"Compost Girl" Untangles What Plastics Are Recyclable

In a July 15, 2020 article in the Napa Valley Register by Kendra Bruno ("Compost Girl"), she explained recycling in as clear a way as you will ever hear.

Just because a package or bottle has the recycle logo embossed on it, doesn't mean your waste company considers it recyclable.  Quoting Kendra Bruno:

"Clearing up a big misunderstanding: The “chasing arrows triangle” does not mean the item is recyclable, rather it is just identifying what type of plastic resin it is made from." 

In order to determine what your local recycler will take (if you have a local recycler), you have to go to your town's website and download a list of what they consider recyclable.

Notice that in one of the recycle images above, there is a number 1 in the middle of the chasing arrows.  To quote Kendra again:

"For example, if you see #1 (soda bottles, for example), it stands for polyethylene terephthalate. Have a #6? Well, that is polystyrene (PS) – Styrofoam in a different form. Got a #4 on a film plastic item? That’s a Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)..."

So the numbers are an indication of the kind of plastic that product is made of.

As more and more industries develop ways to use recycled plastics in more innovative ways (see my blog post ) then more and more plastics will find their ways into recycle bins.

Plastic bags and filmy plastics cannot be recycled, at this point, because of the damage they do to the recycling machines.  And many states and localities are phasing out these filmy plastic products.

Kendra finishes her article:

"Curious [about] some actions you can take to help?

• Buy things with less packaging
• Limit online purchases that are shipped using film plastics
• Learn what is recyclable in [your town]
• Buy items made from recycled content, if possible, when you need to purchase something
• Urge for extended producer responsibility
• Don’t use it (as much as you possibly can"
• And you don't need to keep upgrading your cell phone.  That is a huge plastic waste.

The North Face (TM) is Using Recycled Plastic Bottles to Make Clothing!

Tee Shirts Made from Recycled Plastic Bottles

From a North Face press release: The North Face has unveiled its new limited-edition Recover Tee, showcasing the label’s sustainability commitment by recycling plastic bottles. The North Face has collected almost 40,000 pounds of plastic bottles from waste streams in the Alps.  The tees come in long sleeve or short sleeve and sport a new North Face log.  They are selling so fast that most types are already sold out--which shows a need for this kind of pollution control and a public that is willing to support it.  (I am waiting for my tee, which is on its way.)

In other attempts to reduce plastic waste, Johnny Walker will be selling their Scotch whisky in a planet friendly, paper-based spirits bottle made from sustainably sources wood.  A Johnny Walker spokesman was quoted as saying "The technology will allow brands to rethink their packaging designs, or move existing designs into paper, whilst not compromising on the existing quality of the product." 

And finally, the German company, Sandhelden, is using specialized 3D printing technology to transform plastic waste into interior products like vases, sinks and even bathtubs. According to the company, "the process starts with collecting plastic waste the team separates it into categories like color and thickness. The waste is then shredded and frozen so it can be crushed into a powder that is sifted into a uniform grain size for 3D printing. Sandhelden then integrates the powder into their 3D printing process to recycle it into household objects."

Don't forget to recycle your plastics--you may be wearing them or sitting on them!

Coral Reef Awareness Week Starts July 12 2020

Hope for Endangered Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are the foundation of ocean life.  According to Wikipedia: "A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups."  Although reefs are not "living", they provide a home and protection for thousands of invertebrate species.  Coral reefs support more species per square yard than any other ocean environment.

Coral reefs have been around for 50 million years and are in danger of disappearing if we don't act soon.  According to the Coral Restoration Foundation (www.coralrestoration.org), "Since the 1970's, the Florida Reef Tract has lost almost 97% of its once-dominant staghorn and elkhorn coral.  These species are now critically endangered."

The Coral Reef Foundation grows corals in offshore coral reef nurseries and then reintroduces these corals back into the ocean environment.

The reason that coral reefs are important is the same reason that a solid concrete foundation is important to the structure of a house.  If the reefs disappear, the marine life that are protected by the reefs will disappear and the rest of the ocean based food chain will begin disappearing.

You can help protect the reefs by learning about their critical importance in our marine food chain.

Check out www.coralrestoration.org; www.globalcoral.org; www.coralreef.noaa.org; and www.coral.org.

I especially recommend www.coral.org for an excellent education on the origin and importance of coral reefs in our marine ecosystem.

"Ocean Voyages Institute" Sets Record Open Ocean Plastic Cleanup

Continuing our promotion of Plastic Free July (take the challenge at plasticfreejuly.org), the following is a press release from Ocean Voyages Institute:

"HONOLULU, HI — June 23, 2020 – Ocean Voyages Institute’s marine plastic recovery vessel, S/V KWAI, docked at the port of Honolulu today, after a 48-day expedition, successfully removing 103 tons (206,000 lbs.) of fishing nets and consumer plastics from the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone, more commonly known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or Gyre.

“I am so proud of our hard working crew,” says Mary Crowley, founder and executive director of Ocean Voyages Institute. “We exceeded our goal of capturing 100 tons of toxic consumer plastics and derelict ‘ghost’ nets, and in these challenging times, we are continuing to help restore the health of our ocean, which influences our own health and the health of the planet.”

Crowley adds: “The oceans can’t wait for these nets and debris to break down into microplastics which impair the ocean’s ability to store carbon and toxify the fragile ocean food web.”

Do your part during Plastic Free July: stop the use of single use plastic water bottles.  Buy a re-usable water bottle and use it.  

Plastic Free July!

Check out plasticfreejuly.org. 
From their website:
Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities. Will you be part of Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics?

According to the New York Times: "This month millions of people from 177 countries have pledged to cut down on the amount of plastic they use."

If you go to plasticfreejuly.org you can sign up for the plastic free challenge and receive a weekly email giving you tips and tricks to reduce your single use plastic usage.

Plastic free July is not new.  It's more than 10 years old and started in Australia.

From the voicesofearth.org website:

"Plastic leads to destroying the marine life and polluting the earth. Millions of tons of plastic are in the environment as waste, especially in the oceans and seas. ... More than 80% of marine litter is plastic which kills up to 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine creatures each year by ingesting it."

Do your part, take go to plasticfreejuly.org and take the plastic free July challenge.