Recycling plastic is quite problematic. We really need to eliminate
all disposable plastic - because plastic is almost permanent. Recycling
plastic is difficult and energy intensive with very little value.
Styrofoam in particular is nasty.
Plastic is entering the food chain. Which is terrifying.
We need to make junk mail a rare thing. Literally, we are cutting down forests - only to mail it to people who immediately throw it out. Junk mail is at least 90% of the mass of what gets delivered to my house - and it is a chore to stick it into the recycling. What an utter waste of trees, and water to make the paper, and energy all through the process - only to bulk up the mass of recycled paper stream.
We need to use refillable containers for as many thing as possible. I buy most of my beer in growlers - half gallon glass jugs that get returned and reused. The beer is keg beer and it lasts 3-5 days typically. We need to use refillable containers for everything - like shampoo, ketchup, juice, milk - you name it!
Aluminum is a perfect thing to recycle. Glass is also fine.
Plastic is entering the food chain. Which is terrifying.
Disposable plastic is an oxymoron.
We need to make junk mail a rare thing. Literally, we are cutting down forests - only to mail it to people who immediately throw it out. Junk mail is at least 90% of the mass of what gets delivered to my house - and it is a chore to stick it into the recycling. What an utter waste of trees, and water to make the paper, and energy all through the process - only to bulk up the mass of recycled paper stream.
We need to use refillable containers for as many thing as possible. I buy most of my beer in growlers - half gallon glass jugs that get returned and reused. The beer is keg beer and it lasts 3-5 days typically. We need to use refillable containers for everything - like shampoo, ketchup, juice, milk - you name it!
Aluminum is a perfect thing to recycle. Glass is also fine.
We have to think about the full life cycle - the entire system - of
everything we do.
We cannot throw anything "away" - because there is no
"away".
Reduce. Reuse. Compost. Recycle.
I.E. No waste at all.
