Term
"In the mountains of Guatemala, Laura Kutner is changing the tiny village of Granados with a message in a bottle. The 25-year-old from Portland, Ore., did something incredible for this town. She built a school with no funding, little experience, and a crazy idea -- construct the building out of old plastic water bottles.
The plan called for waste plastic bottles to form the interior of the school's walls. Covered with a thin layer of cement and paint, visitors would never know about the bottles, except for a spot on one wall left to reveal the unique construction." |
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Definition
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Term
"The old school building was crumbling, but the poor village couldn't afford the concrete and steel for new construction. Students and town officials were stuck, until Kutner, an endlessly-optimistic Peace Corps volunteer, had an idea.
"Initially it was a dream," Kutner said. "It was 100 percent a dream. I came in here and thought, 'What if we can actually do this?'" |
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Definition
| Plastic School (problem) 1 |
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Term
"The idea is simple enough, but the project proved enormous. Bottles had to be stuffed with plastic bags to give them strength, and then wrapped together into blocks by using chicken wire.
"The stronger, the more stuffed [the bottle] is, the more supportive in the wall," said Kutner.
Stuffing the 6,000 bottles required for the school took months of grueling work. Each student was asked to find and fill at least 20 bottles, so children scoured their village for old bottles and plastic." |
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Definition
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Term
"It's a work of modern art and an engineering marvel -- a 60-foot catamaran kept afloat by recycled plastic bottles.
It only takes 12,000 bottles to do the job. Each is filled filled with carbon dioxide, making the bottles so rigid that a truck could drive over one and it wouldn't break." |
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Definition
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Term
"The sail is made of plastic rather than cloth, and even the mast is repurposed irrigation pipe. The exterior surface is fabricated from plastic too, instead of the usual fiberglass.
The one-of-a-kind vessel has a name to go along with its unusual materials -- she's christened the Plastiki." |
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Definition
| Trash Boat(construction)2 |
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Term
| "It's very likely that people in the San Francisco area might have a bottle they've drunk in the Plastiki," said the ship's creator, David de Rothschild. He's the heir to the famous banking fortune, and he says the boat is a way to draw attention to major environmental problems caused by waste plastic." |
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Definition
| Trash Boat(The help of others)2 |
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Term
"The crew will shove off aboard their plastic bottle boat, traveling from San Francisco on a three-month voyage to Sydney, Australia. That's a 11,000-mile trek across some very treacherous seas, and they can only hope that the bottles are up to the job.
"The boat is incredibly sturdy," said de Rothschild. "The superstructure material that we've engineered is very, very strong, almost comparable to fiberglass." |
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Definition
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Term
| "On the journey, they'll pass by enormous swaths of garbage floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The masses are made of millions of pounds of plastic debris that has gathered in the current and clustered together. One of the mounds is twice the size of Texas -- a vivid image, say the sailors, of how much we waste." |
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Definition
| Trash Boat(ecosystem problem)2 |
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Term
"The crew hopes the Plastiki will shed light on a global garbage problem.
"I hope it inspires people in their everyday lives to just sort of think about those little things that they can do to make that big difference," de Rothschild said. "I think we all have a responsibility to act, to try to do something about it because I think it's one of those problems we can solve." |
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Definition
| Trash Boat(Global Problem)2 |
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Term
| "The Plastiki's crew members plan to begin their journey in the next few weeks. The oceans are imperiled, they warn. And they hope to send that message to the world in a plastic bottle." |
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Definition
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Term
| "Across Berlin, color-coded domes and cans stand at at the ready to take in Berliner’s recyclables, one material at a time: glass, plastic, paper. But on New York’s street corners, there is only one wide-lipped metal trash can that takes it all in, recyclable or not." |
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Definition
| Reduce, Reuse, Recycle(garbage cans)3 |
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Term
“Compared with the rest of the world, New York’s recycling rate is shameful,” Ericka Hamburg wrote in the Complaint Box in Sunday’s Metropolitan section.
