Free recycle symbol SVG files

Three arrows, turned exactly

The symbol is one arrow repeated three times at 120 degrees. Each arrow runs along the last third of one side of a triangle, turns the corner with a flat fold and points along the next side. Because the three are exact copies, the symbol looks the same whichever corner is at the top, and the gaps between the arrows are equal. In the classic file the band is about 17 mm wide in a symbol 100 mm across, with gaps of about 7 mm.

As drawn, the symbol is three loose arrows. That is fine for vinyl. For wood, acrylic or card, use the one-piece version, where each arrowhead runs into the tail of the next, or one of the designs with the arrows cut out of a disc, a square, a heart or a bin.

Labels that last on a bin

Bins live outdoors and get washed, so use permanent outdoor vinyl and clean the lid with alcohol first. A 100 to 150 mm disc reads from across a driveway. The four picture labels have no words: a bottle, a can, a sheet of paper and an apple core, each cut out of a 48 mm disc when the set is 100 mm across. Scale the set up to 250 mm for household bins.

How to open the files

• Cricut Design Space: choose Upload, pick the SVG, and add it to the canvas. Set the width you want; the shape is already welded.
• Silhouette Studio: Designer Edition and above open the SVG. The free Basic Edition does not, so open the DXF instead.
• LightBurn, xTool Creative Space and Glowforge: import the SVG, then set the layer to cut, score or engrave.
• Inkscape, Illustrator and Affinity: open the SVG. It is a plain filled path, so you can recolour it, add a stroke or combine it with your own work.
• Printing or sublimation: use the PNG, which has a transparent background.

Each design page lists the file’s narrowest part at seven sizes, so you can tell whether it will survive at the size you plan to cut.

Questions