Comments on: Debunked Plastic Myths

By: sherrian

sherrian — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 05:05:34 +0000

If the recylclers would pay people (like they do for aluminum cans) to bring plastics for recycling…I bet there would be more recycling going on. I don’t see too many cans along side of the highway anymore..but I am seeing a lot more plastic bottles now. If it was more profitable for individuals to pick these up and sell them then you might see a cleaner environment.

By: Helen Long

Helen Long — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 07:45:08 +0000

I was told that recycling milk jugs isn’t worth anything and is pointless to waste your time and bring it to the recycling place because it will be rejected and that people only recycle for the extra change. Although I believe in recycling all plastic when you plan on bring it to a center. I just want to know why centers are so particular in what it collects and if milk is a staple in the markets. Why isnt the type of plastic a staple in the local centers?

By: Bob Simon

Bob Simon — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:38:07 +0000

Why can’t plastic be deconstructed back to petroleum and the other chemicals from which it is made?
There would be nothing more profitable and encouraging for recycling than seeing a gallon of oil coming out of recycled plastic. Can it be done?
Also, to increase awareness of what happens in the recycling process, sanitation companies and government trash departments should have an educational program for all schools and community groups so everyone can see what happens when waste is most efficiently disposed ofand recycled. This can be speakers, videos and tours of facilities.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 16:02:44 +0000

Hey if you live in Kentucky- you can recycle #6 now……Dart Container Corporation is one of the largest PS makers for cups, plates, etc…and they are now recycling post consumer…..they even offer it to their customers that buy their products like KFC, Dunkin Donuts and ETC….and they have a community drop off and stuff…..I use it a lot because if you’re going to eat fast food…you’re going to have PS….so I recycle it at their location!

By: laura

laura — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:02:34 +0000

Thank you Trey. This is a very informative article, and I appreciate your lean toward recycling which creates usable products, as opposed to biodegradation, which creates soil. Our society seems to have a tendency to use many products, so a stream of recyclable products once we’ve used any natural resource makes sense. I think the idea is that once we use something, we reuse it, and reuse it for as long as possible. There is a trend to use biodegradable products, but the product produced through this is a lot of soil. I know there is a need for soil, but I don’t think it justifies using any natural resource just once. I would like to see a footprint comparison of these plant based products to a well planned plastic stream. I’m also wondering if we have enough biodegradation landfills to keep the eco-cost of transport reasonable. Currently there is a possibility that we would use more petroleum to transport the biodegradable products to proper composting facilities than it would have to produce the alternative plastic product. Complicated issue.

By: Environmental News Bits»Blog Archive » Debunked Plastic Myths

Environmental News Bits»Blog Archive » Debunked Plastic Myths — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:04:33 +0000

[...] Read the full story at Earth911. What’s your impression of plastic? Is it better or worse than other forms of packaging (such as glass, metal and paper), and how did you form this opinion? [...]

By: Ernie

Ernie — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:28:33 +0000

When discussing recycling programs no one ever seems to tackle the issue of why taxpayers and municipalities bear the brunt of the costs of these programs. Is this another example of the unwritten corporate rule of privatize the profits, socialize the costs? My understanding is that many municipal programs barely break even depending on the market value of each recyclable. It makes sense to me that a recycling levy could be implemented on the front end. Use a lot of batteries? Pay up front. Hit people where it hurts (the pocketbook) and give them an incentive and option to buy packaging that is less harmful to the environment. Also, businesses could be incentivized to use more recycled materials, especially when it is demonstrated to them that it goes directly to the bottom line.

By: Sue

Sue — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:56:01 +0000

Hi Trey,

Your article on “Plastic Mythis And What Plastics You Can Recycle” was a real eye-
opener. With curbside recycling; you can only put plastics with coding numbers 1 & 2
out for recycling. I have been wanting to recycle other containers and plastics with
the other numbers you mention in your article; but until I read your excellent article
and this newsletter I didn’t realize that there is room for expansion on reusing the
other plastics. Thank you for writing this article and taking the “myths” out of
recycling other plastics and materials.

I think recycling should be a integral part of everyone’s thinking!

By: Plastic Myths And What Plastics You Can Recycle | Green Eco Services

Plastic Myths And What Plastics You Can Recycle | Green Eco Services — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 02:16:31 +0000

[...] subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! Earth 911 has an excellent article on Plastic Myths ‘Debunked Plastic Myths’ I highly recommend everyone to read the full story, because I learned alot, as the avid recycler [...]

By: Mark Jordahl

Mark Jordahl — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:21:55 +0000

Very useful article! We all need to remember, though, that to reduce the impact of plastics, we need to use LESS!