“I lived in the Bay Area for more than 20 years,” she went on. “Residents there were recycling in the 1980s, and when I visit, I cannot even find plastic foam; everything appears to be in biodegradable containers (à la Whole Foods). I recently went to Germany, and noticed that the recycling of packaging is ingrained in the populace, even at Carnival. Fifteen years ago in Nairobi, I could not leave a refreshment stand until I finished my drink and returned the bottle to the vendor. Poverty is a great force behind the appreciation and reuse of materials.” |
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Definition
| Reduce, Reuse, Recycle(New York)3 |
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Term
| "The city’s recycling efforts have gone in fits and spurts. One popular campaign urged consumers to buy cloth bags instead of using plastic, and more people these days seem to take porcelain mugs for their Starbucks fixes instead of asking for paper. But when you think about how much waste misses the recycling bin on a daily basis, it seems as though a solution is a long way off." |
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Definition
| Reduce, Reuse, Recycle(recycling)3 |
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Term
| "Do we feel that we are entitled to a bottomless garbage pit? In this selfish world order, New Yorkers are conditioned to expect wads of napkins and plastic utensils, even if they do not need them, as some readers pointed out. Because cashiers who hand out napkin stacks are on autopilot, no one stops to think about ways we can do it differently. To boot, many food vendors are more concerned with violating sanitary laws than using eco-friendly containers. It is a mindset that defeats the “reduce, reuse, recycle” mentality, as many readers pointed out." |
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Definition
| Reduce, reuse, recycle(wasting)3 |
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Term
"And since Americans are not motivated by a five-cent return on their deposit for a glass bottle, perhaps it is time to raise the refund on a deposit from its original amount, which has not been increased since it was instated in the 1950s, as a reader pointed out.
Many of you shared your solutions, how they contribute to the solution on a daily basis and what might motivate others to make small changes to their daily habits for a long-term gain." |
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Definition
| Reduce, reuse, recycle(un-needed)3 |
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Term
| "I have no objection. This morning I bought a bagel and a coffee. The bagel was wrapped in one sheet of aluminum foil, then a sheet of wax paper. The coffee, already in a paper cup, was put in a small paper bag. Then the bagel and coffee were both put in a plastic bag with a stack of napkins. This is ridiculous! My office building doesn’t recycle anything, not paper, glass or cardboard. It’s just stupid." |
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Definition
| Reduce, reuse, recycle(help)3 |
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Term
| "This example doesn’t make a lot of sense. The polystyrene containers, napkins, and plastic bags don’t cost anything close to that price. It’s more like a couple extra cents. They buy them in bulk for cheap. But let’s assume those prices are accurate, or that they’re inflating the price for those products for some reason: in this scenario I would get the salad and put it in my own container and go back to the office and use my own cutlery. They’d get my $7.99 instead of the $10.99 that you’re assuming that everything costs. Why would they want to spend less, to reduce their profit? Restaurants try desperately to “upsell” — they want you to buy more, not less." |
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Definition
| Reduce, reuse, recycle(change)3 |
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Term
| "You suggest that New York City is too rich to recycle, but NYC is actually too poor. The cheapest food comes in throw-away containers. This is true everywhere. Recycling rates are highest in ultra-yuppie cities like Seattle and the Bay Area. You use the Financial District as an example, but any cheapo rice and beans joint, Chinese takeout, or fried chicken place in a poor neighborhood in NYC meets or exceeds the waste you’re citing. The cost of waste is largely externalized and not borne by the producers of waste, that’s why it’s cheap." |
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Definition
| Reduce, reuse, recycle(Rich? Poor?)3 |
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Term
