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What plastic is recyclable and what is not?

My spouse and I have an ongoing battle over what plastic items are recyclable and what are not.  Shouldn't all plastic be recyclable?  Do you have it figured out?

In the store 'Elements of Green' we find ourselves in constant conversation with clients about where products come from and what they are made from.  So I went to our local experts at Bridging the Gap and asked them for clarification.  The most interesting item I learned from our discussion is there is no universal answer to this question.  What applies here in Kansas City is unique from Denver, Seattle and or NYC.  This is due to the available market potential for the recycled plastic material.  So in Kansas City let's net it out as simply as possible.

Both the KCMO curbside recycling and Recycling Centers now accept the following types of plastic. Please read the list below carefully, as we are only able to accept the following specific types:

• #1 and #2 plastic bottles with a neck (as before)
• #2 HDPE margarine and yogurt containers
• #5 Polypropylene food containers (ketchup, chocolate syrup, etc.)
• #6 rigid, transparent polystyrene food containers (NOT Styrofoam™ food containers)

 As far as what is “not recyclable” from your food packaging, here are a few examples:

•  Individual candy wrappers or potato chip bags with a mylar lining
• Any plastic bags that used to package food
• Cardboard or paperboard with oil stains from food (e.g. pizza boxes)

#1 Plastic:  What Is It? -- PETE. Polyethylene terephthalate ethylene, used for soft drink, juice, water, detergent, cleaner, and peanut butter containers.  What's Wrong With It? -- #1 plastics are designed to be disposable, meaning they create more waste. If you try to reuse them, they can break down on you. The good news is, they are usually recyclable.

#2 Plastic: What Is It? -- HDPE: High density polyethylene, used in opaque plastic milk and water jugs, bleach, detergent and shampoo bottles, and some plastic bags.  What's Wrong With it? -- Not so much in terms of health -- this is one of the "safe" plastics (along with #1, #4 and #5). But it's still made from petroleum products and ends up in landfills, so like all plastic, is not ideal from an environmental standpoint.

#3 Plastic: What Is It? -- PVC or V: Polyvinyl chloride, used for cling wrap, plastic squeeze bottles, cooking oil and peanut butter containers, and detergent and window cleaner bottles.  What's Wrong With It? -- Just about everything. So much, in fact, that I'm referring you to IATP's Smart Plastics Guide: PVC -- THE POISON PLASTIC: Polyvinyl chloride, also known as vinyl or PVC, poses risks to the environment and human health. PVC is the least recyclable plastic.

• Vinyl chloride workers face an elevated risk of liver cancer.
• Vinyl chloride manufacturing creates air and water pollution near the factories, often located in low-income neighborhoods.
• PVC needs additives and stabilizers to make it usable. Lead is often added for strength, while plasticizers are added for flexibility. These toxic additives contribute to further pollution and human exposure.
• Dioxin in air emissions from PVC manufacturing and disposal, or from incineration of PVC products, settles on grasslands and accumulates in meat and dairy products, and ultimately, in human tissue.
• Dioxin is a known carcinogen. Low-level exposures are associated with decreased birth weight, learning and behavioral problems in children, suppressed immune function and hormone disruption.

 #5 Plastic:  What Is It? -- PP: Polypropylene, used in most Rubbermaid; deli soup, syrup, and yogurt containers; and straws and other clouded plastic containers, including baby bottles.  What's Wrong With It? -- Like #2, this type of plastic seems to be OK from a health perspective (though, as with all plastic, I'd be leery of microwaving it in case chemicals leach out during the heating process). But this thicker type of plastic is usually not recyclable and will take centuries to break down in a landfill.

 

#7 Plastic:  What Is It? -- This is a catch-all category for plastics that don't fit into the #1-6 categories. It includes polycarbonate (usually, but not always, labeled #7-PC), bio-based plastics, co-polyester, acrylic, polyamide, and plastic mixtures like styrene-acrylo-nitrile resin (SAN). Number 7 plastics are used for a variety of products like baby bottles and "sippy" cups, baby food jars, 5-gallon water bottles, sport water bottles, plastic dinnerware, and clear plastic cutlery.  What's Wrong With It? -- For one thing, it's hard to know what type of plastic you're even dealing with, since so many fall under the Number 7 umbrella. For another, the list includes polycarbonate, which is the type of plastic found to leach Bisphenol-A, a known endocrine disruptor.

 

(Not sure what type of plastic you're dealing with? Flip the item over and check the number in the little recycling symbol on the bottom. Then read on.)

