How to Tell if a Piece of Plastic is Recyclable

A big thanks goes out to MyHeritage for sponsoring this video. You can buy a DNA kit here bit.ly/BrothersMake and use the code ‘Brothers’ for free shipping. Supporting our sponsors helps keep us in the workshop and saving more plastic from becoming pollution 🤙🏽
This video has been a LONG time coming, but we finally got round to showing you guys a load of different ways in which you can work out what a piece of plastic even if it doesn't have a marking on. Unfortunately, it seems as though plastic manufacturing companies are still getting away with not marking their plastic, which makes it very difficult to work out what it is and whether or not you can recycle it.
In the video we cover the different between elastomers, thermosetting plastics and thermoplastics. We also show you what the Resin ID codes (recycling symbols) look like on plastic when they are there. Our favourite way to separate plastic is using float separation. You can use a number of commonly-available liquids (water, oil, sat water, alcohol etc) and see if plastic sinks or floats. Depending on what they do will give you an idea of the density of the plastic and therefore, what type it is.
If you are identifying and separating lots of plastic regularly, then the PlasTell by Matoha might be the perfect solution for you. This can tell you what plastic is using infrared light.
- PlasTell by Matoha: matoha.com/plastics-identific...
- The Science: matoha.com/basics-of-near-inf...
To find out more about plastic, the Precious Plastic website is a great place to start. They have lots of downloadable information within their starter kits that can help with plastic identification.
- Precious Plastic - The Basics: shorturl.at/ijwDO
- Precious Plastic - Going Nerdy: shorturl.at/vRU23
#BrothersMake #HDPE #PlasticRecycling #HDPERecycling #RecycledPlastic #RecycledPlasticBottles #PreciousPlastic #PlasTell #Matoha
♻️♻️♻️
Get started recycling by checking out our EQUIPMENT links:
amzn.eu/6VlmURY
Check out our WEBSITE and online SHOP:
www.brothersmake.com/shop
You can also buy our products on ETSY:
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Brothers...
Consider supporting us on PATREON:
/ brothersmake
Follow us on INSTAGRAM:
/ brothersmake
Follow us on TIKTOK:
/ brothersmake
Link to our MERCH store:
teespring.com/en-GB/stores/br...
Check out our PLAYLIST with all of our HDPE videos:
bit.ly/2SARcTo
♻️♻️♻️
FAQ:
➡️ We sell 100% plastic products on our website! www.brothersmake.com/shop
➡️ We don't buy any of our plastic. It all comes from collection and donations. We have a video all about it: bit.ly/2RsbhKA
➡️ Our workshop is powered 100% by renewable energy. We don’t use any energy from fossil fuels whatsoever.
♻️♻️♻️
Music by Epidemic Sound

[@BrothersMake]

A big thanks goes out to MyHeritage for sponsoring this video. You can buy a DNA kit here bit.ly/BrothersMake and use the code ‘Brothers’ for free shipping.

[@mofolk8896]

🇨🇦My Heritage is great! I got soooo many European matches when I used their test ❤ (as opposed to say, five, from Another company)

[@nunyabitnezz2802]

In the United States the bottles have codes but the caps don’t. You noticed with the Cadbury lid, a US based company.

[@nunyabitnezz2802]

Zippo makes an electronic insert now. Those guts never fail to make flame!

[@orange-micro-fiber9740]

Pet is used a bunch in 3d printing. Cnc kitchen did a video on turning pet bottles into filament which can then be extruded. It's neat!

[@moth.monster]

PET itself isn't commonly used for purpose-made 3D print filament, because PETG - where the G stands for "glycol modified", as the ethylene glycol used in production is replaced with CHDM (cyclohexanedimethanol) instead. This reduces the melting point, and prevents crystallization, which makes for a material that prints easier as it warps much less. PET pull-struders are still quite a fun niche though, as the properties of plain ol' PET are still good enough for many prints, and the fact that you can get PET for basically free out of the trash helps make it worth it..