| "Mandatory recycling is great if it’s free. But what if I want to recycle my old TV? NYC recycling doesn’t take TVs, and now it’ll be illegal to throw it out. Best Buy charges $10 to recycle a TV or monitor under 32 inches. And do I really want to haul it there? I don’t have a car. The city had semi-annual electronics drives, but they’re gone thanks to budget cuts. And I gotta get rid of this TV now, because I’m moving out of my old apartment at the end of the month. Looks like I’ll throw it in the vacant lot at the end of the block." |
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Definition
| Reduce, reuse, recycle(Free recycling)3 |
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Term
| "The use of china and cutlery is relegated to actual restaurants, for special occasions or business lunches. Most workers (and tourists) head for fast-food chains, lunch trucks or one of the many self-service places, indistinguishable in their offerings of salad bars, soups, sushi and sandwiches. My rant is not with the sameness of their culinary offerings, but with the mountains of unrecyclable and unrecycled trash they generate." |
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Definition
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Term
| "A typical customer fills a No. 6 plastic clamshell container with food, grabs a wad of napkins and a set of plastic utensils (even if only a fork is needed) and, in a city known for its high-quality tap water, buys it bottled in plastic, then receives a plastic bag from a cashier on autopilot. The customer carries the meal 10 feet to a table, perhaps consumes most of it, then stuffs all the containers into an already crammed trash bin. Multiply this by the thousands. Where is all that plastic and paper going? If it were Central Park, there might be an incentive for change, but it is sent off to landfills in Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and elsewhere." |
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Definition
| Lunches and Landfills(Plastic or real?)4 |
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Term
| "Perhaps this city is just too rich. While its waste generation is legendary, there appears to be no end to clamshell culture. And since biodegradable food containers have yet to become fashionable here, I have a suggestion for food sellers. Follow the business model of the airlines and itemize expenses. Charge what it really costs to create and haul tons of waste to landfills." |
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Definition
| Lunches and Landfills(To Rich?)4 |
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Term
"A sign at the deli door, or by the cashier station, might read:
Welcome!
Salad bar: $7.99 lb.
Polystyrene container: $1.50
Extra napkins: $.50
Plastic bag: $1
Would customers protest, and maybe bring their own containers? Would delis have an incentive to graduate to biodegradables and provide recycling bins on their premises? Will legislation expanding New York City’s recycling laws, expected to be approved this month,be enough to reverse decades of bad habits and official neglect?" |
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Definition
| Lunches and Landfills(New signs?)4 |
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Term
| "The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has set a national goal to recycle 25 percent of our national waste. Some plastics can be recycled through curbside recycling, grocery store drop bins or drop-off centers. A raised number (1 through 7) in a triangle on the bottom of most plastic containers tells you what type of plastic it is and if it can be recycled." |
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Definition
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Term
| "There are 7 steps you need to take to make sure you are recycling the stuff you need to. We all need to recycle more so that the economy and ecosystem can be a better place to live." |
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Definition
| How to Recycle Plastic(steps)5 |
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Term
| "The confusion over what we can and cannot recycle continues to confound consumers. Plastics are especially troublesome, as different types of plastic require different processing to be reformulated and re-used as raw material. Some municipalities accept all types of plastic for recycling, while others only accept jugs, containers and bottles with certain numbers stamped on their bottoms." |
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Definition
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Term
"The symbol code we’re familiar with—a single digit ranging from 1 to 7 and surrounded by a triangle of arrows—was designed by The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) in 1988 to allow consumers and recyclers to differentiate types of plastics while providing a uniform coding system for manufacturers.
