to 7. This number should be found printed inside a triangle on each product. Therefore, there's no need to know the specifics of each kind, for knowing the number is all you need to choose the right bin to recycle. Notice that if the number indicating the type of plastic isn’t provided, you cannot recycle it.

In Chile, you can recycle the plastics of types: 1, 2, 4 and 5, as indicated by the Ministry of Environment's website.

These are the instructions to recycle:

1. Remove the cap.

2. Remove the label.

3. Rinse and dry.

4. Reduce the package.

5. Deposit in the corresponding container.

Below you can find the types of plastic with some examples of common plastic products of each kind.

Warning: the images provided below are for reference purposes only. You must always check the number code of your products before recycling them.

TYPES OF PLASTIC THAT CAN BE RECYCLED IN CHILE

Plastic #1: PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)

Disposable drink bottles

Clamshell packaging

When recycled, PET plastic is used as fiber fillings for sleeping bags, carpets, ropes and cushions.

Plastic #2: HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)

Detergent bottles

Shampoo bottles

Milk bottles

When recycled, HDPE plastic is used to build plant pots, trash containers and detergent bottles.

Plastic #4: LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene)

Supermarket plastic bags

Stretch wrap films

When recycled, LDPE products become supermarket bags.

Plastic #5: PP (Polypropylene)

Bottle caps

Polypropylene chairs

When recycled, PP plastics become car battery boxes

Plastic #6: PS (Polystyrene or Styrofoam)

Even though by the time i'm writing this post the information available on the Ministry of Environment website indicates that this type of plastic isn't recycled in Chile, I found out that there is a company called TriCiclos that does the job. Here you can fin their clean disposal points.