Crazy ideas that are not so crazy

Hello everyone,

New year, new you!! This is the time were everyone is set to hit the gym, get better at managing their money, find love and even a new job! but... what about the environment? Have you set any goals to reduce your carbon footprint ? (NEWS FLASH: You don't even need to do any math)

These are some BOLD ideas on re-using for 2020 which I intend to follow:

1. - Remember all those times that you did not needed a bag but the cashier put your things in a bag and just to be polite you did not say anything? Well...

Wild thought #1: Learn to say to the cashier beforehand: "I am  strong and independent child adult that does not need a bag to move these items that soon will be devoured while watching Netflix", or just "hi, I don´t need a bag"

We should be polite but also aware of what we are doing: You have two small items, do you really need a bag, really?... really??

But let's just say that you need a bag. This situation brings me to my second point:

2. - Remember that plastic bag that holds the other plastic bags you got at the supermarket and now it is called "The bag of bags"? 

Here is wild thought #2: Why not make "the bag of bags" slimmer and re-use those PLASTIC bags?

Let that sink in for a minute: Why is this not a thing?  This is the greatest, cheapest and best way for you to reduce your carbon footprint. Let's go to reasons:

A.- These bags are handed to you, for FREE. Which means you really don't need to buy a re-usable bag to have a bag you can re-use...

In fact there are studies (Click here to be wiser! or here) on how your reusing habits and the materials of your reusable bags are more harming to the environment than the mistakenly known as "single-use" plastic bag (it is just a name, not a characteristic)

B.- A handle broke? What about a hole in that plastic bag? That sucks! but, did you know you can recycle those bags in the grocery stores where you got them? WAIT, so.. I can use it many times and if it breaks, I can recycle it so they can make other products? Hm... it sounds like a win-win to me, again. Reusable bags, although sturdier, face a bigger challenge on the recycling scheme due to the material they are made of.

C.- Plastic bags are thinner than actual trash bags, which means that trash bags are more damaging to the environment, and also they cost you money...

YOU+FREE BAGS+REUSING+RECYCLE=ALL-WIN

D.- Do you have PAPER bags at home? Re-use them, too! Have you ever thought how you can actually use the paper bag as actual paper or even as a gift wrap? Yeah! Just turn the bag into a sheet again, cut the sections you will use and there you go: a REUSED, RECYCLABLE, FREE gift wrap. 

My personal advice: I am not discouraging to use your reusable bag if you have them already. Please do, otherwise they are not accomplishing their goal, but be conscience of your options before taking action. Do not go for paper bags: They require more energy to be manufactured than plastic, consume more gas in transportation and substantially more water to produce them. Also, they are clearly not designed to be reused.

Knowledge is power!

3. - Remember all those times that you were at a restaurant and clearly got defeated by the size of your meal? Probably you asked for a "to-go container" and received a white Styrofoam container (#PS-6) that now is filled with grease and cannot be recycled...Your tum tum will be happy, but mother earth will not :( 

Wild thought #3: Why not bring your own "to-go" container when you go to restaurants??

Right now you must be:
- Asking yourself "Well, that is a good point, why have I not done this before?"
- Do this guy have no sense of class? Bringing his own Tupperware/Pyrex container to restaurant?

I am not asking you to bring a foot long Pyrex tray. But you can have a bag with a container in your car for casual restaurants meals. Here are good reasons:

A.- You are clearly making a small, but significant change in reducing the usage of one of the most difficult plastics to recycle

B.- You know where your container has been at all times - sort of. But, you don't know where that white Styrofoam container (#PS-6) was stored before it was handed to you... Yeah, now the idea sounds more appealing, eh?

There you go. These are 3 completely simple, but efficient ways you can help your environment. 

NOW GO AND:

Not sure how to recycle? Follow this map!

I made this little diagram to help those of you that want to start doing more recycling, but are not sure if certain items are or not recyclable. Please understand that this is a simplification of a rather more complex process, that will help you to start doing a better job on recycling:

If you want a PDF version CLICK HERE! As always constructive criticism is appreciated.