The numbers, which 39 U.S. states now require to be molded or imprinted on all eight-ounce to five-gallon containers that can accept the half-inch minimum-size symbol, identify the type of plastic. According to the American Plastics Council, an industry trade group, the symbols also help recyclers do their jobs more effectively." |
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Definition
| Recycling plastics (by Numbers) 6 |
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Term
| "The easiest and most common plastics to recycle are made of polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) and are assigned the number 1. Examples include soda and water bottles, medicine containers, and many other common consumer product containers. Once it has been processed by a recycling facility, PETE can become fiberfill for winter coats, sleeping bags and life jackets. It can also be used to make bean bags, rope, car bumpers, tennis ball felt, combs, cassette tapes, sails for boats, furniture and, of course, other plastic bottles." |
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Definition
| Recycling Plastic (easy) 6 |
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Term
| "Polyvinyl chloride, commonly used in plastic pipes, shower curtains, medical tubing, vinyl dashboards, and even some baby bottle nipples, gets number 3. Like numbers 4 (wrapping films, grocery and sandwich bags, and other containers made of low-density polyethylene) and 5 (polypropylene containers used in Tupperware, among other products), few municipal recycling centers will accept it due to its very low rate of recyclability." |
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Definition
| Recycling Plastic (uncommon)6 |
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Term
| 'Number 6 goes on polystyrene (Styrofoam) items such as coffee cups, disposable cutlery, meat trays, packing “peanuts” and insulation. It is widely accepted because it can be reprocessed into many items, including cassette tapes and rigid foam insulation." |
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Definition
| Recycling plastic (useful) 6 |
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Term
| "Last, but far from least, are items crafted from various combinations of the aforementioned plastics or from unique plastic formulations not commonly used. Usually imprinted with a number 7 or nothing at all, these plastics are the most difficult to recycle and, as such, are seldom collected or recycled. More ambitious consumers can feel free to return such items to the product manufacturers to avoid contributing to the local waste stream, and instead put the burden on the makers to recycle or dispose of the items properly." |
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Definition
| Recycling plastic (hardest) 6 |
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Term
| "Misconception # 1: Plastics that go into a curbside recycling bin get recycled. Not necessarily. Collecting plastic containers at curbside fosters the belief that, like aluminum and glass, the recovered material is converted into new containers. In fact, none of the recovered plastic containers from Berkeley are being made into containers again but into new secondary products such as textiles, parking lot bumpers, or plastic lumber – all unrecyclable products. This does not reduce the use of virgin materials in plastic packaging. "Recycled" in this case merely means "collected," not reprocessed or converted into useful products." |
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Definition
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Term
| "Misconception # 2: Curbside collection will reduce the amount of plastic landfilled. Not necessarily. If establishing collection makes plastic packages seem more environmentally friendly, people may feel comfortable buying more. Curbside plastic collection programs, intended to reduce municipal plastic waste, might backfire if total use rises faster than collection. Since only a fraction of certain types of plastic could realistically be captured by a curbside program, the net impact of initiating curbside collection could be an increase in the amount of plastic landfilled. The Berkeley pilot program showed no reduction of plastic being sent to the landfill in the areas where the curbside collection was in operation. Furthermore, since most plastic reprocessing leads to secondary products that are not themselves recycled, this material is only temporarily diverted from landfills." |
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Definition
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Term
| "Misconception # 3: A chasing arrows symbol means a plastic container is recyclable. The arrows are meaningless. Every plastic container is marked with the chasing arrows symbol. The only information in the symbol is the number inside the arrows, which indicates the general class of resin used to make the container. The attorneys general of 11 states objected to false and misleading claims about plastic recyclability. The recent settlement that they reached with the American Plastics Council paves the way for a first-ever definition of what claims can or cannot be made about plastic recycling and recyclability." |
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Definition
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Term
| "Misconception # 4: Packaging resins are made from petroleum refineries’ waste. Plastic resins are made from non-renewable natural resources that could be used for a variety of other applications or conserved. Most packaging plastics are made from the same natural gas used in homes to heat water and cook." |
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Definition
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Term
| "Misconception # 5: Plastics recyclers pay to promote plastics’ recyclability. No; virgin resin producers pay for the bulk of these ads. Most such ads are placed by virgin plastic manufacturers whose goal is to promote plastic sales. These advertisements are aimed at removing or diminishing virgin plastic’s greatest challenge to market expansion: negative public conception of plastic as unrecyclable, environmentally harmful, and a major component of wastes that must be landfilled or burned." |
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Definition
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Term
| "Misconception # 6: Using plastic containers conserves energy. When the equation includes the energy used to synthesize the plastic resin, making plastic containers uses as much energy as making glass containers from virgin materials, and much more than making glass containers from recycled materials. Using refillables is the most energy conservative." |
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Definition
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Term
| "Misconception # 7: Our choice is limited to recycling or wasting. Source reduction is preferable for many types of plastic and isn’t difficult. Opportunities include using refillable containers, buying in bulk, buying things that don’t need much packaging, and buying things in recyclable and recycled packages." |
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Definition
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Term
"Plastic packaging has economic, health, and environmental costs and benefits. While offering advantages such as flexibility and light weight, it creates problems including: consumption of fossil resources; pollution; high energy use in manufacturing; accumulation of wasted plastic in the environment; and migration of polymers and additives into foods.
