Plastic Resin Codes: A Guide For Packaging Buyers

Who this is for: Buyers, product managers, and sustainability leads choosing plastic packaging for UK and European markets.

What you’ll find here: A breakdown of all seven resin types — their properties, real-world applications, UK/EU recyclability, and relevant BlueSky product ranges.

Quick reference table

How to choose the right plastic

Before browsing by resin code, consider your primary requirement:

• Need clarity? → PET (code 1)
• Need chemical or impact resistance? → HDPE (code 2)
• Need flexibility? → LDPE (code 4) or flexible PVC (code 3)
• Filling with hot liquids or hot-fill products? → PP (code 5)
• Need rigid, low-cost single-use packaging? → PS (code 6)
• Need compostable or specialist heat-resistant packaging? → Code 7 (PLA or PC)

The seven resin types

Code 1 — PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)

Properties: Lightweight, strong, and highly transparent. Excellent moisture and gas barrier, making it well suited to products requiring protection from air or humidity.

Typical applications:

• Personal care: shampoo, conditioner, and body wash/lotion bottles
• Healthcare: vitamin and supplement bottles
• Home care: window cleaners, spray bottles

UK/EU recyclability: One of the most widely recycled plastics in the UK. Accepted in most kerbside collections and widely processed. Recycled PET (PCR PET) is used to produce new bottles, textiles, and carpeting. Under the UK Plastic Packaging Tax (effective April 2022), packaging containing less than 30% recycled content is subject to a £228.82/tonne charge — PET’s strong rPET supply chain makes it easier to meet this threshold than most resins.

BlueSky products: PET Bottles, PET Jars

Code 2 — HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)

Properties: Durable with excellent chemical resistance and a high strength-to-density ratio. Less transparent than PET, but tougher and better suited to harsher contents.

Typical applications:

• Personal care: lotion and deodorant bottles
• Healthcare: liquid medicine and pill bottles
• Home care: detergents, bleach, and heavy-duty cleaning products

UK/EU recyclability: Widely recycled and accepted in most UK kerbside collections. Recycled HDPE is used for new containers, pipes, and construction materials. Like PET, a strong rHDPE supply makes it more practical to meet the UK Plastic Packaging Tax 30% recycled content requirement.

BlueSky products: Duma range, HDPE Bottles, HDPE Jars

Code 3 — PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)

Properties: Highly versatile — can be rigid or flexible depending on plasticisers added. Strong resistance to environmental degradation and chemicals.

Typical applications:

• Healthcare: medical tubing, IV bags
• Construction: plumbing pipes, window frames, cable insulation
• Packaging: blister packs, clamshell packaging

UK/EU recyclability: Rarely accepted in kerbside collections due to the release of harmful chlorine compounds during reprocessing. Some specialist construction-sector recycling exists. The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which entered into force in 2024, is expected to place increasing restrictions on PVC in consumer packaging — buyers should consider alternatives where possible.

Note for buyers: Given recyclability challenges and tightening EU regulation, PVC is best reserved for applications where its specific properties (medical-grade flexibility, chemical inertness) are genuinely required.

Code 4 — LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene)

Properties: Soft, flexible, and resistant to moisture. Less dense than HDPE, making it more pliable and suited to squeezable formats.

Typical applications:

• Personal care: squeezable tubes, cosmetic packaging
• Healthcare: over-the-counter cream and ointment tubes
• Home care: plastic wrap, food storage bags, bin liners

UK/EU recyclability: Not accepted in most UK kerbside collections, despite the recycling symbol appearing on many LDPE products. LDPE films and bags can be returned via supermarket drop-off schemes (e.g. most major UK supermarket chains). Buyers should be transparent with end consumers about this distinction to avoid greenwashing exposure under the UK Green Claims Code and EU Green Claims Directive.

BlueSky products: Squeezable/cosmetic tubes

Code 5 — PP (Polypropylene)

Properties: High melting point, strong, lightweight, and resistant to both chemicals and moisture. The go-to resin for products that undergo heat-fill processes or require dishwasher compatibility.

Typical applications:

• Personal care: cream jars, makeup containers, bath salts packaging
• Healthcare: syringe components, medical vials
• Home care: dishwasher-safe containers, bottle caps and closures
• Nutritional products: supplement jars and tubs

UK/EU recyclability: Acceptance is improving. Many UK local authorities now include PP in kerbside collections, though coverage is not universal. Recycled PP (rPP) is used in signal lights, battery cables, and garden furniture. Check your local authority’s guidance if recyclability is a product claim you intend to make.

BlueSky products:  PP straight-sided jars (available in multiple sizes), suitable for personal care, home care, healthcare, and nutritional products.

Code 6 — PS (Polystyrene)

Properties: Can be rigid (clear, hard, brittle) or foamed (expanded polystyrene/EPS). Low cost and easy to mould. Rigid PS is suitable for clear packaging; foamed PS is used for insulation and protective packaging.

Typical applications:

• Food service: disposable cups, cutlery, trays (rigid PS)
• Packaging: protective foam inserts (EPS)
• Consumer goods: CD cases, picture frames (rigid PS)

UK/EU recyclability: Very limited. Neither rigid PS nor foamed EPS is accepted in UK kerbside collections. Specialist recycling exists for some EPS streams. The EU Single-Use Plastics Directive has already banned several PS food service items, and further restrictions are anticipated. For most packaging applications, PS is increasingly difficult to justify on sustainability grounds.

Note for buyers: Unless PS is the only technically viable option for your application, we recommend exploring PET or PP alternatives.

Code 7 — Other plastics (PC, PLA, and others)

Properties: A catch-all category for plastics not covered by codes 1–6. The most relevant sub-types for packaging buyers are:

• Polycarbonate (PC): Extremely strong, impact-resistant, and transparent. Previously common in reusable bottles but now largely phased out due to BPA concerns.
• Polylactic acid (PLA): A bio-based, compostable plastic made from plant starch (typically corn or sugarcane). Looks and feels similar to PET.

Typical applications:

• PC: eyewear, specialist industrial containers, some reusable packaging
• PLA: compostable food packaging, takeaway containers, cold drink cups

UK/EU recyclability: Varies significantly by sub-type. PC can be recycled into items like sunglasses lenses at specialist facilities. PLA is compostable, but only under industrial composting conditions (high heat, controlled humidity) — it will not break down in home compost or standard landfill in any useful timeframe. Critically, PLA contaminating PET recycling streams causes significant problems, so clear labelling and consumer communication are essential. The EU PPWR is developing specific provisions for compostable packaging to address these challenges.

UK and EU regulatory context

Buyers selecting plastic packaging for UK or European markets should be aware of the following frameworks:

UK Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT): Applies to plastic packaging manufactured in or imported into the UK containing less than 30% recycled plastic content. Current rate: £228.82 per tonne (as of April 2026). PET and HDPE have the most accessible recycled content supply chains.

EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR): Entered into force in 2024 and will be phased in over several years. Sets mandatory recycled content targets for packaging, restricts certain single-use formats, and introduces recyclability labelling requirements across EU member states. Businesses exporting to the EU should monitor implementation timelines closely.

UK Green Claims Code: Regulated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Packaging claims like “recyclable,” “recycled,” or “eco-friendly” must be accurate, clear, and substantiated. Stating a product is “recyclable” when it is not accepted in kerbside collections (e.g. LDPE, PS) without qualification may breach the code.

EU Green Claims Directive: Similar in intent to the UK Green Claims Code, with additional teeth — organisations found to be making unsubstantiated environmental claims face fines of up to 4% of EU-wide turnover.

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