[@TheDiskdaddy]

Printing all the bits for the Recreator3D as I type this :)

[@georgiepepper6317]

@@TheDiskdaddyb

[@TheStigma]

Tips for float test: a very tiny amount of dish detergent (less than a drop, assuming your plastic is relatively clean already) will help break the surface tension of the water in the float test and create less false identifications when dealing with plastic that are very close to the water density. If you get real geeky, you can actually separate out by density much more specifically then this by using other mixtures than pure water. If you add some common table salt for example, the water will start to weigh more. If you accurately measure the water density then you can determine exactly the density of the material, which can often uniquely identify what it is, or at least narrow down the options to just a few. (I see this is sort of covered later in the video) Another useful thing to know is that all plastics that float in this test can not be easily painted (or glued). They either need a special plastic primer (which honestly is not guaranteed to work well either), or ideally they should be flame-treated on the surface. You can look up how to do that in another video. Not all the plastics that sink are guaranteed to accept paint well, but most of the common ones are workable, at least with a light scuff sanding and/or primer.

[@eugenetswong]

That's a great idea. This means that if the plastic is going to be washed, then we might as well do the float test at the same time.

[@ericeinsmann5559]

Very informative! While I think the Plas-tell device is cost prohibitive for most people, the various water/oil/alcohol tests are much more useful! I have a garage full of kitty litter containers where the container itself is clearly hdpe, but the nice red lid is not labeled. If I test one and it too is hdpe, great! The next step is for me to build my plastic shredder (and for it to actually work😮)

[@BrothersMake]

I’m glad it was helpful! Yes that would be a great resource. Good luck with the shredder build!

[@eugenetswong]

@@BrothersMakeand Eric, I agree that these tests are so useful. Thank you so much, brothers!

[@AverageJillM]

Yes, it is a shame that the Plas-tell is so expensive. It is about 10x what I was hoping to spend. Now I remember why I wanted to make recycling plastic into filament into a business instead of a hobby, but my family is only willing to support a hobby, because of space. Plas-tell plus grinder plus filament extruder equals a lot of money.

[@Kargoneth]

Informative. Very useful. The alcohol and water mixture was interesting because you were reducing the density of the mixture. A hydrometer would allow you to determine the density of the liquid.

[@Kargoneth]

Not to be confused with a hygrometer, which measures humidity.

[@KinneKitsune]

Wow, so all and only the plastics safe to home recycle float!

[@Sobou]

Excellent video! This is the kind of informative, easy-to-understand, instructional video I've been looking for that seems to be completely missing from the internet. The float/sink liquid tests are bloody brilliant! Thank you Brothers! Now I need some chips...

[@BrothersMake]

Super kind of you man, thanks so much! Haha, we'll make ya some 🍟

[@meiloslyther]

Oh my god, thank you! I've been collecting milk jugs at home, but the caps aren't marked. Just by the feel I'm pretty sure they're HDPE, but now I can make sure. They're red, so they'll certainly add some interest to whatever I decide to make out of the boring white/translucent jugs.

[@selaazib]

The spiky haired one is such a mood

[@pat_link_]

Brilliant video thanks for going into so much detail

[@BrothersMake]

Thanks for watching Pat!

[@Mg-kd7hp]

​@@BrothersMake😢😢gh😢h😮hh³³😮h😮😮hy

[@s.s.6661]

Really appreciate the content you guys make! I'm going to start up my own upcycling channel where I'll work with recycling plastic bags at home (among other things) and once I do I'm def linking a bunch of your guys's vids for further watching!

[@BrothersMake]

Thanks so much, can't wait to see your content, be sure to link us!

[@Ylime00120]

This is SO HELPFUL!!! THANK YOU!

[@BrothersMake]

You're more than welcome!

[@aleksandrakim4925]

Hey! Good to see you doing this with such enthusiasm, it's riveting and contagious! Also, haven't seen a project of yours made of plastic other than hdpe (or am I missing something)? All the best to you two!

[@creativusme]

Thank you! I really needed it!

[@BrothersMake]

Awesome!

