The universal recycling symbol is an internationally recognized and widely used symbol to indicate that a product or material is recyclable somewhere and to raise public awareness about recycling. It consists of three arrows arranged in a triangle and chasing each other clockwise, representing the continuous loop of collecting, processing and reusing materials.
The symbol was created in 1970 by Gary Anderson, a 23-year-old architecture student at the University of Southern California, as part of a contest sponsored by the Container Corporation of America to promote recycling awareness for the first Earth Day.
The symbol is not trademarked and is in the public domain, which has allowed its widespread adoption. Many variations exist, including different colors (although commonly green) and added elements, such as a percentage figure inside the triangle to indicate recycled content.
The universal recycling symbol is distinct from the resin identification codes (RICs), which have a similar triangular design but identify plastic types rather than indicate recyclability. The RIC symbols initially also contained three chasing arrows but were later revised to a continuous triangle in order to reduce confusion with the universal recycling symbol.