All You Ever Wanted to Know About Recycling Plastics
I was inspired to investigate the whole plastics recycling issue one week when I got an email from a reader and read about the "Junk Raft" in a news story online. Plastic is in one sense a god send, and in another, the root of all evil. A god-send because I have a one year old daughter and I know how easy it is for stuff to get dirty, and with all of the plastic toys, furniture and utensils, it can all be as clean as new again.
But is the convenience worth the effects plastic has on our environment?
From a reader:
Yes, it would be fabulous if we could just throw our plastic containers in a compost bin and they would disintegrate into carbon. Let's hope somebody comes up with a way to do that. In the meantime, I didn't even know there was petroleum and corn based plastic products. And what do all those numbers (1-7) mean on the bottom of plastic containers anyway?
Because plastic is a polymer (a string of molecules strung together) and there are a variety of polymers that make up plastic, each type has a different number. You can't make a #3 plastic into a #6 plastic through recycling. Here is a list of the different numbers and what they mean, conveniently gleaned from The Daily Green. Read their whole story for more details.
#1 Plastics: (PET or PETE) This plastic is commonly used in beverage containers because it is inexpensive and easy to recycle, although the demand is higher than the supply for 'remanufacturers'. So start recycling these more often! I'm sure people throw these in the bottom of their car and then just forget about recycling and throw it away. According to The Daily Green, the recycling rate for this plastic is a paltry 20%. It can be recycled back into "Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, (occasionally) new containers"
#2 Plastics: (HDPE: High Density Polyethylene) This plastic is more sturdy than #1, so it is used for laundry detergent bottles, motor oil bottles and trash bags, among other things. "It is readily recyclable into many goods."
#3 Plastics: (V: Vinyl or PVC) Here's a direct quote from The Daily Green:
The chlorine makes me nervous...is it leaching out from our water pipes? This is my theory, but could the increase in asthma and lung related chronic illness be related to the increase of chlorine in our water supplies? I know that exposure to large amounts of chlorine does contribute to asthma. This reminds me of a guy I met, and this is digressing, but he was my taxi driver when I visited Montana. He lived near a railroad truss and one day a train car carrying a load of chlorine derailed close to his house. He received a $2000 settlement to take care of the lung damage, and subsequent chronic asthma, he received, a rip off in my opinion. I asked him what he did with the money and he told me he got huge speakers that filled up the living room of his trailer!
I digress.
#4 Plastics: (LDPE: Low Density Polyethylene) This plastic is literally a flexible plastic used in squeezable bottles, bread bags, and the bags they put over your dry-cleaning. There are not many places that will accept this plastic for recycling.
#5 Plastics: (PP: Polypropylene) This plastic is used in food containers, medicine bottles, etc. It can withstand high temperatures so it is often used in containers that accept hot liquids. It is becoming more recyclable.
#6 Plastics: (PS: Polystyrene) The dreaded Styrofoam!!! 'Evidence' suggests that dangerous chemicals can leach out of these containers into your food. It can be recycled but not many places offer programs for this. I would like to share a little story with you to scare you to never eat at a certain 24 hour family restaurant that starts with a 'P'. I used to be a waitress there for a year or so...I quit before I totally lost my mind. Anyway, their home-cooked meals had side-dishes that were pre-prepared, frozen, shipped to the store, proportioned out into handy little Styrofoam containers and MICROWAVED before slapping the container upside down on your plate! Mmmmm, reminds me of mom's home cooking. The Styrofoam had burned edges when it came out of the commercial microwave. I implore you to never eat at these places, or ask them not to microwave it in plastic.
Next!
#7 Plastics: Every product category system must have a 'miscellaneous' category and lucky #7 is it. The miscellaneous plastics make up bullet proof materials, DVD's, IPods, computer cases, etc. Some of the plastics that fit into this category are made from plants (polyactide) and are compostable. A harmful plastic that is lumped into this category was recently in the news because it leaches a synthetic form of the hormone estrogen. Ironically, this is what they make baby bottles, pacifiers and other baby products out of. Makes you wonder!