The silver-lining of plastics

Although is easy to talk bad about something like plastics, think about how readily available it is and the way you use it. If the consumer and the producer were more conscious, then we would have a different perspective of all the plastic that surround us.

This post came to my mind thanks to my friend Juan, who is going to do his PhD in polymers and send me a great TEDx video. I will understand if there are some ideas in the video that you do not sympathize with (the lack of references bothers me). But there is something I did get out of it: Consumer and producer are more responsible for the damage caused than the product itself

This video made me start a search to see where and if are proofs of these statements.

Emissions and Cars
The initials findings came unexpectedly while I was browsing Linkedin. I saw an article  -in spanish- from "La republica", a colombian newspapers, where Ivan Dario Gomez, General Director at ICIPC (In english: Institute of Training and Research of Plastic and Rubber), debates about how bad plastics are?

Gomez presents some interesting points, like that being against plastics is seen as politically correct, however, there is a fundamental flaw in the system: in most cases, there are no more economically and environmentally sustainable alternatives. Once more, pointing out that the problem comes from producers and consumers. 

One of the strongest points he presents is the influence that plastics have in the reductions of car emissions. According to EPA, the emission per mileage of  cars in 2017  presented a historical minimum. The only thing that is open to interpretation is if this applies for Sedans and SUV as well - which I would think it does -.

Paper vs Plastic bags

Afterwards, I decided to investigate about Paper bags vs plastic. That took me to a Research and Library Service Briefing Note from the Northern Ireland Assembly - Kind of like a small congress in Northern Ireland-. The information on it is quite interesting: it says that it takes 91% less energy to recycle a pound of plastic than it takes to recycle a pound of paper. Unfortunately, the reference to back this information was not working. The only problem I have with this research is that there is no information about who funded it.

Another report from the Enviromental Agency (The leading public body protecting and improving the environment in England and Wales) proposes that paper, #4 LDPE, non-woven PP and cotton bags should be reused at least 3, 4, 11 and 131 times respectively to ensure that they have lower global warming potential than conventional HDPE carrier bags that are not reused. This comparison seems complex for the typical consumer that has no idea what all those acronyms means, but for reference: #2 HDPE can be normally found in Supermarkets such as Kroger and Meijer. This report is the result of research commissioned and funded by the Environment Agency.

Final Remarks

After reading this you might wonder: Is it worth to reduce the plastic in my life? The answer is a big MAYBE:

If you are willing to take reusing really serious then YES. You can make it work, but it is not an easy task. Always check your facts!

If you will "slide" here and there, then at least be conscious. Remember is not about removing plastics completely, but make smart and green choices. Whenever possible and available for you, recycle. 

In a future post I will present other comparisons (i.e. glass vs plastic bottles).


Links:

https://1bagatatime.com/learn/bag-comparison-chart/

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/291023/scho0711buan-e-e.pdf

http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/documents/raise/publications/2011/environment/3611.pdf

https://www.larepublica.co/responsabilidad-social/realmente-es-tan-malo-el-plastico-2919356

6 things you can do to reduce the use of plastics

As of 12/19/2019 I have made changes from the 10/02/19 when it was created

Hello hello!

Although my previous posts were about "How to recycle", the real end goal is to REDUCE the amount of single-use products we consume everyday. We don´t think about it, but the moment you grab a plastic fork to eat your lunch or a plastic spoon to shake the sugar of that morning coffee in a foam cup (#6 PS), then you are contributing to approx 150 million tons of single-used plastic discarded PER YEAR. Not only the cutlery and foam cups, but plastic bottles, take-out containers, straws, etc. All these single-use plastics are normally discarded the same year they are created (Based on a great report from the UN in 2015). Interesting enough, if you put them on the recycling, this plastic cutlery might be #6 PS - not so easy to recycle-

How can you make an impact?

