Recycling household plastic containers can be a challenging endeavor. Since all plastics are not alike, we need to know which types of plastics our municipality accepts for recycling. Hair care products, beverages, laundry detergents, yogurts, margarines, salad dressings, frozen dinners, household cleaners, condiments, pet foods, body lotions … (you name it) are available in plastic containers. Since different plastics have different properties, the containers we so enthusiastically recycle often contain more than one type of plastic. Plastic properties such as strength, toughness, flexibility, barrier to moisture or gas, and melting point are all important factors which help to maintain the integrity of packaged goods. Piling these unlike containers together for recycling can be a problem not only for our local municipal recycling depot but for the commercial reclaimer who ultimately melts and reforms these containers. (more…)

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See if your local supermarket has an in-store kiosk. Often retail kiosks enable shoppers to find items, compare prices, and swipe their loyalty cards for discounts. Kiosks can provide valuable information, save time, and save money. By swiping your loyalty card for discounts, you may eliminate printing coupons upon check-out!

Digital coupons are the new retail buzz. With newspaper readership down and Sunday circulars in decline, the Consumer Products Industry (CPI) has a big upside if it can reach consumers via the internet. In the U.S. it is estimated that 1 out of 10 shoppers or 40 million consumers are very likely to use coupons found on line. (more…)

Are sales receipts and coupons changing? Will there one day be a paperless, non-chemically coated alternative to reviewing our expenditures or redeeming that 50 cent discount? Believe it or not, that day may be on the horizon. (more…)

Signatures can be lethal. When John Hancock signed the Declaration of Independence he knew that he was sticking his neck out. Did you know that your signature can be lethal too? While most of us may pay attention to the document text we are signing off on, how many of us pay attention to the type of paper our pen is pushing on? (more…)

Keep thermal and carbonless copy papers out of your paper recycling bin. By not allowing these chemically-coated papers into the recycling stream, you will be reducing the amount of potentially hazardous chemicals that find their way into recycled paper products. Remember, when hazardous chemicals end up in recycled food packaging , they can easily migrate from the packaging into food. Ask your local municipal recycling station how best to handle these chemically-coated papers.

Reduce the amount of non-recyclable thermal paper receipts by simply saying “No” to a printed receipt when your are given the opportunity to accept or decline one. An easy way to start is by declining ATM receipts. (The transaction information shows up on your monthly bank statement anyway). With each “Decline” you will be making a small advancement toward a greener lifestyle.

There is growing public opinion that sales receipts are getting longer. A long sales receipt (once embarrassing proof of an out of control shopping spree) can now bring tidings of special offers, coupons, and redemptions. In a culture where more information is better, these growing paper streamers help to satisfy our need to know.
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