Is your brain full yet? Basically, the most highly recyclable containers and those in most demand are not being recycled. The best way to find out what types of plastic you can recycle in your area is by contacting your municipality or checking out their web site. You can also visit the web site of Waste Management to view your local recycling rules. I'm not sure if Waste Management is everywhere but it seems to be everywhere!
To effectively recycle your plastic bottles, the lids need to be removed. The label can stay on. It's also best if you rinse the container. First so that your garbage doesn't stink! Secondly, so that it doesn't mess up the recycling process. Read this article on the eHow's plastic recycling page to read all of their pointers about recycling. The EPA has set a lofty goal of recycling 25% of our nations waste. Way to go EPA!
The interesting thing here is biodegradable plastics. How come I've never heard of this before? Indeed, corn-plastic has it's issues. And as my reader suggested, it corrupts the batch if mixed in with regular plastics. According to an article written for Dear Earth Talk, an environmental advice columnist:
Dear Earth Talk susggests that while corn-based plastics are not more environmentally harmful than petroleum based products, they are still not the answer. They are made up of 'polylactic acid' and it is derived from plants, so it does have a few things going for it.
When it is recycled, according to Elizabeth Royte, writing in Smithsonian:
Read her article in the Smithsonian Magazine online for a more detailed perspective.
While all of the experts are trying to figure out the best alternative I'm just going to keep recycling and helping my neighbors recycle. Since we all have to drive our recyclables to the local recycling center, we take turns taking each others trash out.
One more thing, before I go, if you still use plastic grocery bags when you go food shopping, remember to recycle them when you go back to the store. Most grocery stores have bins outside that you can throw away your plastic bags. The best thing to do is to bring your own bags! It takes a little practice to get used to but you'll appreciate not having to deal with those plastic bags anymore.
Go to the Junk Raft Synopsis Page to learn more about the who and what of reforming how we think about plastic.
But is the convenience worth the effects plastic has on our environment?
From a reader:
it is very difficult on sight to recognize corn-based plastics vs. petroleum based, and too much of the former will corrupt the recycle batch of the latter. Added, at present, there are very few compost centers in the US that can maintain the 150 degree temperatures for the number of days (5-10) that are required to compost the corn-based product. I, a fool at first, thought I could just toss them in my big (20' x 30') bin. Nope. So that's not so terrific as it sounded when I first learned about it. Don't I wish it were that easy...
Yes, it would be fabulous if we could just throw our plastic containers in a compost bin and they would disintegrate into carbon. Let's hope somebody comes up with a way to do that. In the meantime, I didn't even know there was petroleum and corn based plastic products. And what do all those numbers (1-7) mean on the bottom of plastic containers anyway?
Because plastic is a polymer (a string of molecules strung together) and there are a variety of polymers that make up plastic, each type has a different number. You can't make a #3 plastic into a #6 plastic through recycling. Here is a list of the different numbers and what they mean, conveniently gleaned from The Daily Green. Read their whole story for more details.
#1 Plastics: (PET or PETE) This plastic is commonly used in beverage containers because it is inexpensive and easy to recycle, although the demand is higher than the supply for 'remanufacturers'. So start recycling these more often! I'm sure people throw these in the bottom of their car and then just forget about recycling and throw it away. According to The Daily Green, the recycling rate for this plastic is a paltry 20%. It can be recycled back into "Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, (occasionally) new containers"
#2 Plastics: (HDPE: High Density Polyethylene) This plastic is more sturdy than #1, so it is used for laundry detergent bottles, motor oil bottles and trash bags, among other things. "It is readily recyclable into many goods."
#3 Plastics: (V: Vinyl or PVC) Here's a direct quote from The Daily Green:
PVC is tough and weathers well, so it is commonly used for piping, siding and similar applications. PVC contains chlorine, so its manufacture can release highly dangerous dioxins. If you must cook with PVC, don't let the plastic touch food. Also never burn PVC, because it releases toxins.
The chlorine makes me nervous...is it leaching out from our water pipes? This is my theory, but could the increase in asthma and lung related chronic illness be related to the increase of chlorine in our water supplies? I know that exposure to large amounts of chlorine does contribute to asthma. This reminds me of a guy I met, and this is digressing, but he was my taxi driver when I visited Montana. He lived near a railroad truss and one day a train car carrying a load of chlorine derailed close to his house. He received a $2000 settlement to take care of the lung damage, and subsequent chronic asthma, he received, a rip off in my opinion. I asked him what he did with the money and he told me he got huge speakers that filled up the living room of his trailer!