Let's go over the simple changes you can do to change the world, one meal at a time! Get your Lunch box ready!

1.- Get a lunchbox and bring your own cutlery to work!

In my case, I bought a lunch box from Salvation Army. Why? Because I did not want to spend a lot of money on a lunch box and at the same time I got an item that was used in the past -REUSE-. So, it was a Win-Win situation. I would recommend you to explore that possibility. Mine is a great IKEA lunch box that cost me 3$. Ha! Take that IKEA!

My lunch box contains:

1- Metal fork x 1

2- Metal knife x 1

3.- Metal spoon x 2 

4.- Washable napkins x 2 (These are great because you can wash them on a washing machine with your clothes)

5.- I have a plate at work so I don't have to use the paper waxed plates, which from our previous post, we know that they are not recyclable! 

Not a big eater and only bringing a small sandwich? You could consider investing on Bee's wrap. Although significantly more expensive than a plastic sandwich bag, it is compostable and highly reusable. If you decide to go with plastic sandwich bags, please re-use them as much as you can and when discard in it, do NOT put it on the recyclables since it is a plastic film.

2.- Glass or plastic containers?

If your container is made of #3 or #7 then you are at risk to get expose to BPA (If you don't know what BPA is, here is a link From the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences!). 

Do you plan to re-use the container? then go with glass or pyrex containers for food. Be aware that Pyrex is NOT RECYCLABLE, so you have to make sure that the life of the container is as long as it can be! You might have to live with the fact non plastic lids are hard to get for these containers, but do not heat up the food with the lid on.

If you really are clumsy and lack of the willingness to reuse and clean the containers, then go with plastic, wash and recycle them when the time comes. 

3.- Plastic Bottle or others?

I applaud anyone using plastic water bottles infinite times, the likelihood that those break is far greater than a metal one. Also, this report from the Centre for Food Safety of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region provides a good explanation of other concerns I have on re-using plastic bottles). 

From a manufacturing point of view, doing one plastic bottle uses less energy than glass. The same logic applies for transportation (similar amount of fluids but less weight on plastic bottles = less gas needed to transport). In the end you should re-use your bottles no matter what material they are, but keep them clean.

4.- Should you get re-usable bags?

Supermarkets are now offering more reusable bags, but should you actually buy a reusable bag?: 

Studies have shown that a reusable cotton bag requires about 130+ uses to have a lower global warming potential than a plastic bag. Non-woven PP reusable bags, only need around 11+ uses versus a plastic bag. Which one is yours made of? Normally the bags come with a label where the material is mentioned.

What about paper? You need to use the paper bags at least 3+ times versus a plastic bag to make it more environmentally friendly, but to make and recycle these bags a substantial amount of water is needed and let´s face it:  do you really plan to use a paper bag 3 times?

What should you do??! Well, I propose one simple solution: REUSE your plastic bags for future groceries! This is almost so obvious that it seems crazy to me that no one promote these practices. Once the bags are broken, you can return them for recycling to the grocery store where you got them (Yes, it is that simple :) ). I do have some reusable bags in hand just in case, but I am starting to follow the practice of reusing the plastic bags. 

5.- Tea drinker? Buy loose leaf tea and re-use the cans

The wrapping that your leafs are on? Would you believe if I tell you it is plastic? Well...yeah.
I am sure that most tea shops will allow you to bring your own cans for refills (maybe even a little discount!) ! Extra brownie points if you continuously re-use your tea cans.

There is a somewhat funny article I came across long time ago about the UK and some challenges suppliers were facing while trying to do "greener" tea bags (You can see it here).

6.- Carry a to-go mug with you / leave a mug one at work!

I don't drink coffee nor tea in the morning (I know, I am an abomination), but for those caffeine addicted readers, I would recommend to leave a mug at work. Do not use styrofoam cups, highly difficult to recycle.

Also, most coffee shops do accept that you bring your own coffee mug - Some places might even give you a small discount for doing it!-. 

