Terracycle

I’ve noticed on some packages I’ve gotten recently the word “Terracycle” in corners.  I decided to look into what that means.

Terracycle is a company that collects what they consider “previously not recyclable or hard-to-recycle materials.”  Examples of this would be chip bags and Ziploc bags.  They then take these products and “upcycle” them into new products.

Terracycle insists that recycling is different from upcycling.  Although similar in concept, when recycling, you break the object down and change its form.  In upcycling, you keep the product in the same form, but just reuse it.

To participate, you join a collection group, or “brigade”, and start saving your materials that you signed up to recycle.  Then, take it to your local UPS Store, which ships the products to Terracycle.  Most of their programs are free, and most will donate two to four cents for each product to a school or charity of choice. 

Terracycle is an excellent way to live sustainably.  They are eliminating the idea of “trash,” and are finding excellent ways to reuse materials.  They currently make 256 different products, and that number is expected to grow within the years to come.

Source: Terracycle: http://www.terracycle.net/

Pepsi and Coca-Cola Introduce New Plant-Based Bottles

Pepsi and Coca-Cola are both introducing plant-based bottles to consumers soon.  Coca-Cola has already begun its program, and Pepsi is planning to roll out its version beginning with a pilot program starting next year.  Both these plastics have the same basis as regular, plastic PET bottles.  However, they have replaced petroleum-based chemicals with plant-based chemicals to make the bottles more environmentally friendly.

The reason they introduced this bottle?  Increased hype about the green movement is one reason.  Coca-Cola has been searching for a plant-based bottle since around 2002, and believes they have found the answer.  Their new model is made from thirty percent plant products and is fully recycle.  Deemed “PlantBottles,” these bottles have been specially formulated so that they can hold all of Coca-Cola’s products, not just certain ones.  They also look at the energy input put into the plants they use in their bottles, and select which plants to use based on the energy input.  So far, they have selected to use only sugarcane and molasses from Brazil.  However, that is bound to change in the future as farmers become more aware of this opportunity to partner with Coca-Cola.  Coca-Cola’s goal is to recycle these bottles, because they believe it is better to reuse the plastic than to make a bio-degradable plastic and put the bottles back in the Earth after just one use.  They are working on expanding bottle-to-bottle recycling.  Their ultimate goal: have one hundred percent plant based plastics on the market by 2020. 

Pepsi’s bottle is in the beginning stages of their plant-based bottle, and won’t begin selling it until 2012.  It is supposed to be plant-based and recyclable; however, it will also use materials that come from Pepsi’s food businesses. 

Source: Smart Planet: http://www.smartplanet.com/people/blog/pure-genius/coca-cola-packaging-goal-is-all-beverages-in-plantbottles-by-2020/5305/?tag=content;col1

Smart Planet: http://www.smartplanet.com/business/blog/business-brains/new-battleground-in-beverage-wars-sustainable-packaging/14313/

Alternatives to Plastic Food Containers

Even if you reuse your plastic containers multiple times, the process used to make plastic is still very unsustainable.  And if it is broken, if discarded in a landfill, can become very toxic when it biodegrades, and is ultimately an unsustainable practice.  Therefore, it is best to look for alternatives to plastic food containers when possible.

In the home

You may use a lot of Tupperware; I know that I do.  However, there are better alternatives than to use Tupperware.  A good choice is to use glass storage containers.  They are more environmentally friendly, are more sustainable when produced, and are less damaging if thrown in a landfill.  An aluminum or tin container would be good as well, and they are widely available.  They would also be easier to recycle.

For Packing Lunch

When packing a lunch, it is a good idea to use a metal lunch box instead of a plastic one, as they are more sustainable.  Also, instead of using plastic, disposable utensils, pack metal ones from home and then bring them back to wash.  Instead of using plastic Ziploc bags, look for cloth snack wraps.  These are reusable and overall are more sustainable than plastic, disposable bags.  Make sure not to buy oilcloth, however, as they are laminated cloth, meaning they are coated in plastic.

These methods help to reduce our impact on the environment, and overall are much more sustainable than even reusing plastic materials.

Source: Care 2 Make a Difference: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/plastic-free-food-storage.html

Recycling Chewing Gum

That’s right.  Companies now have solutions to recycle chewing gum.  Although not completely new, these have not caught on a lot, but are very helpful in recycling materials, as well as keeping sidewalks in areas clean. 

First, there is the Envyrobubble.  This campaign sets up bright pink bins along busy sidewalks.  They can hold up to 1000 pieces of gum.  Envyrobubble then recycles the gum they’ve collected into fertilizer.

Next, there is the Gummy Bin.  This comes in two models: One that holds 250 pieces, the other holds 500 pieces.  These come in a variety of colors, and the 250 piece model can be customized with ads and an LCD screen.  Gummy Bins collects this gum and recycles it into rubber-like material, which can then be used to make things such as running tracks.

Finally, there is the Gumdrop campaign.  This campaign collects chewed gum and recycles it into a polymer that can be used for such things as toys and tires. 

All three of these campaigns have been very successful, and have saved a lot of time and money from cleaning sidewalks.  They are great ways to reuse materials, and hopefully they will be able to expand further in the near future.

Source: Clean Technica: http://cleantechnica.com/2010/08/22/new-plan-for-recycling-gum-into-toys-and-tires/

Springwise.com: http://www.springwise.com/eco_sustainability/gum_recycling_bins/

Unsustainable Items to Give Up

Today, I looked at my newsletter from “The Daily Green.”  In it, there was an article about giving up items for Lent that will help the environment.  Although they are suggested to be given up for lint, you could easily give up some of them year-round.  Here are their suggestions:

1.     

           Give up plastic bags (and paper bags, too).  This costs only about $1 per bag, and can help to reduce use of these bags, which are unsustainable.  If you forget them, choose a bag provided at the grocery store that you will recycle.

2.       Quit using bottled water.  Bottles can be very toxic for the environment, and require more water to make than is filled up with them.  Instead, use a reusable, aluminum bottle.

3.       Stop Receiving Unwanted Catalogs.  I generally don’t receive random catalogs in the mail, although it does happen.  CatalogChoice.org is the website listed in the newsletter, I have not gotten a chance to see how it works.

4.       Give up conventional detergents.  Look for a natural detergent, and make sure to wash in cold water.  Using cold water also saves energy.

5.       Stop using your clothes dryer.  Instead, use a clothesline outside.  This is a good choice that would save a lot of energy, however, I’m unsure how effective it would be in windy areas like the Tri-Cities, or in rainy areas such as Seattle or Portland.

6.       Choose recycled toilet paper over conventional toilet paper.  Recycled toilet paper costs about the same as conventional toilet paper, would eliminate approximately 60,000 pounds of chlorine pollution, save 356  million gallons of freshwater, and save 1 million trees.

7.       Stop using paper towels.  Use small, microfiber towels instead.

8.       Set your thermostat 2 degrees lower in the winter and 2 degrees warmer in the summer.

9.       Stop going to the dry cleaners.  Some still use lots of toxic chemicals when cleaning their supplies, which can evaporate into the air in your home.  Instead, avoid clothes that require dry cleaning when possible.  If you must dry clean clothes, let it air out outside before bringing it in your house.

Source: The Daily Green: http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/give-up-for-lent-022509