Plastic container producers do not use any recycled plastic in their packaging. Recycled content laws could reduce the use of virgin resin for packaging. Unfortunately, the virgin&endash;plastics industry has resisted such cooperation by strongly opposing recycled -content legislation, and has defeated or weakened consumer efforts to institute stronger laws. Plastic manufacturers recently decided that they will not add post consumer materials to their resins used in the USA." |
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Definition
| Misconceptions (more info) 7 |
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Term
| "There is a likelihood that establishing plastics collection might increase consumption by making plastic appear more ecologically friendly both to consumers and retailers. Collecting plastics at curbside could legitimize the production and marketing of packaging made from virgin plastic. Studies of garbage truck loads during the recent plastic pick-up pilot program showed no reduction of "recyclable" plastic containers being thrown away in the pilot areas (in fact, there was a slight increase). Due in part to increased plastic use, glass container plants around the country have been closing, including Anchor Glass Container Corporation in Antioch, putting 300 people out of work." |
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Definition
| Misconceptions (info...) 7 |
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Term
"Plastic recycling costs much and does little to achieve recycling goals. Our cost/benefit analysis for implementing curbside plastics collection in Berkeley shows that curbside collection of discarded plastics: involves expensive processing; has limited benefits in reducing environmental impacts; and has limited benefits in diverting resources from waste.
Processing used plastics often costs more than virgin plastic. As plastic producers increase production and reduce prices on virgin plastics, the markets for used plastic are diminishing. PET recyclers cannot compete with the virgin resin flooding the market.
Increasing the capture rates of glass, paper or yard debris in Berkeley could divert more resources from landfills than collecting plastics at curbside. The "recyclable" plastic to be collected in Berkeley at most would only amount to 0.3% of the waste stream." |
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Definition
| Misconceptions (cost and more) 7 |
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Term
"1. Reduce the use
Source reduction Retailers and consumers can select products that use little or no packaging. Select packaging materials that are recycled into new packaging - such as glass and paper. If people refuse plastic as a packaging material, the industry will decrease production for that purpose, and the associated problems such as energy use, pollution, and adverse health effects will diminish." |
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Definition
| Misconceptions (strategies #1) 7 |
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Term
"2. Reuse containers
Since refillable plastic containers can be reused about 25 times, container reuse can lead to a substantial reduction in the demand for disposable plastic, and reduced use of materials and energy, with the consequent reduced environmental impacts. Container designers will take into account the fate of the container beyond the point of sale and consider the service the container provides. "Design for service" differs sharply from "design for disposal"." |
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Definition
| Misconceptions (strategies #2) 7 |
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Term
"3. Require producers to take back resins
Get plastic manufacturers directly involved with plastic disposal and closing the material loop, which can stimulate them to consider the product’s life cycle from cradle to grave. Make reprocessing easier by limiting the number of container types and shapes, using only one type of resin in each container, making collapsible containers, eliminating pigments, using water-dispersible adhesives for labels, and phasing out associated metals such as aluminum seals. Container and resin makers can help develop the reprocessing infrastructure by taking back plastic from consumers." |
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Definition
| Misconceptions (strategies #3) 7 |
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Term
"4. Legislatively require recycled content
Requiring that all containers be composed of a percentage of post-consumer material reduces the amount of virgin material consumed." |
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Definition
| Misconceptions (strategies #4) 7 |
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Term
"5. Standardize labeling and inform the public
The chasing arrows symbol on plastics is an example of an ambiguous and misleading label. Significantly different standardized labels for "recycled," "recyclable," and "made of plastic type X" must be developed." |
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Definition
| Misconceptions (strategies #5) 7 |
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Term
"Sometimes it seems like modern America is one colossal plastic palace. The versatile material is in our cars, toys, packaging, clothing, home goods, food utensils, medical devices and so much more. It is also littering our streets, clogging our waterways and choking marine life. Many plastics can be readily recycled, but how do consumers make sense of all the different types and rules?
Number 1 Plastics
PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate)
Found in: Soft drink, water and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers; ovenable food trays.
Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs.