[@IvanWizard-Karl]

fantastic video lads, super helpful info

[@BrothersMake]

Thank you! So glad it’s helpful :)

[@Mark_Agamotto1313_Smith]

For those plastics that can't be recycled, or safely recycled, there is always upcycling. Like, using a jug to make a scoop or holster. Oops, I put can when I meant can't. Sorry. Edited to correct.

[@BrothersMake]

Absolutely! Reuse and repurpose are both > Recycle any time.

[@Mark_Agamotto1313_Smith]

@@BrothersMake Whoops, I made a typo, that you brought my attention to, indirectly. Corrected it.

[@Kargoneth]

Indeed. Reduce, reuse, recycle, in that order of priority. Better to reuse, whenever possible, than to recycle.

[@Eidolon1andOnly]

The "thoroughness poke" is crucial.

[@BrothersMake]

Wouldn’t be a fair test without it!

[@leandrogaldeano7731]

I really liked this video! It almost felt like your first videos when you were more shy in front of the camera. This informative format is great. Well done bros!

[@BrothersMake]

Ah thanks so much man, that's great to hear - especially from a long-term sub! We're trying to move our presentation style more this way, slightly more casual and chatty, and not having anything scripted. Bit of a learning curve, but it's more fun!

[@user-he4ti2ps5p]

Your lessons provide a lot of useful information. Thank you. Tell me, is it possible to mix numbers 2, 4 and 5 with each other?

[@DevinJuularValentine]

Please could you go through your washing process? Some new coke lids have the most obnoxious white print on them and it takes me ages to remove it! Plus it seems no matter how much I wash white plastic lids, I always miss something and get caramelized whatever embedded into my sheets

[@BrothersMake]

We made a video all about how we clean and process our plastic a few years ago. We don’t bother getting the print off! It usually vaporises in the injection moulder. The white lids are a pain indeed. We stick to shampoo bottles as our main source of white 🤙🏽

[@andymanaus1077]

Great video. Thanks.

[@BrothersMake]

Thanks Andy!

[@GavinConwayWoodworkBBQ]

Can you mix #2 #4 #5 together to make pen blanks?

[@TheCreativeContentHub]

The parkway drive shirt !!!

[@racheljames9187]

This is awesome... thank you :)

[@BrothersMake]

You’re so welcome!

[@beccalee199]

Really nice work, you two put so much effort into the things you do. 👏 Just a question. When you did the water test, some of the plastics were sinking, is it the same in the oceans, or are more plastic types floating because the seawater has a higher density? 🤔

[@BrothersMake]

Thanks so much! This one did take a long time to put together ☺️ As with the salt test a little later on in the video you’ll find that polystyrene (♻️6) and a number of ‘Other’ (♻️7) plastics with similar densities will float, but PET, PVC and a whole load of others will most definitely sink. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is certainly a huge issue in the ocean, and efforts to clean it up are progressing. But possibly a bigger and much more difficult to solve issue is all the plastic at the bottom!

[@DaveGDesigns]

Well done boys very informative and shows yet another area of your work that takes time and knowledge as well as equipment. Keep up the good work and when will we see a recycled plastic hinge? #hof

[@BrothersMake]

Thanks Dave! This one took a lot of research 😅 hinges coming soon! 😉 #hof #iykyk

[@ahmedgharib6357]

Thanks for the great video. Have you ever invited any one to your workshop to learn ? I’m doing my researches now to start and I would love to get some hands on training before diving deep. Would appreciate if I can come to your workshop for couple of days and get some advise from the pros 💪🏻

[@lordsp]

Signed for Patreon. Freaking amazing what you guys do. AMAZING - On the PET, haven't you considered recycling it into 3D Printer Filament?

[@BrothersMake]

Ah that's amazing, thanks so much man - great to have you! Yeah it's definitely something we want to look into, it's just about getting it into something consistent enough to print with - but one on the list!

[@lordsp]

@@BrothersMake here where I live in Argentina PET is “recycled” but since no one separates trash this is super inefficient and you can constantly see bottles everywhere. My idea is to be able collect PET on scale (creating my own “deposit system” where I pay people a small fee for clean, whole bottles) and turn it into PET filament I can then sell back to cover fees for pet collection and donate the filament to rural schools so that they have filament for 3D printing projects.

