The number inside the recycling triangle names the polymer. Our plastic numbers tool stores all seven codes, each with four capability flags and a safety rating, and the flags carry one trap worth knowing before you microwave anything.
The seven codes and their flags
The full English dataset, one row per code:
| # | Code | Rating | Microwave | Heat | Dishwasher | Recyclable |
| 1 | PET / PETE | Caution | No | No | No | Yes |
| 2 | HDPE | Safe | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 3 | PVC | Avoid | Yes | No | No | No |
| 4 | LDPE | Safe | No | No | No | Yes |
| 5 | PP | Safe | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 6 | PS | Avoid | No | No | No | No |
| 7 | Other | Avoid | No | No | No | No |
Counts computed from the dataset: three codes rated safe (2, 4, 5), one caution (1), three avoid (3, 6, 7), four recyclable (1, 2, 4, 5), two heat resistant (2, 5), and two dishwasher safe (2, 5).
The microwave trap in code 3
Exactly two codes carry a yes in the microwave column, PP at number 5 and PVC at number 3. PVC also carries an avoid rating and a dataset instruction to keep it away from food, because it may contain phthalates and lead. The lesson is direct. The microwave flag describes how the material tolerates the appliance, and it never certifies food contact. Read the rating first, then the flags.
Code 5 is the one the dataset endorses for reheating. It marks polypropylene as microwave and dishwasher safe, which is why reuse containers, straws, and many baby bottles use it.
What each rating tells you
General safety guidance, clearly labeled: these ratings summarize our reference dataset. They give orientation, and they certify no specific product.
- PET, number 1, single use. The dataset tells you not to reuse the bottle and not to leave it in the sun.
- HDPE, number 2, one of the safest plastics in the dataset, reusable and food safe.
- PVC, number 3, avoid. The dataset warns about phthalates and lead and flags old toys for caution.
- LDPE, number 4, relatively safe, but the dataset bars it from the microwave for lack of heat resistance.
- PP, number 5, safe for microwave and dishwasher per the dataset.
- PS, number 6, avoid. The dataset warns it may leach styrene and is single use only.
- Other, number 7, avoid. The dataset warns it may contain BPA and tells you to look for a BPA free label on baby products.
For decisions that affect an infant, a medical condition, or long term food storage, follow the product label and the manufacturer. Treat this chart as orientation only.
Recyclable flags versus your local bin
The dataset marks four of seven codes recyclable: 1, 2, 4, and 5. Numbers 3, 6, and 7 carry a no.
Recyclable here means the polymer type is commonly recycled. Your curbside program still decides what it collects, and many programs take numbers 1 and 2 as bottles while rejecting the same polymers in other shapes. Verify your local rules before you trust the flag.
Decision steps
1. Find the number inside the triangle on the bottom or seam of the item.
2. Tap the matching number in the tool to open its card.
3. Read the rating first. Avoid means the dataset tells you to keep the item away from food and heat.
4. Check the four flags for the use you planned: microwave, heat, dishwasher, recycling.
5. For any food use, cross check the product itself, because additives vary between products made from the same polymer.
6. Tap the same number again to close the card.
Limits of any number chart
The flags describe polymer families, and products vary. Shape, additives, age, and wear change how a specific container behaves. The dataset holds one entry per number and no regional recycling rules, so it cannot tell you what your city accepts. The tool also has no search, because seven buttons fit in one row. In short, the chart answers what the polymer is and what our dataset says about it, and your local program and product label answer the rest.
Checklist
- [ ] Locate the number in the triangle before any reuse.
- [ ] Treat number 3 as no food contact regardless of its microwave flag.
- [ ] Use number 5 for reheating and dishwasher cycles.
- [ ] Keep number 1 out of the sun and out of the reuse rotation.
- [ ] Verify local acceptance for numbers 4 and 7 before you bin them.
- [ ] Check baby products for a BPA free label.
Look up your own containers in the [plastic numbers tool](/en/plastic-numbers). If a container in your kitchen contradicts a flag, send the number, the product type, and what happened, because the dataset improves only from items readers have checked.