Recycled into: Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, (occasionally) new containers
PET plastic is the most common for single-use bottled beverages, because it is inexpensive, lightweight and easy to recycle. It poses low risk of leaching breakdown products. Recycling rates remain relatively low (around 20%), though the material is in high demand by remanufacturers." |
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Definition
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Term
"Number 2 Plastics
HDPE (high density polyethylene)
Found in: Milk jugs, juice bottles; bleach, detergent and household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; butter and yogurt tubs; cereal box liners
Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs, although some allow only those containers with necks.
Recycled into: Laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, recycling containers, floor tile, drainage pipe, lumber, benches, doghouses, picnic tables, fencing
HDPE is a versatile plastic with many uses, especially for packaging. It carries low risk of leaching and is readily recyclable into many goods." |
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Definition
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Term
"Number 3 Plastics
V (Vinyl) or PVC
Found in: Window cleaner and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, wire jacketing, medical equipment, siding, windows, piping
Recycling: Rarely recycled; accepted by some plastic lumber makers.
Recycled into: Decks, paneling, mudflaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats
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." |
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Definition
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Term
"Number 4 Plastics
LDPE (low density polyethylene)
Found in: Squeezable bottles; bread, frozen food, dry cleaning and shopping bags; tote bags; clothing; furniture; carpet
Recycling: LDPE is not often recycled through curbside programs, but some communities will accept it. Plastic shopping bags can be returned to many stores for recycling.
Recycled into: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, paneling, lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile
LDPE is a flexible plastic with many applications. Historically it has not been accepted through most American curbside recycling programs, but more and more communities are starting to accept it." |
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Definition
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Term
"Number 5 Plastics
PP (polypropylene)
Found in: Some yogurt containers, syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, caps, straws, medicine bottles
Recycling: Number 5 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs.
Recycled into: Signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, trays" |
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Definition
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Term
"Number 6 Plastics
PS (polystyrene)
Found in: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers, aspirin bottles, compact disc cases
Recycling: Number 6 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs.
Recycled into: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers
Polystyrene can be made into rigid or foam products -- in the latter case it is popularly known as the trademark Styrofoam. Evidence suggests polystyrene can leach potential toxins into foods. The material was long on environmentalists' hit lists for dispersing widely across the landscape, and for being notoriously difficult to recycle. Most places still don't accept it, though it is gradually gaining traction." |
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Definition
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Term
"Number 7 Plastics
Miscellaneous
Found in: Three- and five-gallon water bottles, 'bullet-proof' materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod and computer cases, signs and displays, certain food containers, nylon
Recycling: Number 7 plastics have traditionally not been recycled, though some curbside programs now take them.
Recycled into: Plastic lumber, custom-made products
A wide variety of plastic resins that don't fit into the previous categories are lumped into number 7. A few are even made from plants (polyactide) and are compostable. Polycarbonate is number 7, and is the hard plastic that has parents worried these days, after studies have shown it can leach potential hormone disruptors." |
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Definition
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Term
| "Six hundred and twenty-five (625) carloads of recyclable material were brought to the event. The total amount of material collected was 90,261 pounds or 45.1 tons. The total averages out to 144 pounds of material per vehicle. The material collected is process by various vendors and made into new products. The event also included a compost bin sale." |
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Definition
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Term
"42,500 pounds of scrap metals, appliances, and electronic equipment. These metals will be sorted into ferrous and non-ferrous metals and made into new products at various manufacturing plants.
-13 used refrigerators and freezers. The ozone depleting chemicals and gas will be removed from these units and disposed of properly by Total Reclaim in Seattle (4,550 pounds).
-21 propane tanks. The tanks will be re-used through Blue Rhino Cylinder Exchange Service or the tanks will be recycled as scrap metal through Independent Metals (1,050 pounds)." |
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Definition
| Recycling Event (included) 9 |
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Term
"11,160 pounds of bulky and scrap wood. The bulky yard debris and scrap wood was sent to Glacier Recyclers a composting/wood processor in Auburn.
-750 gallons of used motor oil and petroleum based products. This will be re-refined into new motor oil or reused as bunker fuel (5,550 pounds).
