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My experience is a few years old and apparently this system has changed, see this Reddit discussion[0]. But 0.5L and 1.5L bottles in Finland used to be made from much thicker and more durable plastic than in most other EU countries so they could be washed. They were then stamped, and once a certain number of uses was reached, they were finally disposed of.

[0] https://old.reddit.com/r/Finland/comments/w703w4/plastic_and...

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A good point. Where’s the cost-benefit to use _more_ plastic to create more durable products, even at the cost of recyclability?

Right now I’m making a product that should last 10 years outdoors. I wanted to pick PET or HDPE for their high recyclability, but if it leads to a shorter product lifespan (and all the opportunities to drop out of the recycling stream), what’s the point? Our plan is use a more rugged plastic and take back old product ourselves to recycle, only because we have a willing injection molder.

ABS is one of the most commonly used plastics and very unrecyclable, but it might be more acceptable if the electronics in it were supported for more than 3 years.

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