[@jhsevs]

11:30 what soap/detergent do you use in your washing station?

[@dadoVRC]

Well done! 🤟🤟

[@BrothersMake]

Thank you!

[@dadoVRC]

@@BrothersMake (I'm Davide from Precious Plastic Romagna, this KZbin profile is old and I'm too lazy to make a dedicated precious plastic profile, just to let you know who I am 😉).

[@BrothersMake]

Haha, gotcha! 🤙🏽

[@rayanelsolh6852]

How do you deal with recycling plastics like HDPE, when the companies do not publish the additives (could be toxic) and dyes used when creating them? Thanks :D Great videos!

[@BrothersMake]

There’s not really a good way around that unfortunately. We use filtration to protect from any fumes. Check out our safety video for all the info 🤙🏽

[@rayanelsolh6852]

Thank you :D, I am trying to create a precious plastics workspace at my school. Your videos are a great motivation!

[@noaccount2494]

Still hoping one day you'll find out if there's a way to safely color transparent/white plastic sinc I've been hoarding so many bottle caps lol. This was super helpful video

[@danielworley5756]

So I'm trying to figure out what type of plastic kids toys are made of. I see them in dumpsters a lot and can get my hands on quite a bit to recycle if I can. Problem is they rarely have resin codes, and I've heard they're pvc and that would make it difficult to recycle.

[@tenchi20229]

Did you forget the link to the Plastell?

[@BrothersMake]

Added! Thanks for the heads up

[@GameAddictYT]

Hello. Amazing video. I would like to know if there's any way to separate HDPE and PP from each other without using Vegetable oil. If we use vegetable oil it will be very hard to clean that and supply. Any suggestions please.

[@BrothersMake]

You can use the alcohol mixture to achieve this as well if you don’t dilute with water

[@SpaghettiEnterprises]

Is it really that important to separate HDPE from LDPE when making things at home? Do they not melt together well?

[@jillrector7176]

In the US our clear amber pharmaceutical bottles that are #5 and there’s no recycling here for them… can you recycle these bottles??

[@joepotter9834]

Have you ever thought of using (spent) shotgun shell plastic

[@volkhen0]

To remove problem with water surface tension you should add a bit of detergent to water which will decrease surface tension. Some of them are really potent and there are one which do not create bubbles.

[@BrothersMake]

Great shout - thank you!

[@trentineer]

Another informative video guys! Loving to see our silver fern on display too! 🇳🇿

[@BrothersMake]

Thanks so much, and of course! 🇳🇿

[@eugenetswong]

Are there any safe products that could help us to weld/glue the products together? I'm under the impression that acetone and/or nail polish remover should work for 1 or more kinds. Also, how do we clean the plastic, when it becomes sticky from other products, like hair care products, touching them?

[@heavyweather]

Acetone works for PLA and ABS.

[@Gr8Success]

not sure if anyone will read this or respond but i made a test in vegetable oil to separate known CPP from HDPE from some bottle lids .. but both sunk ... according to what is said didn't CPP should have floated and HDPE sink ???? i know CPP is not compatible with HDPE and yet i couldn't separate them in the vegetable oil test ...

[@noexplanation4343]

Bruh why you gotta sound like I got a script in front of my face SO NOW I gotta read it like this AND NO it is not a misconception of how I’m acutaully capable of making it hAPpen… The thing is… 😂 smh 🤦‍♂️ CREATIVITY!!!! Why have you done me sooooo… i NEEDeD YoU

[@shanereed3767]

I'm sorry to ask this question if you have already answered it but are the regular plastic bags you get from the store reusable like that

[@eDoc2020]

The disposable plastic shopping bags I see in the US are usually HDPE (they have the 2 code) so if you can deal with their "fluffy" nature they can be recycled the same as any other HDPE.

[@jcvargason535]

So can I mix 2, 4, and 5 plastics then?