I know some of the things I am going over might seem obvious or simple, but think about it the next time you are using a plastic spoon, fork, foam cups, etc. How can you make a difference if you do not give yourself the option to do so?

With those last words of wisdom, I let you go and run wild to the world being more knowledgeable!!

Recycling Cardboard: Looks easy, but is it really?

Hello again my recyclers!!

In this world of continuous e-commerce one of the most common materials we encounter around houses and trash bins is cardboard. You don't have to do a lot of effort to see boxes everywhere, and like any other recyclable material it needs to go over a decent number of steps before it can be recycle.

Now, the question is: Do you really know how to recycle cardboard boxes? Do you do all the work required to get the boxes ready for recycling?

Let's get into some "technical" knowledge:

There are two kinds of cardboards: The first is known as corrugated cardboard: Consist on a wavy inner layer of cardboard, making it a kind of three-layer sandwich of cardboard. 

Typical Style from the Amazon boxes

The other type is called paperboard: It is a single layer of gray cardboard that's used to make things like cereal boxes, shoe boxes, and other packages.

Paperboard, this is typical for cereal boxes and phone boxes

Now that you are more knowledgeable, let´s talk about the topic that we are here for:

How to recycle cardboard

In general, cardboard is recyclable. Most places that accepts cardboard will ask you to flattened the boxes, and remove all the label and stickers (Yeah, that sucks when we talk about the Amazon deliveries)

The labels marked on yellow will need to be removed prior to flatten and recycle the box

When is a good idea to NOT recycle cardboard?

Grease and oil in paper recycling, and greasy pizza boxes are two of the worst contaminants. (There are some governmental entities that already took small actions on this matter. Here is the webpage from Seattle Public Utilities). This does not mean that the whole the box is not recyclable: In the case of pizza boxes, you could cut the sections without grease and recycle those, while tossing to the trash the other ones. When in doubt if there is presence of grease, better toss it in the trash. As a good rule: If food -that leaks or causes stains- touched any part of the carboard, that part is not recyclable.

 

Sections that can and can´t be recycled

Moldy cardboard or with paint stains are not recyclable. Despite several web-pages giving advice on how to remove mold, this cannot be completely removed from cardboard (because of the porous surface). Careful! Wear gloves, eye protection and respirators when handling moldy boxes. I am not an expert of mold, so the only advice I can give you is to get an second opinion if you are facing this situation. This reference is a good start. Another good reference comes from North Dakota State University.

Moldy boxes 

For waxed carboards or water resistant cardboards you might have to check with your recycling program because recycle them is not always available! Most paper food containers that appear to be coated in wax are actually coated with polyethylene (Plastic)! Something to think about when you are buying coffee from Starbucks and other coffee shops: Those cups, although sometimes made of recycled cardboard, they are also waxed paper. So, in theory, the lid (which is made of PS#6) is the only "recyclable". Other objects of the same style are milk, juice and frozen containers (For example, ice cream tubs), drink boxes and all the fast food containers (In case you needed more motivation to leave those salty fries out of your diet).

I hope you find this new article interesting :). Knowledge makes you smarter and wiser!!

How to recycle...correctly?

Hi again!

Although recycling looks like the simple task of putting plastic, glass,metals, papers, cardboard, etc in a different bin than your trash, it is much more complicated. I'm not trying to scare you nor make you feel it will take a bit chunk of your time, but doing it right is an 'art', and as such, it requires a little bit practice and a lot of patience.

Today I will go over some basic examples about proper ways to recycle certain objects. Let's go over the simple stuffs:

Water bottles, Milk bottles, Gatorade bottles, dish soap bottles or any plastic bottles! 

In order to recycle it properly you MUST:

1) Remove the label

2) Remove the lid

3) And even the plastic ring!! 

Just like in the picture below: 

Some curbside programs and recycling places are able to take the lids and the rings , but almost guaranteed you will have to discard the label in the trash. For Michiganders: the caps can be donated to Scrap Ann Arbor

Unfortunately, the bottle will be the only recyclable piece. 

