Insider Information on Recycling Plastic and No. 6

After all these years of of recycling, people still have questions. And it's not surprising because what can be recycled continues to change.


Mary Allen is the Recycling and Education Director of SWANCC (Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County), and she gave a presentation at a Green Drinks in Chicagoland that helped shed some light on what plastics can be recycled and why.

What plastic can be recycled?
In just the last few years the types of plastic that can be recycled has increased. You can now recycle hard plastics like yogurt and sour cream containers (#5). In some places you can even recycle juice boxes and waxy cardboard juice containers.

In the last year recycling facilities have accepted plastic bottle caps, even if they don't have a recycling symbol on them. And the word is, put them on the bottle, don't separate them. Somehow this makes it easier to keep track and separate them at the facility.

Now this can vary from facility to facility, so the thing to do is contact your municipality to get a current list and make sure that what you are putting into your recycling bin is actually getting recycled.

How do we decide what can be recycled?
This is a question of what the market will bare. The majority of our plastic recycling is purchased by China or other Asian countries. The cost of collecting, transporting and separating factors into whether or not it is financial feasible to recycle a product. But in the end, if no one is buying it, your recycling facility won't take it. Or will it? Keep reading!

What's up with No. 6 Plastic?
No. 6 is Polystyrene and styrofoam falls into this category. At some point in the past, there was a market for this product. It is possible to recycle it. Currently no one is buying it. Sometimes recycling facilities will continue to take a product regardless of whether or not they can recycle it because if the market fluctuates enough, it is easier to keep people in the habit of recycling than stopping and starting over and over.
What happens to products collected for recycling when no one's buying? Basically they just go into the landfill.

In the end, if the recyclability of a product is questionable think about replacing it with something you know can be recycled or look for another way to get what you need without the waste. For example, bring your own reusable water bottle (BPA free of course) instead of continually buying plastic water bottles.
Reducing our waste is important for all life on earth. Consider the fact that every person in the U.S. creates about 4.4 pounds of municipal waste a day and that there are approxiamtely 307 million people in the United States. It's a lot of waste so lets take care of it!

Alexandra Gnoske is an Environmental Expert and the Author/Illustrator of "Loui Saves the Earth."
First published on Greenwala.com

Plastic Converted Back to Oil? It's Possible!

I found this video which shows the most amazing thing I've seen in a long time.

"Man Invents Machine to Convert Plastic to Oil." Yes, it's true. And I want to know why we haven't heard more about this.

The implications are mind boggling. I'm just blown away!

- Alix

5 Things to Know About the Water you are Drinking

Clean, safe freshwater is vital to our lives. Here are five things you should know about the water you are drinking:

1. At least 315 contaminants have been found in tap water throughout the United States. According to the Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.org), at least half of these are not regulated and are legal in any amount.

2. Hexavalent Chromium, the toxic chemical made famous in the Erin Brockovich movie, has been found in the water systems of 31 cities in the United States.

3. Is Bottled Water free from contaminants? No. An average of 8 contaminants were found in 10 major bottled water brands, with up to 38 contaminants found overall. Unlike water utilities, bottled water companies are not required to report the results of contaminant tests. Four brands were contaminated with bacteria. Two brands were indistinguishable from tap water.

4. As much as 45% of bottled water comes from municipal water, but it costs you 119 times more than getting it from your tap.

5. You can have clean, safe drinking water right now, from your home, and take it with you in your BPA free water bottle! If you wait for your municipality to clean up, it can take months or even years to establish a filtration system that reduces Hexavalent Chromium. But you can get your own residential filter. Try a reverse osmosis system - you can also find more from Pure Earth.

Water is essential. Safe water is a must. You can have it. You can also join up with ewg.org to help uncover the chemicals in our lives and get Congress to do something about it!

Originally posted on www.greenwala.com Alexandra Gnoske is an Environmental Expert, Green Business Owner, and Author/Illustrator of "Loui Saves the Earth."

The Burning Question: Light Bulb On of Off?

Shortly after the advent of the light bulb came the ever familiar call of the parent, "turn off that light!" But with 5 different kinds of light bulbs on the market the burning question is, "to turn off, or not to turn off?"

