Plastic as a Recycling Foundation

Is the time right for MRF World to take plastics more seriously? Should plastics be at the forefront of curbside recycling? Just as co-mingling of recyclables has made collection at curbside easier, the co-mingling of information on recovered materials may provide some answers. Trust me. We are not mixing apples and oranges; the markets do share some interesting parallels. (more…)

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…)

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…)

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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My quest to properly recycle household batteries led me to the “starter” iRecycle Kit which I ordered on line from www.batteryrecycling.com. Arriving in a standard US postal box, this convenient kit is simple and complete. The iRecycle Kit contains an attractive cardboard battery collection carton, a cellophane tape dispenser, and instructions on how to properly recycle batteries.

To my surprise the company behind the kit, Battery Solutions, not only accepts household batteries for recycling, but rechargeable battery packs and handheld electronic devices too. How convenient to be able to recycle your spent batteries and outdated electronic gadgets from your own home. Best of all, you have up to 1 year from the date you start collecting until the kit must be returned for recycling.

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User’s Choice
The other day I was cleaning out our family “junk drawer”. You know that one drawer treasure trove containing everything from old sales receipts to mystery keys of long forgotten locks. Well, this particular drawer had its share of miscellaneous objects but one collection stood out above all the rest: spent batteries. The drawer was heavily laden with an assortment of old alkaline (AAA, AA, C, D, 9V) and lithium (button) batteries that for eco-guilt reasons I just couldn’t throw out.

According to the EPA, “Every year in the United States, Americans buy, use and throw out billions of batteries.” For me, the tough part of the above statement is, throw out. While I know that alkaline and lithium batteries are classified by the federal government as “non-hazardous waste” and can be thrown out with the kitchen trash, it just doesn’t seem responsible to put them out for curbside trash pick-up knowing they will end up in a municipal landfill. So, I collect them and collect them and collect them.

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Tackling a Worldwide Problem
Breaking the plastic bag habit is not just a USA phenomenon. In fact, many countries worldwide enacted laws to reduce or eliminate the use of plastic bags long before cities and states within the USA began to do so. While approaches may vary, all acting governments have the common goal of changing the entrenched consumer habit of using plastic bags.

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Responsible Retailers
It doesn’t take much shopping to recognize that retail outlets are large purveyors of disposable, plastic shopping bags. Of the estimated 100 billion bags used in the USA annually, 53% are distributed by supermarkets and grocers. By offering plastic bag recycling programs, retailers are effectively increasing the collection and recycle rates of these high environmental impact totes. The spark that ignited point of sale recycling began in the USA in 2006 when the State of California adopted, The Plastic Bag Recycling Act. This law mandates that certain retail outlets be responsible for the collection, transportation, and recycling of plastic bags. Since California’s law went into effect other states have enacted or are considering similar legislation. Many grocers and pharmacies are implementing plastic bag recycling programs even before any law mandates them to do so. It seems that these retailers know that going green is not only good for the environment, it is good for business.

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Revelation
Who doesn’t love to shop?  Even my husband gleams as he totes some new computer gizmo home in a neat little plastic bag.  It’s amazing how fast one little plastic bag after one little plastic bag can lead to hundreds of these carry-alls crammed under the kitchen sink, stuffed in the pantry or unthinkably thrown out with the trash.  Does this sound familiar?

Eco-aware that we bring loads of plastic shopping bags home, my husband and I have been collecting and carting these over offered, often taken, and underemployed plastic totes to our municipal waste facility for recycling.  We were feeling pretty good about the whole process when an upstanding facility attendant told my husband that the plastic bags collected aren’t recycled;  the station’s “Plastic Bag” recycling bin is purely for the convenience of the public who cart their newspapers, plastic bottles, and aluminum cans via plastic bags to the station.  The bin is strictly for bag disposal, not for bag recycling.  I find it amazing that throw away convenience can triumph over recycling even at a municipal recycling facility!

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