Seinfeldian Recycling Puzzler

[PonderInc]

I try to recycle as much as possible, but sometimes I wonder if I'm doing more harm than good.

For example: Whenever I need to recycle a peanut butter jar, I spend several minutes trying to wash out the gooey PB remnants.  I waste water, energy (this task takes hot water), and soap.  Should I just throw the d-mn thing away?  Is a glass jar worth it, but a plastic one not?

Sometimes, I wash the jar and feel guilty about wasting resources.  And sometimes I throw the jar away and feel guilty about...wasting resources.

Another version of this is the cloth vs. paper towels debate.  Is it better to use paper towels and throw them away...or use cloth rags, and waste energy/soap/water on cleaning them?

An idle mind is a terrible thing to waste...

[RecycleMichael]

Waste is a terrible thing to mind as well.

The answer is depends.

The reason to clean a peanut butter jar is for storage, not recycling. The recycling of either jar takes care of a little residue, but between the time you put the jar in your bin and it gets emptied, the residue could attract bugs. I recommend a simple rinsing, but several minutes making it sparkle is probably overkill.

They are both worth recycling, but the glass jar is worth less in real value. Glass is made from inert ingrediants (sand) which is plentiful, while plastic is made from a non-renewable resource (oil). Plastic is easier to store and we often take peanut butter on picnics. Glass should never be used outdoors.

Both are good choices for reuse. Find something like pins, nails, markers, buttons and fill the jar again. When we were growing up, my family had a complete set of drinking glasses from reused jelly jars.

Paper towels are never a good choice for simple cleanups. Buy a good sponge and clean it in the dishwasher every time you do a load of dishes.

Cloth napkins are always a good choice, (in fact, they are a great gift idea) but again, don't do a special laundry load just to wash them.

The energy and water use vary based on the age of your appliances. Americans use about 20% of our residential energy doing laundry, including heating the water. Newer appliances can cut this in half, saving as much as 20 to 30 dollars a month in utility bills alone.

We invested in Energy Star high-rated appliances included a side loader washer that dramatically lowers our water usage. We try to wash as many things in cold or warm water as possible and I am considering installing a state of the art solar dryer (a clothesline) for some items like cloth towels.

Soap is a whole separate discussion I will save for next time.