Answer to Recycling Question

[RecycleMichael]

I was asked this question and started another topic to answer...

RM--sorry in advance as this is totally off topic, but too specific of a question to start anew. What about recycling plastic? I recycle everything, but I have a friend that tells me that it is a waste of time to recycle plastic because it takes more energy to recycle it than you save. I know that technically, I shouldn't use plastic, and I do try to reduce, but in this disposable, plastic world, it is impossible not to rely on it somewhat. Also, what about paper vs. plastic grocery bags? That one keeps me awake at night.

I think you should start your own Q&A--ask RecycleMichael about all your environmental concerns. For those of us that want to good, it is soooo frustrating sometimes

Plastic is especially important to recycle in Tulsa as long as we burn our trash. Burning plastic can create dioxin and can cause real harm.

Sometimes burning trash can make things worse...we take something ugly like trash and make it dangerous. For many things, burning reduces the size of our trash and keeps our landfills open...plastic is different.

The only plastic truly recycled in most American communities is plastic bottles with a 1 or a 2 on them. Take almost any plastic bottle and look on the bottom for the recycling logo and look for the number. About 95 % of all bottles in the store are a 1 or a 2, but some sizes or products are packaged in plastic types 3 through 7. Avoid those sizes or containers if possible.

The argument of using more energy to recycle than we save is one I have heard before. This is from the website of the National Recycling Coalition of which I am proud to serve on it's board of Directors...

"It takes 95% less energy to recycle aluminum than it does to make it from raw materials. Making recycled steel saves 60%, recycled newspaper 40%, recycled plastics 70%, and recycled glass 40%. These saving far outweigh the energy created as by-products of incineration and landfilling.

In 2000, recycling resulted in an annual energy savings equal to the amount of energy used in 6 million homes (over 660 trillion BTUs). In 2005, recycling is conservatively projected to save the amount of energy used in 9 million homes (900 trillion BTUs)".

The paper vs. plastic bag question really depends on what you can reuse them for. I have purchased some small trash cans that are just the exact size to reuse the bags. I use paper bags near Christmas as wrapping paper. Whatever one you use, just find a way to reuse it.

Once is not enough, even for a bag.

I try to avoid as many bags as possible and have been known to tak ethe bags back the next week to use again. It usually annoys the cashier, but it is important to me.

All the stores near my work and home have probably heard my rants about excess bagging. I have a rant I call "I have enough sacks in my life".

You can hear the more experienced employees warning the new ones, "you don't want to hear the lecture"...

Next question...

[sgrizzle]

When dumping stuff for recycling like newspaper, how important is removing other materials. Ofetn papers have inserts of other types of paper, plus rubber bands and/or bags. Are these sorted out during processing or does the general consumer need to get everything out?

[jne]

I heard there was a recycling thing happening this weekend with a hazardous materials, computer crap drop off or something like that?  You have details on this?

[RecycleMichael]

Anything that comes with the paper besides the bag can be put in the recycling bin or container. Inserts and rubber bands cause no real problems and paper clips and staples are easily removed as well.

Big items like binder clips should be removed.

The cleaner the material, the better, but don't worry about a little contamination in the paper bin.

[RecycleMichael]

The household pollutant collection event at the fairgrounds is not this weekend, but next. Here is a link from my website...

http://www.metrecycle.com/hpeMar2002.htm

The computer drop-off is being handled by Tulsa PC Power, a non-profit, and is going to be Saturday March 25th. It will be at Natural Evolutions at 5719 E. 13th.

Here is a link...

http://www.tulsapcpower.org/Dropoff/dropoffmarch06.htm

[pmcalk]

When I signed up for recycling, I was told by the woman that, in addition to 1 & 2 plastics, #5 plastics can be recycled.  Was she just making stuff up?

Also, something that I cannot seem to get through to my husband--lids are never recyclable, correct?

As for grocery bags, I really like Reasors, because they are great for recycling newspaper.  I store them in the bags, then toss the whole thing, bag & all, into the recycle bin (like Carlton, I take mine to school--they get paper for paper).

WildOats use to give you 5 cents when you brought back plastic bags.  Do they not do that anymore?

[RecycleMichael]

Number 5 plastic bottles are not recyclable in Oklahoma or almost anywhere in the country. I don't know why they would say that to you.

Lids are not recyclable.

Wild Oats will still give you a wooden nickel when you bring in a bag for reuse. The wooden nickels then can be placed in a plastic bank at the store to support local charities.

I give environmental shopping tours for TCC students and other groups on a monthly basis and often use the Wild Oats store. If there was enough interest, I could do one for a TulsaNow group.

[pmcalk]

What do the different numbers on plastic mean, and why are some not recyclable?

[RecycleMichael]

There are seven different resin types of plastic used in bottles. Each of them melt at different temperature points and thus are hard to recycle together.

Number ones (pop, water, liquor, edible oils and peanut butter) and number twos (milk, juice, soap, condiment) bottles make up about 95% of all bottles in the average American grocery store.

The reason that the others are not recyclable is supply and demand. If there were enough of them to collect efficiently, some one would find a product to make out of them and create a demand.

Interestingly, many American cities go ahead and collect the other types and sort them out after hauling just to throw away everything but ones and twos.

I always thought it is better to teach the citizens the truth and have them help sort before we haul rather than afterward.

[pmcalk]

Great information.  Thanks.

[Radio]

quote:
The computer drop-off is being handled by Tulsa PC Power, a non-profit, and is going to be Saturday March 25th. It will be at Natural Evolutions at 5719 E. 13th.

Here is a link...

http://www.tulsapcpower.org/Dropoff/dropoffmarch06.htm

We have sent a lot of stuff through
Natural Evolutions - probably over a quarter of a million pounds in the past year, and I can say nothing but good about those folks.  I believe that they take any drop offs of single
or a few items at a time, anytime they are
open (M-F)

As a non fee based service, it costs nothing!

www.naturalevolution.com

[RecycleMichael]

They are good folk and have a good business in an market that is booming.

Electronic waste disposal will be very difficult in the future and poses some real potential for environmental harm.

Computers have heavy metals inside that we want to keep out of landfills and burn plants.

They seem to become unusable quickly.

Nothing in the history of consumerism ever costs so much and become worth so little, so fast.

[pmcalk]

After having this discussion, I started double checking the plastics that I was recycling.  Just discovered that my mega-orange juice jug (with 3 kids we go through a gallon a day) was #7--not recyclable.  Which really bums me out since it is cheaper to buy that way.  

My next question is that I have heard in the past the MET has sold barrels for composting.  Is there any chance they will be selling again soon?

[RecycleMichael]

I have a few left for $40. They are the Garden Gourmet brand that sells in garden magazines for twice the price. I am not in the retail business so call the office and make arrangements.

I also have designs on my website for making your own.

http://www.metrecycle.com/compost.htm#howtobuild

The ones you build work way better than the ones we sell.

[brunoflipper]

bigger container?

ok every two weeks we have three plastic tubs full (newspapers, grocery sacks, junk mail, milk jugs, soda cans, beer bottles, etc.) and hauling all three of them to the curb is a pain in the arse...  i want to know if i can use a larger wheeled container that is labeled as recycle like this
or does it have to be green or do i just have to stick with the little tubs?


pisses me off that none of my neighbors participate because they refuse to "pay to recycle" and they can all afford it...