-110 gallons of used antifreeze. This toxic liquid will be recycled into new antifreeze (880 pounds).
-125 used oil filters. These will be drained of oil and the scrap metal will be recycled (350 pounds)." |
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Definition
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Term
"394 used tires. These tires will be re-used if in good condition, if not, chipped and made into such products as garden hoses, playground mats, road bedding, and burned as fuel (9,850 pounds).
-62 lead acid batteries. The batteries will be dismantled, the acid disposed of properly, and the cores recycled into new batteries (2,232 pounds)." |
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Definition
| Recycling Event (Tires and Batteries) 9 |
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Term
"9,890 household batteries. The batteries will be dismantled, the hazardous material disposed of properly, and the cores recycled into new batteries through All Battery (989 pounds).
-38 toilets and sinks. The porcelain material will be processed by Lloyd Enterprises into concrete material (2,850 pounds).
-8,300 pounds of cardboard. The cardboard collected will be recycled by Smurfit in Renton." |
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Definition
| Recycling Event (Toilets and Sinks) 9 |
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Term
| "With curbside recycling becoming widespread and recycling centers popping up, more and more people are turning to recycling when it comes time to dispose of their trash. While almost all paper and glass can be efficiently recycled, plastic products pose a bit more of a dilemma when it comes to recycling them. As a result of the various types of plastic used in packaging, only some of these bottles, bags and containers can be recycled." |
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Definition
| Why cant all plastics be recycled? 10 |
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Term
| "The numbers within the "chasing triangle" symbol at the bottom of most plastic containers designate which type of plastic was used to create it. Number 1 designates polyethelyne terphthalate. Number 2 designates high density polyethylene. Number 3 is polyvinyl chloride. Number 4 is for low density polyethylene, number 6 is for polystyrene, and number 7 designates all other food containers." |
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Definition
| Why can't all plastics be recycled? (Identification) 10 |
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Term
| "One of the most common misconceptions in recycling plastic is the notion that if the container has a number on the bottom then it is recyclable. This is far from the truth. At present time only plastic containers with the number 1 or 2 stamped on the bottom are usually eligible for recycling and even some of those like yogurt cups are commonly shunned. Wide-mouthed bottles with a number 1 or 2 on the bottom are also not eligible for recycling" |
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Definition
| Why can't all plastics be recycled? (misconceptions) 10 |
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Term
| "There are several reasons all plastics cannot be recycled. Unlike glass and paper, plastic products degrade significantly in the recycling process. Also unlike glass bottles which are reused or melted into new bottles, recycled plastic containers are usually made into other items like construction material. Plastics like PVC are toxic and can contaminate loads if mistakenly mixed with number 1 and 2 plastics. All of these factors contribute to a decreased industry demand for recycled plastic as corporations instead use a new or "virgin" plastic product." |
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Definition
| Why can't all plastics be recycled? (Features) 10 |
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Term
| "There has been pressure put on the plastics industry to change the way they label their containers to make it more concise what is recyclable and what is not. So far they have resisted changing the labeling and contend that their usage of the triangular chasing arrows logo was never intended to represent recyclables and that the numbering system is only used to sort the different types of plastic." |
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Definition
| Why can't all plastics be recycled (Prevention/solution) 10 |
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Term
| "If you are willing to get a bit more creative than just dropping your bottles in the curbside bins, there are a number of different options for recycling plastic that your community recycling program won't take. See if there is a plastics lumber manufacturer in your area, as many of them take all kinds of plastics. You can often recycle clean plastic grocery bags even if they are number 4 by bringing them back into the store. Some facilities accept solid polystyrene, better known as Styrofoam. Check with the Alliance of Foam Packaging Recyclers for more details." |
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Definition
| Why can't all plastics be recycled? (Considerations) 10 |
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Term
| "Plastics are raw materials intentionally designed with specific characteristics for specific products. When plastics are heated up, or melted they “flow” or “melt” differently. Each type of plastic has a different “melt-flow”. Melt-flows differentiate types of plastic by how the plastic melts and flows." |
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Definition
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Term
"Typical ways to mold:
Blow molded is when air is actually blown into the plastic to create a formed container. For example a pop bottle.
