(Another) Recycling Rant

Unless you’re a newer reader of my blog, you already know that I am passionate about this subject. In school, the 3 Rs were Reading, (W)Riting and (A)Rithmetic. In the ecological world, the 3 Rs are Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle. Repurposing something is my biggest weakness, as I don’t really have the creative gene that can pick up two (or more) used products having nothing in common and put them together to make a new, usable item. Perhaps that is why I was a loyal viewer of the TV show “Flea Market Flip”?

I do know of a few items that I am good at reusing, like plastic containers with lids that came filled with a grocery item (think whipped topping, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc.) The plastic containers are ideal for when I went to share something yummy I’ve made, because I don’t have to worry about a good container never being returned to me. I have a handful of large prescription medicine bottles for which I have a vague plan the next time I go through all of my craft stuff.

But, when it comes to recycling, I’d like to think of myself as a pro. I contacted our borough office to find out where I could find a list of what our trash company will consider for recycling. I printed out an 8-1/2 x 11 page from their website and hung it on our community bulletin board so all of the residents can see it. And while I’m not a dumpster diver in any sense of the word (we have large plastic cans, not a dumpster, anyhow), if I’m taking out trash and see that someone has put a recyclable item in the regular trash, if possible, I will retrieve it and put it in the correct bin.

This “rant” became needed by me to release some of the emotions related to a neighboring state recently banning all plastic bags at grocery stores and even convenience stores. The press release said this:

“Starting May 4, 2022, New Jersey retail stores, grocery stores and food service businesses may not provide or
sell single-use plastic carryout bags and polystyrene foam food service products. Single-use paper carryout bags
are allowed to be provided or sold, except by grocery stores equal to or larger than 2500 square feet, which may
only provide or sell reusable carryout bags. After November 4, 2021, plastic straws may be provided only upon the
request of the customer.”

I’m old enough to remember before plastic bags came to the forefront of ways to carry things. I worked in the local grocery store through high school and college breaks, and brown paper bags were all we used to bag groceries. They were great because they were sturdier so the bottom row in the bag could carry all canned goods. And did they get recycled? How many of you remember making book covers from them after the first week of school to cover all of your subject books? I remember enjoying this task. Not only did the books look cleaner and more uniform, but each of us could decorate or doodle upon those plain brown covers! Now, you can barely find a brown paper bag, because enough loud voices and politicians were concerned about depleting our forests by turning lumber into paper. Now we’ve reached another environmental quagmire because we replaced paper bags with plastic ones.

Now, let me tell you quickly that I am not opposed to this ban in any way! I’ve been using my reusable bags for a while now (though, on occasion, I’ve used a plastic bag if I have eggs and bread to keep them separate and lessen the chance of them becoming mashed and/or broken).

However, of all of the plastic out there that is not recyclable, it’s my belief that plastic store bags are 95% treated with reuse. Yes, some people just throw them away once they are empty, but most of us save them for reuse. Taking your dog for a walk means you need to carry a plastic bag along to clean up after any solid ‘dumps’, and a grocery bag is perfect for that chore. What if you don’t have that plastic bag? Those with a conscience will find another source of disposable plastic to perform as an alternative, and that same non-recyclable plastic will end up in the trash.

If you’ve walked the produce or meat aisle of a grocery store, you’ve most likely seen the mounted rolls of plastic bags to place your produce inside and/or your meat (in case it is sticky/leaking). These are also non-recyclable and end up in the trash. Plus, all of that meat that is wrapped with a plastic wrap on a Styrofoam tray involves two different products that are non-recyclable! And speaking of trash, what do we put our trash into when it’s an item to be discarded? Did I hear someone say, “a plastic bag”?

Remember a few years ago when all of the talk was about plastic straws, which are not recyclable? The servers at the diner I visit monthly to have lunch with my bestie still immediately place a paper wrapped plastic straw on the table for every cold drink that is ordered – even if it’s just a glass of water! Now, some people prefer a straw, but wouldn’t it be better not only for the environment but for the business’s bottom line if they only provided them upon request?

Also several years ago, there was this big mention of the amount of Styrofoam cups at all of the convenience stores and other coffee shops that are primarily driven by drive-thru and to-go business (and yes, Styrofoam is recyclable but the practice is complicated and therefore not done in the majority of recycling centers across the country, and it’s supposedly not very profitable to recycle). So, all of these companies switched to cardboard cups, and we applauded them. However, the lids and the stirrers that are used for to-go coffee are made of non-recyclable plastics!