[@vtolable1353]

Not sure if this will be noticed but I was wondering if you guys could find a way to recycle paper receipts? There's tons of receipts out there. But I've tried to look up a way to reuse them but I'm not finding anything.

[@BrothersMake]

We haven't either I'm afraid, but certainly something we're keen to find out!

[@jamalkhir]

where can i buy the machine that can identify the type of plastic. please update. am keen to buy the DNA kit link cannot be used

[@user-iq2uw5ow4j]

Is it possible to mix “2”, “4” and “5” with each other when casting?

[@bikeandbark1223]

I would like to know this too

[@tesnimabdulhakim8726]

Hi how thank you so much the video i live in Ethiopia I am now start up business by recycling in October 2 I have pick deck for investors and you’re advised

[@nunyabitnezz2802]

Get the new electronic insert for your zippo.

[@designspot9483]

Can you mix HDPE and PP in recycling?

[@BrothersMake]

Please don’t do this! Mixed recycled items will always eventually go to landfill.

[@cerberus4730]

Nice shirt From Nz

[@BrothersMake]

Thanks - nice country! 🇳🇿

[@tonta182]

But how do you tell apart HDPE 100, 300 , 500 and 1000? thats a good question =D

[@ChandrashekarCN]

💖💖💖💖

[@carlosspears564]

Is denatured alcohol the same? Can denatured or isopropyl alcohol be used? Might not be the smartest questions, but if you don't know, ya just don't know. Thanks.

[@BrothersMake]

Yes I think any alcohol would have a similarly low density

[@carlosspears564]

@@BrothersMake Thanks

[@TheTalonts]

Wouldn't it be nice if the world got together and required marking the 1-7?

[@BrothersMake]

It would be extreeemely nice!

[@brycehampton7649]

How about 02 ♻️ milk 🥛 bottles and jugs?

[@db7059]

That should be fine

[@BrothersMake]

They’re the same plastic, but different grades. So they will melt differently

[@markjust86]

1:00 did you get thermoset and thermoplastic the wrong way round on that image???

[@BrothersMake]

Nope

[@markjust86]

Lol I watched the bit about scratching it 3 times before I commented and I still got it wrong. Just watched again and now it says what you said! Not sure what's up with my brain today!!!

[@BrothersMake]

😅 it’s all good!

[@noexplanation4343]

OMG im So ExCiTeD …😂😂😂😂😂 what a punch line… if you still didn’t get it, I meant the video

[@BrothersMake]

I still don't get it I'm afraid, but your comment is appreciated nonetheless.

[@robadoba8497]

Where does ABS land in this lineup? I would like to melt down an old broken drip coffee maker. Not sure what it's made of.

[@BrothersMake]

In ♻️7 ‘Other’ unfortunately!

[@ronyerke9250]

I don't know how much you paid for that Plastell, but today they are advertised for $2500 U.S. Dollars. Yikes!

[@user-he4ti2ps5p]

I watch your videos with interest. Please tell me, are the numbers in the triangle 2 and 02 the same thing?

[@BrothersMake]

Yep they are 👍🏽

[@user-he4ti2ps5p]

Thanks @@BrothersMake

[@crazyt1483]

Just wanted to say to anyone designing a system just make 0 other to allow for future updates and numbering

[@MaltandMake]

I'm not really making chips

[@BrothersMake]

Fun twist, I did actually go on to make chips. But I used the air frier. Maybe I'm playing fast and loose with the word 'fun' there.

[@nl3kevin]

I have a question can you make a video about how to recycle pet bottles

[@darthgbc363]

0:51 You called this a recycling symbol. It is not. It resembles a recycling symbol. Plastic companies ran a marketing campaign to trick (lie) consumers into thinking plastic is safe for the environment. Now I wonder if you guys are part of this marketing campaign. Are you getting paid by the plastic industry?

[@BrothersMake]

We called it that as because that's an easy way to explain what it looks like. But yes, you caught us, we're secretly making millions from the plastic industry, but choose to spend our time collecting and washing bottle tops to cover it up. Busted.