4.1 Resin Identification Codes are used solely to identify the plastic resin used in a manufactured article. The intended manufactured articles include, but are not limited to, packaging.
4.1.1 Fig. 1 and Table 1 present the appropriate information on the way the RIC is to be incorporated onto the product and the available resin identification designations.
4.2 Resin Identification Codes are not “recycle codes.” The Resin Identification Code is, though, an aid to recycling. The use of a Resin Identification Code on a manufactured plastic article does not imply that the article is recycled or that there are systems in place to effectively process the article for reclamation or re-use. The term “recyclable” or other environmental claims shall not be placed in proximity to the Code.
4.3 This practice is based upon the system developed in 1988 by the Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc (SPI). It is possible that some states or countries will have incorporated the original SPI practice into statute or regulation. In those situations, that statute or regulation takes precedence over this standard.
4.4 This practice shall only apply to new tooling. Existing molds that already incorporate older versions of the SPI RIC may be modified, but modification is not required.
4.5 Assign number for manufactured items, not for adhesives or coatings. Do not code labels for resin of the label.
4.6 Section 6 addresses the process to add new numbers to the Resin Identification Code.