ASTM Shifts from Chasing Arrows Plastic Resin Label

ASTM International is moving away from the chasing arrows recycling label in its plastic resin identification system.

The West Conshohocken, Pa.-based standards association said in a news release it has approved changing the 1-7 plastics labeling from the chasing arrows logo to a solid equilateral triangle around the number.

The Resin Identification Code (RIC) system was developed to identify the resin content in a product, not its recyclability. The change under ASTM D7611 brings the system back to its core mission, the organization said.

“Changing the marking symbol in D7611 decouples the RIC system from the recycling message, which has been a significant source of confusion by the public,” said Bridget Anderson, director, Recycling Unit, Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling for the New York City Department of Sanitation, who was part of the task group that worked on the change for ASTM.