Plastics recycling: a sham?
I'm trying to be a better person. I haven't given up just yet.
With the exception of a few inherited containers, all my "tupperware" consists of saved plastic tubs from various groceries. I thought that if I got too much I could simply recycle them. However, nearly all these tubs are #5 or #6 plastic, and these aren't recycled in Ann Arbor, nor anywhere else, for all practical purposes. I noticed that lots of packaged fresh fruits and vegetables can come in either #1 or #6 plastics. Indignant, I wondered: why use #6 at all, when it isn't in practice recyclable?
Which led me to the tangled world of plastics recycling. I'll put the take-home message below, and then some links which I hope you'll find time to read.
- - -
Moral: RECYCLING IS A second-to-LAST RESORT. Waste is waste. Think of every plastic item as a mess to clean up that will leave permanent stains, no matter what. It is a zillion times better not to make the mess in the first place.
There's a tremendous difference between recycled and recyclable. Anything's recyclable in theory; in practice it depends on economics. If we buy plastic without restraint because we think curbside recycling lets us off the hook, our net impact is to make more mess. If we buy recyclED products, we help create a market for recycling, and thus help clean up.
Note it is far from obvious where, if anywhere, to find post-consumer recycled plastic products on your typical store shelves. Plastic recycling is growing but very limited; US food/drink-bearing plastic is virgin plastic, never post-consumer, and the more of that we buy the more demand we create, and the more permanent mess we have to deal with.
- - -
Berkeley's Ecology Center provides an eye-opener and good starting point on misconceptions about plastics recycling. Compare to the industry spin.
In more ways than one, plastics are here to stay, so now what? For pragmatic advice, see the Ecology Center article above or London-based greenchoices.org.
More overviews on the economics of plastic recycling are provided by the packaging industry and a UK waste agency. Recoup.org seems aimed at business/government more than personal consumers, providing a list of potential uses of post-consumer plastic.
- - -
Towards the infinite epilogue:
I've e-mailed Recycle Ann Arbor to ask (again) if it's true they don't take #6 plastic, as they told me on the phone). Because they do take #6 "foam." Polystyrene is polystyrene, what's the diff? Is this just a misunderstanding? If I hear back from them, I'll let you know. But I can still start a campaign against yogurt and hummus tubs (#5 plastic, nonrecyclable).
Meanwhile several of my #6's are recycled as planters on my windowsill; I'm trying to get some jade and vine cuttings to take root, inspired by Benni's plantiness.
With the exception of a few inherited containers, all my "tupperware" consists of saved plastic tubs from various groceries. I thought that if I got too much I could simply recycle them. However, nearly all these tubs are #5 or #6 plastic, and these aren't recycled in Ann Arbor, nor anywhere else, for all practical purposes. I noticed that lots of packaged fresh fruits and vegetables can come in either #1 or #6 plastics. Indignant, I wondered: why use #6 at all, when it isn't in practice recyclable?
Which led me to the tangled world of plastics recycling. I'll put the take-home message below, and then some links which I hope you'll find time to read.
- - -
Moral: RECYCLING IS A second-to-LAST RESORT. Waste is waste. Think of every plastic item as a mess to clean up that will leave permanent stains, no matter what. It is a zillion times better not to make the mess in the first place.
There's a tremendous difference between recycled and recyclable. Anything's recyclable in theory; in practice it depends on economics. If we buy plastic without restraint because we think curbside recycling lets us off the hook, our net impact is to make more mess. If we buy recyclED products, we help create a market for recycling, and thus help clean up.
Note it is far from obvious where, if anywhere, to find post-consumer recycled plastic products on your typical store shelves. Plastic recycling is growing but very limited; US food/drink-bearing plastic is virgin plastic, never post-consumer, and the more of that we buy the more demand we create, and the more permanent mess we have to deal with.
- - -
Berkeley's Ecology Center provides an eye-opener and good starting point on misconceptions about plastics recycling. Compare to the industry spin.
In more ways than one, plastics are here to stay, so now what? For pragmatic advice, see the Ecology Center article above or London-based greenchoices.org.
More overviews on the economics of plastic recycling are provided by the packaging industry and a UK waste agency. Recoup.org seems aimed at business/government more than personal consumers, providing a list of potential uses of post-consumer plastic.
- - -
Towards the infinite epilogue:
I've e-mailed Recycle Ann Arbor to ask (again) if it's true they don't take #6 plastic, as they told me on the phone). Because they do take #6 "foam." Polystyrene is polystyrene, what's the diff? Is this just a misunderstanding? If I hear back from them, I'll let you know. But I can still start a campaign against yogurt and hummus tubs (#5 plastic, nonrecyclable).
Meanwhile several of my #6's are recycled as planters on my windowsill; I'm trying to get some jade and vine cuttings to take root, inspired by Benni's plantiness.
posted by fragments of angry candy at 10:53 PM
1 Comments:
Jeff used to go on about how horribly chemical deck lumber is (the real wood kind pumped with preservatives to prevent rot); he was horrified to see little kids playing on newly-laid decks in the TV ads.
When I was home, I helped my dad a bit in putting in new laminate flooring. He's proud of it and I had fun helping out. There are probably environmental pros and cons to this stuff versus other options. It's definitely cheapie, though. Looks OK, too. It would be nice to know how much recycled plastic goes into home-building materials one uses; I guess when I'm in that position someday I can make an effort to look into it.
Power to ya for making an effort to build green :)
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