In the News

New ASTM Standard for Plastic Products to be Based on RIC System

Jan 29, 2009

ASTM International, the voluntary standards organization, has announced that it is developing a standard for marking plastic products based upon the resin identification code (RIC) system developed by the Society for the Plastics Industry (SPI). The proposed new standard, WK20632, "Practice for Marking Plastic Products for Identification in Reuse and Recycling," is intended to facilitate the recycling of post-consumer plastic articles.

In 1988, SPI developed the RIC system identifying the six thermoplastic resins most commonly used to manufacture bottles and containers as a way to facilitate sorting during the recycling process. The resin types identified in the SPI system are as follows:

1. Polyethylene terephthalate (PETE);
2. High density polyethylene (HDPE);
3. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl);
4. Low density polyethylene (LDPE);
5. Polypropylene (PP);
6. Polystyrene (PS); and
7. "Other" resins not covered by numbers 1 through 6.

The SPI system also recommends the use of the code "7-Other" for multimaterial blends or multilayer structures composed of more than one type of resin. Multilayer plastic containers that are predominantly composed of a single resin may be coded on the basis of the predominant resin content, provided that the other resins in the container are compatible in recycling systems for the predominant resin.

As part of the effort to promote recycling of plastic containers, SPI encouraged the adoption of its RIC system by states and other jurisdictions. Since 1988, thirty-nine states have enacted legislation on the use of RICs that is consistent with the SPI system, and a modified version of the RIC system (known as the "zero plus" numbering, e.g., "01") is in use in the United Kingdom and China.

The proposed ASTM standard will provide for the use of existing RICs while expanding the types of covered products to resin types not currently covered under codes 1-6, which could increase the number of recyclable materials. The new ASTM standard also will allow for flexibility to use the "zero plus" system. ASTM aims to create a dynamic standard that will allow stakeholders to participate in future revisions and reflect changing needs in recycling and reuse.

Standard WK20632 currently is under development by ASTM International's Subcommittee D20.95, part of the Committee D20 on Plastics focused on recycling. SPI is working cooperatively with ASTM International to adapt the RIC system to an international standard for universal application.