• Not all materials can be recycled.recycle image by Georgios Kollidas from Fotolia.com
  
  Although recycling is great for the environment, you can't just throw any old item into a bin. Restrictions apply, especially when it comes to plastics, and can vary based upon your location. Most plastic items have labels with a number code; items labeled with the numbers one, two and six are the most commonly recycled items. Labeled items with a three, four, five or seven are non-recyclable in most areas.
  
  

Label #3

• If you find an item with a number three on the label, it typically means the product is vinyl or PVC and can't be recycled. This is because these materials contain chlorine and therefore can release harmful dioxins. Medical equipment, piping, siding and detergent bottles are just some types of vinyl or PVC products that typically contain a number three packaging label. Putting plastic that is not recyclable with recyclable plastic can hinder the recycling process.
  
  

Label #4

• Although some areas will accept items with a number four label for recycling, most will not. A number four label indicates the item is a low-density polyethylene. This category typically includes plastic bags, such as frozen food bags and shopping bags. Bendable bottles also fit into this category, such as travel containers used to carry shampoo. "The Daily Green," though, reports that "more and more communities" are beginning to permit number four labeled items.
  
  

Label #5

• Items with a label containing the number five are typically called polypropylenes. This type of plastic can't be recycled because it contain dyes, plasticizers and chemicals used to form a shape. For instance, some yogurt cups, straws, ketchup bottles and salad dressing bottles are considered to be number fives.
  
  

Label #7

• If an item contains a label with the number seven, it typically belongs to a miscellaneous type of plastic that can't be recycled. Number seven plastics sometimes contain polyactides and polycarbonates. These chemicals are often found in nylon, DVDs, sunglasses and even large water bottles.