Plastic types and corresponding labelling

There are dozens of different types of plastics and that is necessary to be careful with them because of the chemicals used to develop them. The two most concerning types of chemicals in plastics are phthalates and bisphenols, usually added to plastics to make them flexible and soft.

In general, there are seven main types of plastic:

1 – PET (polyethylene terephthalate)

2 – HDPE (high density polyethylene)

3 – PVC (polyvinyl chloride)

4 – LDPE (low density polyethylene)

5 – PP (polypropylene)

6 – PS (polystyrene)

7 – OTHER (other plastics)

But it is important to underline that not all types of plastic are bad. Some plastics, such as PET, HDPE and PP, in addition to making our lives easier, are harmless to our bodies and can be reused many times.