I digress.
#4 Plastics: (LDPE: Low Density Polyethylene) This plastic is literally a flexible plastic used in squeezable bottles, bread bags, and the bags they put over your dry-cleaning. There are not many places that will accept this plastic for recycling.
#5 Plastics: (PP: Polypropylene) This plastic is used in food containers, medicine bottles, etc. It can withstand high temperatures so it is often used in containers that accept hot liquids. It is becoming more recyclable.
#6 Plastics: (PS: Polystyrene) The dreaded Styrofoam!!! 'Evidence' suggests that dangerous chemicals can leach out of these containers into your food. It can be recycled but not many places offer programs for this. I would like to share a little story with you to scare you to never eat at a certain 24 hour family restaurant that starts with a 'P'. I used to be a waitress there for a year or so...I quit before I totally lost my mind. Anyway, their home-cooked meals had side-dishes that were pre-prepared, frozen, shipped to the store, proportioned out into handy little Styrofoam containers and MICROWAVED before slapping the container upside down on your plate! Mmmmm, reminds me of mom's home cooking. The Styrofoam had burned edges when it came out of the commercial microwave. I implore you to never eat at these places, or ask them not to microwave it in plastic.
Next!
#7 Plastics: Every product category system must have a 'miscellaneous' category and lucky #7 is it. The miscellaneous plastics make up bullet proof materials, DVD's, IPods, computer cases, etc. Some of the plastics that fit into this category are made from plants (polyactide) and are compostable. A harmful plastic that is lumped into this category was recently in the news because it leaches a synthetic form of the hormone estrogen. Ironically, this is what they make baby bottles, pacifiers and other baby products out of. Makes you wonder!
Is your brain full yet? Basically, the most highly recyclable containers and those in most demand are not being recycled. The best way to find out what types of plastic you can recycle in your area is by contacting your municipality or checking out their web site. You can also visit the web site of Waste Management to view your local recycling rules. I'm not sure if Waste Management is everywhere but it seems to be everywhere!
To effectively recycle your plastic bottles, the lids need to be removed. The label can stay on. It's also best if you rinse the container. First so that your garbage doesn't stink! Secondly, so that it doesn't mess up the recycling process. Read this article on the eHow's plastic recycling page to read all of their pointers about recycling. The EPA has set a lofty goal of recycling 25% of our nations waste. Way to go EPA!
The interesting thing here is biodegradable plastics. How come I've never heard of this before? Indeed, corn-plastic has it's issues. And as my reader suggested, it corrupts the batch if mixed in with regular plastics. According to an article written for Dear Earth Talk, an environmental advice columnist:
it will take far longer in a compost bin or in a landfill packed so tightly that no light and little oxygen are available to assist in the process. Indeed, analysts estimate that a PLA bottle could take anywhere from 100 to 1,000 years to decompose in a landfill.
Dear Earth Talk susggests that while corn-based plastics are not more environmentally harmful than petroleum based products, they are still not the answer. They are made up of 'polylactic acid' and it is derived from plants, so it does have a few things going for it.
When it is recycled, according to Elizabeth Royte, writing in Smithsonian:
PLA may well break down into its constituent parts (carbon dioxide and water) within three months in a "controlled composting environment," that is, an industrial composting facility heated to 140 degrees Fahrenheit and fed a steady diet of digestive microbes.
Read her article in the Smithsonian Magazine online for a more detailed perspective.
While all of the experts are trying to figure out the best alternative I'm just going to keep recycling and helping my neighbors recycle. Since we all have to drive our recyclables to the local recycling center, we take turns taking each others trash out.
One more thing, before I go, if you still use plastic grocery bags when you go food shopping, remember to recycle them when you go back to the store. Most grocery stores have bins outside that you can throw away your plastic bags. The best thing to do is to bring your own bags! It takes a little practice to get used to but you'll appreciate not having to deal with those plastic bags anymore.
Go to the Junk Raft Synopsis Page to learn more about the who and what of reforming how we think about plastic.
posted by Mary at
12:56 PM
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