We share your passion for Gunpla. Unboxing, the satisfaction of seeing each piece come together to bring a mobile suit, a ship, or a Pokémon to life... it's a unique experience! But once your masterpiece is proudly displayed, the practical question often arises: what to do with all those empty sprues and little "nubs" (the leftover parts from the attachment points) that accumulate? Because yes, our beloved Gunpla are almost entirely made of plastic.
In a world increasingly aware of its environmental impact, it's natural to wonder what happens to these byproducts. So, how can we reconcile our hobby with a more eco-friendly approach? Let's delve into the world of recycling the plastics from our Gunpla.
Recycling in France: Is the Yellow Bin the Rescue?
Good news (in part)! Since January 1, 2023, in France, the sorting guidelines for packaging and certain plastic products have been simplified. In theory, almost all plastic packaging can now go in the famous yellow bin . This includes our grape clusters. But be careful, "being able to be sorted" doesn't always mean "actually being recycled and recovered." The reality of plastic recycling is more complex.
Understanding Plastics: A Code for Each Type
To gain a clearer understanding, it's important to know that there's an international classification system with seven numerical codes (often displayed within a triangle of arrows) used to identify different types of plastic resins. This information is crucial for sorting centers. For the sake of simplicity, we'll focus here on the codes most commonly found in Gunpla kits.
Fortunately, manufacturers like Bandai are quite transparent: the type of plastic used is usually indicated directly on each sprue (often by its acronym such as >PS<, >PE<, etc.) and sometimes even detailed in the kit's assembly manual . A small magnifying glass can be helpful to decipher these markings!
So, what are these plastics and what happens to them?
HDPE (Code 2): High-Density Polyethylene
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In our Gunpla: It's the plastic from the "polycaps"! You know, those small sprues, often gray in color, containing slightly soft and flexible parts that can sometimes be separated by hand. They are mainly used for joints and ensure the flexibility of our models.
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Recyclability: Excellent! HDPE is non-toxic, inert, and one of the most sought-after and easily recycled plastics. It is transformed into a multitude of new objects: detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, collection bins, pipes, and even garden chairs.
- Verdict: Great! Your polycap clusters have a very good chance of having a second life if they are properly sorted.
PP (Code 5): Polypropylene
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In our Gunpla: PP is somewhat similar to HDPE in its properties. It is often found in the "inner frames" (internal skeletons) of more complex ranges such as some Real Grade (RG), Perfect Grade (PG), or recent models that require both strength and a certain degree of flexibility.
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Recyclability: Good, but more demanding. PP is odorless, considered safe for health (it is used for food packaging and baby bottles), and can be recycled multiple times to manufacture automotive parts (bumpers), pipes, textile fibers, or mandrels. However, its recycling process is more specialized and requires equipment that not all sorting centers possess.
- Verdict: Positive, but its effective recycling will depend on the capabilities of your local sorting center.
PVC (Code 3): Polyvinyl chloride
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In our Gunpla: Very rare, but it can appear in some very special kits, supplementary figures, or specific accessories (certain "beam saber" effects, for example). To give you a more common idea, it's the main material used in Funko Pop figures.
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Recyclability: A problem. PVC is a polymer whose manufacture and incineration can release toxic substances (dioxins, phthalates). Although technically recyclable, the process is costly, complex, and rarely implemented. It can even contaminate other, "purer" plastic streams during sorting. Most sorting centers refuse it or treat it as non-recyclable waste.
- Verdict: Avoid using it in the regular recycling stream whenever possible. If you do have it, it's often best to consider it non-recyclable waste, unless your municipality specifies otherwise.
ABS (Code 7 - "Other Plastics"): Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
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In our Gunpla: Behind this somewhat barbaric acronym lies a plastic you know well: it's the main ingredient of LEGO bricks! In Gunpla, it is often found in the sprues (often grey) of the internal parts that are assembled at the beginning, typically the skeletons of older Master Grade (MG) sets or certain structural parts.