In closing, remember placing the wrong plastics in the recycling stream causes a negative value greater in proportion to the value of the correct plastics that you also included.  So please be careful of what you recycle.  Build Green, Live Healthy.

FLOR carpet tile

This is the last week of the in showroom sale.  Save 15% and get free shipping too only at Elements of Green.

FLOR Carpet Tile SALE - 15% off plus free shipping

It only happens twice each year, and that time is here again, 15% off on your FLOR Carpet Tile purchase plus at Elements of Green you still receive free shipping. 

This includes special rug kits like this one in the Tom Glick design.

And the colorful Elemental Stripe and You Only Live Twice too!

No coupons needed, but don't wait the sale ends July 25th.

Call: 816-842-0500

or come by:

1919 Wyandotte Street, Kansas City, MO 64108

Skoy Cloth now available

What is Skoy Cloth?

Its the reusable, environmentally friendly 100% biodegradable

alternative to paper towels.

The SKOY cloth is a fabulous, absorbent, biodegradable and natural multi-use cloth. Our re-usable earth friendly cloth is perfect in your kitchen, bathroom, and on most surface areas in your home or office. SKOY cloth can be used in place of your sponge, wash cloth or paper towels.

It is a European made product and 100% biodegradable because it is made from a natural cotton and wood-based cellulose pulp. SKOY cloth is a chlorine-free product using water-based colors and inks. After an independent composting test, SKOY cloth broke down completely within 5 weeks.
The SKOY cloth is a durable product due to the reusability factor and can last months. Using a SKOY cloth is equivalent to using 15 rolls of paper towels in an average home. With the high cost of paper towels, as much as $2 per roll, SKOY cloth is the obvious choice for your wallet and the environment.

The SKOY cloth has an absorption factor of 15x its own weight. As a result, producing the most superior cloth product available. Imagine using 15 sheets of good-quality paper towels at once… This is how a wet SKOY cloth will feel in your hand.

The SKOY cloth is long-lasting because of the wash ability feature. It dries quickly, so it is not a breeding ground for bacteria. Have you ever used your sponge, then smelled your hand and it reeked of horrible bacteria? That will never happen again if you microwave your SKOY cloth regularly. It is also dishwasher and washer/dryer safe. Cleaning your SKOY cloth will keep it healthy and germ-free. Please see Use & Care for instructions.

The cool and unique designs will make cleaning fun!

Green cleaning tips

When cleaning around the house, a little for thought can keep you healthy and keep you from buying lots of specialty cleaners.  Here are a few pointers for cleaning in the Kitchen and Bathroom:

• Use hot water, liquid detergent and a sponge to wipe down acrylic, fiberglass or stainless-steel sinks.  It is safe to use scouring powder and warm water on porcelain, enamel or glass sinks.
• Tackle porcelain stains with a mix of one cup bleach and one quart water, leave for 15 seconds, then rinse.  Use warm water and vinegar on mineral deposits.  For an alternative to bleach the best substitute is borax.  Using Borax with baking soda and lemon juice is an excellent multipurpose cleaner.  If you must use bleach be sure to ventilate the area well, wear gloves and protect your clothing.
• Windows clean with 1 quart warm water, 1/4 cup vinegar and 1 tablespoon cornstarch.  Stir occasionally while cleaning with old newspapers.
• Shower heads can be removed and soaked if regular sponge cleaning is not keeping the deposits from forming.  Soak the shower head in one part vinegar, eight parts warm water for 15 minutes.  Use an old tooth brush if necessary.
• Slow or clogged drains - Pour 1 cup vinegar down the drain.  Wait 10 minutes.  Add 1 cup baking soda.  Wait 2 minutes.  Follow with 1/2 gallon boiling water, repeat if necessary.  Cleaning regularly will keep the pipes from closing up.
• Tile Cleaner - 1 cup ammonia, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup baking soda.  Add warm water to make 1 gallon.  Scrub the tile and grout, after they are clean and dry (12-24 hours), reseal the tile and grout.
• Clean the coils on refrigerator yearly.

Other household tips to keep you more efficient.

• Replace your furnace filter.
• Sharpen your lawn mower blade.
• Check the air pressure in tires for better mileage.

For the storage of books, line a box with newspapers and then the books.  The newspapers will absorb moisture preventing the books from mildew.  If you have books covered in mildew, sprinkle the affected pages with cornstarch.

For more on green cleaning products and sustainable building remodeling and finishing solutions Elements of Green is your partner.