This article will give you quick and simple information on the current bulbs in the market and what to tell your kids about turning off the lights.

Incandescent Bulbs. Turn it OFF!
Your traditional bulb burns brightly but wastes a lot of energy - 85 to 90% of the energy is given off as heat, not light. So not only are you wasting energy, you are creating heat. If the majority of your house still has incandescent lights you need to know two things 1) turn them off, and 2) these bulbs are being phased out because they will not meet the new energy efficiency standards being put into place 2010 - 2014 (see the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 EISA).

Fluorescent Bulbs. Turn it OFF, unless...
While they are 4 to 6 times more efficient than incandescent bulbs, fluorescent bulbs life span is shortened by frequently turning it on and off. If you are in a high traffic area or going in and out of the room, I would say leave the light on. Otherwise turn it off. NOTE: all fluorescent bulbs have some amount of mercury so please dispose of properly. (see Green Energy Efficient Homes online for more on light bulb efficiency)

Halogen Bulbs. Turn it OFF!
Halogen bulbs are 25% more efficient than incandescent bulbs. They are a brighter and more efficient bulb that is typically used when intense light is needed (as in photography, spotlights on stage, or reading lamps).

CFLs. Turn it OFF, unless...
CFL's or compact fluorescent bulbs are 75% more efficient than incandescent bulbs, don't emit large amounts of heat, last 10 times longer, now have good lighting quality, and are inexpensive. CFL's do start out dim, so if you are going in and out of a room it does make sense to keep this light on. But leaving it on for hours is not more efficient. A good rule of thumb is the 15 minute rule: if you are coming back in 15 minutes leave it on. NOTE: buy name brand CFLs with a 5+ year warranty as cheap CFLs will burn out faster. And dispose of properly, as these bulbs contain trace amounts of mercury.

LEDs. Turn it OFF!
Light Emitting Diode bulbs or LEDs last up to 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs and don't emit heat. There's no extra wear and tear from turning on and off these lights. NOTE: LEDs are still evolving and are expensive. But as competition grows LEDs costs will come down. Stay tuned.

In Summary/Teaching Kids: Turn it OFF!
Yes, it still holds true. In the end, the oldest and simplest lesson is the one that saves the most energy overall. If you want to keep it real simple for your kids just tell them to turn off the lights. Even considering the amount of energy you spend by turning lights on and off, and the effect on the life expectancy of the bulb, it is still more energy efficient to turn the lights off. If your child is old enough and you have fluorescent or CFL's in your house, you can explain the 15 minute rule. You may also want to consider a light sensor that will automatically turn the lights off and on. And just because a light bulb is more efficient, doesn't mean you can leave it on longer - if you aren't using it, it is still called wasting.

In the end, the point is to conserve energy (and money). So turn off the light.

( http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/lighting.html - a great website that has a calculator to help you figure out your energy costs/savings)

Alexandra Gnoske an Environmental Expert and teaches the "How to be a Superhero for Planet Earth" workshop for kids in Chicagoland. She is the Founder and President of RECYCLE ME http://www.recyclemeorganictees.com, the author and illustrator of "Loui Saves the Earth" http://www.louisavestheearth.com and writes the monthly column, Mindful Business Matters for Mindful Metropolis.

First Published on Ezine Articles - Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexandra_Gnoske

Giveaway: Signed/Personalized copy of Loui Saves the Earth

"Loui Saves the Earth" is a simple and inspiring childrens story about a boy and his dog and how they help save the planet. Printed in the USA makes LSTE a "local" book.

Want a a free signed and personalized copy?

The first 10 people to send me (alix@recyclemeorganictees.com) a story about how their kid(s) help the planet from their kids perspective will be entered into a drawing to receive a signed and personalized copy of "Loui Saves the Earth."

What: Giveaway "Loui Saves the Earth" children's book.
When: Enter now through Monday, January 10th.
How: Get entered into a drawing when you send a story about how your kid helps the planet, from your kids perspective to alix@recyclemeorganictees.com

NOTE: Stories may be posted on the Be a Superhero for Planet Earth Blog. You will be asked for permission before stories are posted.