And while I’m going to rant, why is recycling still a voluntary act instead of a mandatory one? And why is recycling strongly encouraged only at the residential level and not for businesses? How many plastic drink bottles are tossed in the trash in a large company’s break room? How many large empty detergent bottles are tossed in the trash in a laundromat? Stop at a convenience store because your oil light came on, bought a quart of oil and poured it in your car? Where is that plastic can going to end up? Oh, and since the invention of disposable diapers, how many diapers, absorbent material wrapped in plastic, are put in the trash daily across the country???

All of this is why, while I applaud New Jersey’s stance on plastic shopping bags, I don’t believe that it’s going to have as big of an effect as we need in order to save our planet from the damage we are doing to it even if the entire country made it a rule. That piece of plastic is just a small part of the plastic that we use every day without thought of how discarding it will have an effect.

The next time you go to the grocery store, walk every aisle, even if you don’t need anything from that aisle. See how many products you find that are packaged in non-recyclable materials. Think about all of the breads and buns in their plastic bags. Think about all of the meats, some with Styrofoam trays, some not, but all in some kind of plastic. Think about all of those frozen veggies in plastic bags. Then look in the non-food aisles. Things like toilet paper and paper towels are wrapped in plastic. Laundry detergent and some cleaners do come in recyclable bottles, but the caps and/or sprayer nozzles are not recyclable. And even though some foods come in glass containers, which are recyclable, the lids are not. In other words, the amount of waste that goes to a landfill will always be much greater than the amount of products that end up in a recycling bin. And recycling those products is still voluntary, and not everyone bothers.

Again, I don’t want to belittle New Jersey for its state-wide ban of plastic shopping bags, and maybe it made the news in my area because of our proximity to the state line, but I’m not sure it deserves any great fanfare to signal its achievement.

But it burns my biscuits (thanks, Kristian!) that there is so much more to be done and that this attempt, while well-intentioned, is like the proverbial ‘drop in a bucket’ to what needs to be done. And that’s just on OUR side! Government needs to step in and help recycling centers and end users of recycled products make it profitable to sustain both in their efforts. I recently saw a headline that only 9% of the products that are recyclable end up being use, while the other 91% sit, in large quantities, wrapped up in wire hoping that someone will have a need.

Overall, there aren’t enough of us who care about the future of our planet to fight for recycling. I know that some people will recycle if it’s convenient, but not many go through the conscious effort to make a difference in how our waste is handled.

So, if you went out and planted a tree, or helped a group clean up an area where trash is thrown around, in honor of Earth Day, the planet thanks you. If you don’t avidly recycle, that thank you is rescinded.

Please, do what’s right, not just what’s convenient.

Around-the-House Hacks – IV

Did you realize that 99% of the meat packages you buy at your local grocery store come on Styrofoam trays with shrink-wrapped plastic? The Styrofoam tray is used to cushion the meat so that packages can be set upon each other without compromise to the appearance to the meat in each package. And, of course, we appreciate that and don’t give it much thought. And think about all of the take-out/to-go containers you get that are also made from Styrofoam!

Did you also know that Styrofoam is non-biodegradable? So that means that when you open the package to use the meat product and toss the tray in your trash, it is going to end up in a landfill where scientists believe it will remain in solid form for at least 500 years!! The very building block of expanded polystyrene foam (the name Styrofoam was trademarked by the Dow Company) plastic is petroleum, which is neither renewable nor sustainable.

So, why not find some creative ways to recycle/reuse this product? Sure, it’s most likely still going to end up in a landfill (people have burned it in campfires and the like, but it releases several toxic emissions when burned and shouldn’t be handled that way), but if we can get several uses from it before tossing it, we’re at least not creating additional landfill matter from using something else where Styrofoam can be reused.

The trays are easy to wash, usually fairly clean except for raw meat having touched it – nothing that hot, soapy water can’t erase. And there are so many ways in which the trays can be reused!

Having an outdoor picnic? We all know how flimsy paper plates can be, so why not offer your guests an appropriately-sized foam tray to use instead? They’ll surely appreciate the extra sturdiness while filling their plates. The larger trays also make good food platters for what you’re serving. Afterwards, if you don’t want to wash and reuse (and that’s the purpose of paper plates anyhow), you’ve gotten at least one extra use from them before they hit the landfill.

Have budding artists at home who like to paint? Foam trays make an excellent palette for dabs of the various paint colors they want to use, again, being much more sturdy.

Foam trays are also useful when you’re working on a project that requires separate colors of small beads. Using a hot glue gun on a metal stand? Put a piece of foam tray under the nozzle when the gun is in resting position and it will catch any small drops of melted glue from the nozzle between uses. Teaching a child to sew? Punch holes in a foam tray and fill a large-eyed blunt needle with yarn or multiple strands of embroidery floss and have them learn in an easier, more visual way! Draw and cut out patterns from your cookie cutters and let the kids decorate them for tree ornaments! And I’m sure many crafters could think of ways to use these items for their projects.