Plastic egg cartons (wtf?), cherry tomatoes, salad containers, veggie trays! 

Similarly, you will have to remove the labels on these containers. 

Just like the picture below!

Metal cans for beans, corn, fruits and so forth!

Please, please! Metal is one of the most important material to be recycled because it can be used almost unlimited times - unlike plastic. But, once more - as like the other containers - you have to remove the label!

Pasta boxes, frozen dinners or any type of box with a small plastic "window"

In general, for space and simplicity, disassemble the box and always remove the little plastic window of the box. Unfortunately, that plastic window cannot be recycle, but the cardboard most likely can be recycled. 

Some pasta boxes come with a sign that says How2Recycle - Which you can also see on the blue shipping envelopes from Amazon- . This is a special recycling program where specific locations (i.e. Target) receives certain types of items. For more info click here

There are a lot of other things that you need to consider, but these initial rules will help you to start your recycling process more effectively!

Do more research!! The internet is a great resource! Just look at this great webpage: http://apps.npr.org/plastics-recycling/

Not a place nearby to recycle ? Mail it!

Hello there,

Since recycling is such a labor intensive process, some people will face the challenge of not having an easy way to access a recycling company. Nonetheless, the ever grown world of business has allowed the appearance of several companies that will received (sometimes for free, sometimes for a cost) your recyclables. I want to leave clear that some places will charge high fees for your recyclables, so these might look more attractive from business than from an individual point of view. Let's go to check them out, shall we?

Terracycle:

These guys literally recycle anything. The company has several collection programs for different items that can go from your typical recyclable to toys, ear plugs, razor blades, you name it. Since P&G has a partnership (or owns?) this organization, some of their products have completely free returnable policies and sometimes even drop off locations. I think is worth to look at it because the range of opportunities is very broad.

Preserve:

This company will let you ship them all your #5 PP plastic. They will reuse it to create products such a toothbrushes, food containers or kitchen tools. I would encourage you to check their "What we accept" Section before packing anything. They also have a cool program for recycling Toothbrush, although I won't lie: I don't know if they accept only Preserve's toothbrush or any toothbrush, but it´s worth to look.

Autoparts Stores:

If you do your own oil changes, I hope you know you cannot simply throw the oil and filter into the trash! Some places will do recycle the oil, the filters and even the car batteries for free. You should ask on your local stores because I´m pretty sure this only applies for selected locations.

GRC Wireless

This company will let you recycle or trade smartphones, cell phones & tablets. Their recycling program tend to work in bulks, for like businesses, nonprofits, schools & agencies. The best part is that they might pay you for the phone you recycled! There is also a program to donate your phone for troops. Just remember to erase all the information from your devices before donating or trading!

If this does not convince you then I would encourage you to check your phone manufacturer. Companies like Apple , Samsung and LG have recycling programs/trade-in programs to upgrade and take care of your phone or even directly through Best buy. If your phone is still functional and you like to help and donate to different causes, then there are plenty of options of where to go if you google it, but the two I liked the most are: 

- Cellphones for soldiers
- Secure the call

E-Cycling central

This directory allows you to find companies that recycling electronic equipment around all the states in US. Several are national programs or non-profits, but some will be for profit so I will encourage you to do a good search if you don´t want to pay money just for recycling (Maybe there is a place that pays you for it! not so far from home)

Clothes and furniture

As long as your shirt or pants are not ripped apart you should consider donating clothes to charities such as GoodWill or Salvation Army. There is a lot of good they do to help people in need, and maybe in the process you find a little treasure in one of their stores. Regarding furniture, you can consider donating it as well (TAX-DEDUCTION$$$) or selling it if the furniture is not damage. I made 15$ selling a desk that someone threw and it was in perfect shape using Facebook Market. But please, I strongly encourage you to find a new place for your furniture. Do not toss it, there are too many more ways of getting rid of furniture than turning it into trash.