Are you throwing out perfectly good recyclable plastics? If you aren't recycling the following list, you are adding garbage to the landfill for nothin'.
While it's important to recycle your plastic, it's a little known fact that plastic containers are not recycled to make new containers, but to make other secondary materials. Consumers who recycle plastics think they may be helping to reduce the amount of plastic used and our reliance on petroleum, however, recycling will do little to stop production overall. Not to discourage you from recycling though! Many new items are being made from plastics like shoes and even clothing, so keep it up. But the best thing to do is to limit consumption by purchasing items with the least amount of packaging.
Depending on your municipality, you can recycle most items with a recycle symbol with a number in it, like the one shown above. Contact your town to find out how high of a number they will accept.
Items to recycle: Prescription drug bottles Vitamin and supplement bottles Yogurt cups Pudding cups Sour Cream, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, cream cheese Peanut butter and honey Ketchup, mustard Mouthwash Shampoo and conditioner Moisturizer bottles, skin care, nail polish remover, most skin/body care bottles Some Tupperware type containers Cleaning supply bottles Dish washing and laundry detergents Plant containers from the garden center
Plastic supermarket bags are NOT included on this list, but again, ask your town (NYC does). Also, you can check your local market to see if they will recycle the bags. Stop & Shop takes the bags back to allegedly recycle, however, I would highly recommend that you use reusable bags.
For more info on plastics and their strange little numbers, go to the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resin_identification_code Read more!
Are you throwing out perfectly good recyclable plastics? If you aren't recycling the following list, you are adding garbage to the landfill for nothin'.
While it's important to recycle your plastic, it's a little known fact that plastic containers are not recycled to make new containers, but to make other secondary materials. Consumers who recycle plastics think they may be helping to reduce the amount of plastic used and our reliance on petroleum, however, recycling will do little to stop production overall. Not to discourage you from recycling though! Many new items are being made from plastics like shoes and even clothing, so keep it up. But the best thing to do is to limit consumption by purchasing items with the least amount of packaging.
Depending on your municipality, you can recycle most items with a recycle symbol with a number in it, like the one shown above. Contact your town to find out how high of a number they will accept.
Items to recycle:
Prescription drug bottles
Vitamin and supplement bottles
Yogurt cups
Pudding cups
Sour Cream, cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, cream cheese
Peanut butter and honey
Ketchup, mustard
Mouthwash
Shampoo and conditioner
Moisturizer bottles, skin care, nail polish remover, most skin/body care bottles
Some Tupperware type containers
Cleaning supply bottles
Dish washing and laundry detergents
Plant containers from the garden center
Plastic supermarket bags are NOT included on this list, but again, ask your town (NYC does). Also, you can check your local market to see if they will recycle the bags. Stop & Shop takes the bags back to allegedly recycle, however, I would highly recommend that you use reusable bags.
For more info on plastics and their strange little numbers, go to the following link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resin_identification_code Read more!