GE Fast Forwards to Future of LED Lighting

LED Lighting

GE unveils unique LED bulb designed to distribute light like an incandescent bulb, last 17 years

CLEVELAND – The inventor of the first visible light-emitting diode makes history again this year as it begins to show customers a 40-watt replacement GE Energy Smart® LED bulb available later this year or early 2011. GE Lighting's new LED bulb is expected to consume just 9 watts, provide a 77 percent energy savings and produce nearly the same light output as a 40-watt incandescent bulb, while lasting more than 25 times as long.

The new GE Energy Smart® LED bulb is expected to outperform currently available products that may be underwhelming consumers right now. GE scientists and engineers designed the bulb to better direct light downward on the intended surface and all around, not just out the top of a lampshade, as most current LED bulbs are prone to do. The new GE LED bulb offers 450 lumens—the Energy Star® threshold to be considered a 40-watt incandescent replacement. Currently available LED bulbs produce 350 lumens or less. GE has filed multiple patent applications for the bulb and expects it will be an ENERGY STAR®-qualified LED omnidirectional light bulb.

“This is a bulb that can virtually light your kid's bedroom desk lamp from birth through high school graduation,” says John Strainic, global product general manager, GE Lighting. “It's an incredible advancement that's emblematic of the imagination and innovation that GE's applying to solve some of the world's biggest challenges.”

GE Energy Smart® LED bulb product snapshot:

•Expected to consume just 9 watts—compared with 40-watt incandescent/halogen or 10-watt CFL, while delivering nearly the same light output;

•Expected 25,000-hour rated life—will last 17 years (4 hours per day), which is 25 times longer than a general service 40-watt incandescent or halogen bulb and more than 3 times longer than a standard 8,000-hour rated life CFL;

•LED technology delivers the instant full brightness of an incandescent or halogen bulb;

•Durable solid-state design with no filament to break;

•Contains no mercury and will be RoHS compliant; and

•Feels cooler to the touch than CFLs and far cooler than incandescent bulbs.

The 9-watt GE Energy Smart® LED bulb, a replacement for 40-watt general service incandescent bulbs, hits store shelves this fall or in early 2011. Retailers set pricing but it is expected to be $40 to $50. The new bulb joins GE's growing family of LED bulbs in a broad range of shapes, wattages and colors, including, spot and flood lights (PAR20 & PAR30), ceiling fan bulbs (A15), medium globes (G25), small globes (G16.5), candles (CA10), and night lights (C7). All of GE's Energy Smart® LED bulbs are rigorously tested to ensure constant color, long life and verifiable lumen ratings. For more information, visit www.gelighting.com or www.whatsyourlightingstyle.com. To learn about GE's dedication to LED quality standards, visit www.gelighting.com/apples-to-oranges.

GE will put prototypes of the bulb—outfitted with Cree XLamp® XP-G LEDs—on display at two upcoming trade shows: Light + Building 2010 in Frankfurt, Germany, and LightFair 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The high-efficiency, high-lumen-output LEDs used in the GE bulbs are Cree's smallest and brightest lighting-class LEDs, designed specifically for general lighting.

“The introduction of high-quality retrofit light bulbs, like the GE Energy Smart® LED bulb, is a key next step in the LED lighting revolution,” notes Norbert Hiller, Cree vice president and general manager, LED Components.

Strainic adds: “Consumers have been reluctant to move away from less efficient incandescent bulbs because they love the light quality. This new GE Energy Smart® LED bulb will address that lighting preference head-on and give consumers yet another option to light their homes and businesses.”

New Lighting Legislation

Starting in 2012 and continuing through 2014, standard incandescent light bulbs are going away as a result of U.S. federal lighting efficiency standards:

•100-watt bulbs can no longer be made in January 2012;

•75-watt bulbs can no longer be made in January 2013; and

•60- and 40-watt bulbs can no longer be made in January 2014.

GE has consumers covered each step of the way with alternatives such halogen, CFL and LED bulbs that already meet the new efficiency standards.

About GE Appliances & Lighting

GE Appliances & Lighting spans the globe as an industry leader in major appliances, lighting, systems and services for commercial, industrial and residential use. Technology innovation and the company's ecomagination(SM) initiative enable GE Appliances & Lighting to aggressively bring to market products and solutions that help customers meet pressing environmental challenges. General Electric (NYSE: GE), imagination at work, sells products under the Monogram®, Profile™, GE®, Hotpoint®, Reveal® and Energy Smart® consumer brands, and Tetra®, Vio™ and Immersion® commercial brands. For more information, consumers may visit www.ge.com.