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Recyclability: Very difficult. ABS is robust but can be sensitive to certain chemicals (alcohol-based Gundam Markers can weaken it and cause it to crack, and it's unaffected by conventional plastic adhesives like cement). Recycling it is a real headache. LEGO explored ways to reuse its own ABS bricks but deemed the process too complex and energy-intensive, instead encouraging donations and secondhand sales. That says it all!
- Verdict: Putting ABS slugs in the yellow recycling bin is a good sorting action, but the chances of them actually being recycled are slim. They often end up being used for energy recovery (incineration) or in landfill.
PS (Code 6): Polystyrene
- In our Gunpla: It's THE most common plastic in our kits! The polystyrene we know from disposable cups or trays (now largely banned for these uses) is infamous for its poor durability and its tendency to break down into polluting microplastics. In Gunpla, there are two main variants:
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GPPS (General Purpose Polystyrene) for transparent parts (cockpits, visors, "beam" effects).
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HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene) for the vast majority of opaque and coloured armor pieces.
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GPPS (General Purpose Polystyrene) for transparent parts (cockpits, visors, "beam" effects).
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Recyclability: Very limited in practice. Although polystyrene is technically recyclable, the process is not very profitable and few systems have been developed in France to handle it on a large scale. A few specialists exist (notably in Germany and Spain), but locally, it is rarely recycled.
- Verdict: This is the crux of the matter. You can (and should, according to national guidelines) put your polystyrene (PS) clusters in the yellow recycling bin. However, let's be realistic: a large portion will likely not be recycled into new materials and will end up incinerated with energy recovery or in landfill. Hope lies in the future development of new chemical recycling technologies for this type of plastic.
What to Remember and How to Act?
Faced with this situation, there's no need to panic, but a little pragmatism is in order:
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The Good Duo: HDPE (polycaps) and, to a lesser extent, PP (certain skeletons) are the "good students" of Gunpla recycling. Sorting these sprues specifically (if you have the patience to separate them) increases their chances of being properly recycled.
- The Complex Trio: For the ABS , the PVC and especially the PS (majority), the situation is more delicate.
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National instruction: Put them in the yellow bin . That's the official instruction.
- Local Facts: Check with your municipality or waste collection authority . Some local authorities may have more specific instructions or dedicated recycling streams (although this is rare for these plastics). Sometimes, it's even recommended to throw them away with non-recyclable household waste to avoid "polluting" the streams of more easily recyclable plastics if the sorting center isn't equipped for them.
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National instruction: Put them in the yellow bin . That's the official instruction.
Beyond the Yellow Bin: Give Your Grapes a Second Creative Life!
Before thinking "trash," why not explore avenues for reuse? The imagination of model makers knows no bounds!
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Diorama and Scenery Basics: The sprues, with their shapes and textures, are a goldmine for creating scenery elements: metal structures, debris, pipes, reliefs for your dioramas... A coat of paint, and the illusion is perfect!
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The Connoisseur's "Sprue Glue": A popular trick among English-speaking modelers is to melt small pieces of polystyrene (PS) sprue in a bottle of cement. This creates a thick paste, "Sprue Goo" or "Sprue Glue," perfect for filling unsightly gaps between two parts, plugging holes, or resculpting small details. It's a direct and very useful form of recycling!
- Other Ideas: Some use pieces of sprue as supports for miniatures being painted, as internal reinforcements, or even for totally original artistic creations ("Scratchbuilding").
Update 06/11/2025: We contacted Syvadec to find out what the best option was at the regional level; here is their response:
"The bunches should be disposed of at the waste disposal center in the containers dedicated to games and toys, preferably grouped together in their packaging, otherwise loose."
Conclusion: A Passionate Model Maker and Informed Citizen
The world of Gunpla, like many hobbies, has an environmental impact that shouldn't be ignored. While perfect recycling of all our plastics isn't yet a reality, every little bit helps. Sorting properly, checking local resources, and above all, being creative in reusing our waste are steps in the right direction.
Being passionate does not preclude being responsible.