Extruding a plastic product is when melted plastic is pushed through a mold similar to a meat grinder such as when pipe is formed.
Injection Molding is when the plastic is injected into a mold to form, for example a trash can." |
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Definition
| Melt Flow (Types Of Mold) 11 |
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Term
| "So all HDPE plastics with the same number (like the #2 on the bottom of the container) can’t always be combined together because of differing melt flow. It is similar to purchasing a Ford vehicle. There are several different types of Ford vehicles – compacts, mid-size, trucks to SUV’s – They are all different but they are all Fords." |
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Definition
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Term
| "The numbers on the bottoms of plastic containers are used to identify the type of plastic it is made from but does not distinguish the melt flow of a plastic. Most curbside recycling programs are looking for bottles as opposed to tubs & buckets which are molded with different technology." |
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Definition
| Melt Flow (numbers cont.) 11 |
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Term
"Is this plastic toy recyclable? NO. Even if it has “chasing arrows” imprinted on it? NO
Many people are accustomed to checking the number inside the “chasing arrows” to find out whether an item is accepted for recycling. However, those chasing arrows and numbers don’t mean that there is a market that wants that item." |
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Definition
| Forget numbers, Use shapes 11 |
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Term
"The number on a plastic container just designates the type of resin used to make it. The number does not specify its recyclability.
Some items marked with the same recycling number cannot be recycled together because they are made using different processes. For example, #1 bottles and #1 cups start from the same resin but are molded differently. This makes the cup a contaminant when recycling bottles.
So forget the number. What is the shape? In Federal Way, bottles, jugs, dairy tubs and plastic cups are accepted in your curbside container." |
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Definition
| Forget Numbers Use shapes (explination) 11 |
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Term
"The residential recycling program accepts all clean plastic bottles, jars, jugs, and dairy tubs including those listed below. No other plastic is accepted.
YES Plastic jars and jugs (e.g., rinsed bleach, detergent & cat litter jugs)
YES Plastic bottles (e.g., beverage, detergent & condiment bottles)
YES Round plastic dairy tubs (e.g., yogurt, cottage cheese and pudding containers)" |
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Definition
| What can I recycle? (yes) 11 |
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Term
"In general, plastic items that are not accepted for recycling are refused because:
• They are made from a resin that is not recyclable because of low supply or high remanufacturing cost.
• They contain more than one type of plastic resin.
• They have too much food and/or moisture residue.
• They are dirty." |
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Definition
| What Can I recycle (No) 11 |
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Term
"Specifically, our residential recycling does not accept any plastic that is not a bottle, jar, jug or dairy tub, including:
• NO Styrofoam (e.g., peanuts, egg carton, packing) – litter; wrong resin
• NO Take-out containers (e.g. clamshell, deli tray) – wrong resin
• NO Plastic cups, plastes or utensils – brittle; wrong resin
• NO Plastic bags, plastic wrap or bubble wrap – wrong resin; litter (Clean plastic shopping bags can be recycled at many grocery and retail stores.)
• NO Lids (e.g. juice box lids, jug lids, plastic bottle caps) – jam recycling equipment; litter
• NO Six-pack rings - wrong resin; litter
• NO Disposable diapers – usually wet or dirty; health hazard
• NO Containers that contained hazardous or toxic material (e.g., antifreeze, oil) – health hazard" |
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Definition
| What Can I recycle? (Others) 11 |
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Term
"In the process, the kids cleaned up the ditches and hillsides so thoroughly that they started running out of garbage and had to go to neighboring villages. The students share pride over their new school and a new-found excitement about picking up garbage.
"You don't need a lot of money, and the best thing is that they worked together," said the school's principal, according to an ABC News translation." |
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Definition
| Plastic School (Idea Cont.) 1 |
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Term
| "Number 2 is reserved for high-density polyethylene plastics. These include heavier containers that hold laundry detergents and bleaches as well as milk, shampoo and motor oil. Plastic labeled with the number 2 is often recycled into toys, piping, plastic lumber and rope. Like plastic designated number 1, it is widely accepted at recycling centers." |
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Definition
| Recycling Plastic (easy Cont.) 6 |
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