For the gardener, foam trays are great as disposable knee pads! Sure, they aren’t as cushiony as the pillowy-type knee pads you buy, but they do provide an extra layer of comfort and save your knees/pants from any mud or dirt. Use the trays to line the inside of your wooden garden walls, providing an extra layer of insulation for the garden.

Going on vacation and need an easy way to pack the jewelry you want to take with you? Use a piece of foam with holes for your pierced earrings and place the entire thing in a zippered plastic bag. They will stay secure in single pieces without becoming a tangled mess and you’ll be able to see right away each pair you have to choose from.

Foam trays are great for putting under planters that have drainage holes in the bottom. They will hold any excess water from watering the plant, as well as allowing that water to be pulled back in when the roots get dry.

If your feet get tired easily, grab clean foam trays and cut insoles for inside your shoes or boots. You’ll get an extra layer of cushioning for free!

Props for Halloween or party games can easily be cut from foam and then painted or decorated as needed.

And, when you’ve run out of ideas…. check out: https://www.foamfacts.com/recycling/ to see if there is a recycling center near you.

Happy reuse/recycling!

The Age of Disposability

I intend to take my dysfunctional laptop (see my post called “Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes” for reference) to a place that recycles electronics. I am an avid recycler in any way I can be; our local library has a special dumpster for all things paper, and they make a few pennies per pound for what is deposited there. Our borough recycles glass, most plastics and aluminum cans. My bestie’s son works for a company that has a cardboard recycle bin, so he is kind enough to take my broken down boxes to work with him to recycle the cardboard.

And yet, the majority of our tangible products today have become disposable. Paper plates, paper towels, paper napkins, disposable hot and cold drinking cups and diapers are just a few items I can readily think of which are used once (and often for a limited time) then placed in the trash. And we think nothing of it!

Listen, I’m part of the group of people who uses – maybe sometimes abuses – disposable products. I certainly try to reuse what I can in addition to all of the items I recycle. But I do not want to go back to the days of hankies that were used, washed and ironed to be reused. Trust me, with my sinus and allergy issues, I believe I am successfully keeping the tissue brand I use in business! My old place here does not have a dishwasher, so yes, I am going to use a paper plate for meals like sandwiches.

I also do a bit of donating to our local thrift store when I have items in good condition that no longer serve me. I belong to a paperback swap site, and books that don’t get requested in a fair amount of time either go to the local library for their semi-annual book sale or also to the thrift shop to sell to someone else. I even have a dresser drawer with a few slightly stained tee-shirts and pants that I wear when I’m going to be doing some heavy cleaning, thus keeping my unstained clothes in good shape for regular wear.

I can remember the days that, when something broke, the man of the house would take it to his work bench and attempt to repair it. It could be the cord on a small appliance. Maybe it’s a table lamp that needs a new socket. The point is, that generation spent a few cents to fix an item rather than a few dollars to replace it.

Some time ago there was a big “stink” about the K-cup and how many of them were making their way to landfills. Guilty! What gets me is when people are making remarks about this while carrying a disposable coffee cup – with plastic, unrecyclable lid – from their favorite convenience store or coffee shop. (My mother would say, “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.”)

Now we’re all about plastic straws. A few places are going back to paper straws. They too are considered trash but will eventually break down in some future generation. And there is great ado about our oceans being full of trash. But… isn’t that because there are members of our society who are either too lazy to dispose of their trash appropriately – or maybe too self-centered. Whatever the reason, we are all facing the consequences of a few people’s thoughtless acts.

When I think about it, we do make a lot of trash. Not all of it is our fault, since stores usually package meat on a Styrofoam-type tray with plastic wrap. Cereal boxes may be recyclable (in some places, they are) but that plastic-type bag holding the cereal inside the box is not.

I obviously do not have a solution to this growing mountain of an issue. I don’t see myself being willing to give up most of the disposable items I use. And yes, I therefore shoulder some responsibility for the trash that is seemingly overtaking our world. Yet, on the other hand, I feel entitled to push others to recycle what they can and whenever they can. I’ve taken bags of aluminum cans from a business site that is not required to recycle home with me and put them in our recycling bins. I try to find a new use or a new home for items I no longer need for their original purpose. Because the library’s paper recycling center is close to me, I’m now picking up paper recyclables by the bag from my hairdresser, who previously wasn’t recycling them.

I’m doing what I can. And I’m asking you to do the same. It may require a little bit of time and attention, but knowing you’re doing your part to save Mother Earth is a worthy reward!