OK, so people interested in my #MasterRecycling experience - I also got certified as a “Community #Plastics Collector” last week. In our county in Oregon, that means we collect #2 HDPE lids, bottles smaller than a tennis ball, & tubs (& a few other things); #4 LDPE, mostly lids; and #5 PP lids, tubs, etc. (it’s mostly lids and dairy). Those go to Oregon’s Denton Plastics in Portland. They have to be absolutely dry and ABSOLUTELY free of food contamination or mold. (YIKES.) (1/ ? )
Yesterday, I got to take part as a volunteer for a #plastics collection event in one of the recreation districts in the city - this one was at River Road/Emerald Park. It was SUPER interesting. For one thing, there are 800 zillion different kinds of yogurt containers, and in Eugene, people apparently eat THOUSANDS OF TONS OF YOGURT. & they’re all #5 PP, y’all. All of them. OK, maybe like one type is a 2 or 4? But RARE. Here are some things I learned. (2 / ?) #MasterRecycling
It does not matter how often we say on posters that #plastics must be clean and dry. People will bring dirty plastic. You MUST have rags to wipe off dirt. One of our county waste management people created hand-made rags for all of us!
People cannot dump their plastic & leave. They will leave volunteers with moldy-ass plastic. Sigh.
There’s an education component. The person next to me was maybe German & educated, uh, sternly. (More on that in the next one.) #MasterRecycling (3 / ? )
3a. I don’t like being stern, and also I don’t believe in blaming individuals for systemic issues, so 3b. I would say things like, “I sure wish producers would take responsibility for their #plastics, but since they don’t, we must be really careful with what we take to Denton, so please CLEAN YOUR PLASTICS THOROUGHLY.” and that means
4. Use the dishwasher if you’re going to recycle plastics. Might feel counterintuitive! BUT see the link. #MasterRecycling https://news.umich.edu/fighting-climate-change-at-the-sink-a-guide-to-greener-dishwashing/ (4 / ?)
OK, if you’re a person who doesn’t use dishwashers because you thoroughly believe you’re more efficient (er, see previous link!), please do not buy little Yoplait containers. There are about 40 ridges in them where it’s nigh-on impossible to get the yogurt remains out. They were almost all either wet or moldy or not fully cleaned. Pick a tiny yogurt container w/o ridges, esp on top (though again, it’s not anyone’s individual fault).
#Plastics that say # 5 PP+ and/or “Cryovac” are very hard to recycle. If you pay for a TerraCycle box (my neighbors and I do), you can put them in there, but … whew.
That’s often to-go food containers, for instance. Anything where different kinds of plastics are melted together = much more work to recycle/reuse. (Again, it’s not anyone’s individual fault, but we can all try do what we can, so check your plastics for “cryovac” & try to avoid if possible.)
OK, my next #MasterRecycling colleague … is a white guy … who decided … not to make a presentation but to tell us things about Gone with the Wind and upcycling. At least he practiced and timed himself so he knew his 2-3 minute presentation was actually 19 minutes. (He just said he cut a few things out.)