Know Your Plastics Posted on October 16th, 2009
Did you know that there are seven classifications of plastic, as classified by the EPA? Do you know what those plastics are or how to tell what kind your container is made of? Well, lucky for you, I’m here to help.
The Environmental Protection Agency is charged with doing things that, theoretically, protect the environment. Like all government institutions, they are generally inept at their jobs. This is because, like nearly all government agencies, half of the EPA’s work force knows what they’re doing and the other half is upper management. Lucky for us, the half that knows what they’re doing are the ones who made these classifications for plastic.
These little label symbols will appear on all plastic items made since the mid-90s. They are the universal “recycle” symbol (three arrows, pointing one to the next) with a number in the middle and sometimes an alpha label (letters) underneath. Let’s have a look.
PETE – Number 1 - This is PETE or PET, which stands for polyethylene terephthalate. No, I will not pronounce it for you. This is usually found as the resin used for the plastic in salad dressing (the squeezable kind), soda bottles, bottled water, and so forth. This type of plastic can absorb bacteria and flavoring, so it’s generally a bad idea to re-use it. When recycled, it’s usually shredded to make carpet and furniture or melted down to make new containers.
HDPE – Number 2 - This is HDPE or high-density polyethylene. Say it twice, then pinch your tongue. This is used in a lot of infinitely re-usable containers like milk jugs, shampoo bottles, yogurt tubs, etc. It’s considered almost completely inert. When recycled, it is usually melted down and remade into heavier bottles, that white fencing you see, and even Bic pens (HDPE can be made into PVC).
V – Number 3 - V (or PVC, aka polyvinyl) is not for Vendetta, so chill out. A lot of oils, clear packaging, and other solid, but see-through containers are made out of this. So is sewer plumbing, tarps, and such. This is thought to contain phalates that can interfere with hormones, so it’s a good idea to avoid them. These are usually recycled into paneling, mudflaps, and stuff like that.
LDPE – Number 4 - LDPE means low-density polyethylene, which you can probably chant repeatedly while rubbing your belly and patting your head. The bags you get at the grocery store with your shopping, bread and tortilla bags, and even your carpet and clothing probably have this in them. There are no known problems with this stuff and it’s usually recycled into things like fake lumber, trash bags, and even envelopes.
RECYCLE, SUCKA!
PP – Number 5 - PP is polypropylene, though I think it would be more suited to be number one on the list. If you don’t get that joke, you’re a Commie. This is the stuff they more often use in newer squeezable bottles like ketchup, mustard, and your medicines. It’s considered inert and is most often recycled into ice scrapers, rakes, and other heavy/hard-plastic items that require durability.
PS – Number 6 - PS is polystyrene, I love you. Everyone knows what this stuff is. Dumping this made McDonald’s “green” and your favorite egg cartons evil. This stuff is friggin everywhere and won’t go away. It leaches, of all things, sytrene into foods, which is carcinogenic, so maybe McD’s was right. This is usually recycled into foam packaging and shipping peanuts, insulation, and stuff like that. Truckers know that it melts in diesel fuel and actually increases octane too.
OTHER – Number 7 - Other is, of course, the height of description and clarity of purpose. This is everything that isn’t one of the other six like those 3 and 5-gallon Culligan jugs, nylon, and is the primary source of the dreaded BPA (bisphenol A), which makes you fat and gives you heart attacks. This is usually recycled into Al Gore dolls and Kim Jong Il’s hair. Specialty items like that.
So there you have it. The seven classifications for plastic. For the curious, there are currently production-level technologies for replacing types 1, 2, and 4 with bio-based alternatives to replace the petroleum normally used. I’m not aware of any testing to find out if they are chemically safer, however.
Send Your Light Bulbs to Washington Posted on July 26th, 2009
In a true, grassroots, and fundamental way, this campaign aims to protest the federal government’s forcing us to use compact fluorescent lights (CFL). A federal law will ban the sale of traditional incandescent bulbs by 2012, effectively eliminating them from American use.
While I don’t love the old, inefficient, more-heat-than-light incandescents, I also don’t like government telling me what to do. Especially when the alternative they’re promoting (CFL) has some serious drawbacks of its own.
Although breaking a CFL in your home doesn’t necessarily mean everyone who lives there will die from mercury poisoning, it’s still a worry. Any mercury is bad and a house full of it, thanks to bulbs, smoke detectors, thermostats, and more (that all contain it), can’t be healthy. Sending these items to the landfill is, often, technically illegal too.
Further, the law will effectively ban new technologies that could be safer, cheaper, and better alternatives as well, such as the laser breakthrough I talked about in a post not too long ago.
So a grassroots campaign called Send Your Light Bulbs to Washington (click to visit the site) has started to encourage people to pack up their used CFLs and send them to your Congress-critter (Senate, House, or both) with a note explaining to them that you aren’t sure how the convoluted disposal rules work, so you’re just entrusting them to do it for you.
This is a GREAT idea and I think it could get legs quickly. Our own, unscientific experience in our house has been that CFL bulbs last twice as long as incandescents (at most). For more information on the new law and related issues, you can also read this great repost from John Stossel’s blog at this link.
Dumpster Diving – the Dumpster Pool Posted on July 25th, 2009
Some extremely creative people in New York saw a music video from a band in Georgia (the Pylons). In that video was a dumpster filled with water to make a swimming pool. So these three creative dudes started thinking…
Jocko Weyland, David Belt, and Alix Feinkind decided to repurpose some old trash recepticles (dumpsters) into swimming pools for the enjoyment of people in their neighborhood. They got three dumpsters (the large ones for construction sites), sealed the seams, put a pool liner in, and a layer of sand.
Viola! Swimming pools!
Some work with some decking, a couple of pool accessories, some floaties, and a lot of water later, it’s a public pool.
The whole project took only 12 days to complete, start to finish, and the pool officially opened on July 4th. The pools are tarped every night so someone doesn’t walk by and mistake them for a real dumpster and throw something in.
Pretty cool!
Woolly Pockets – Gardens in a Bag Posted on July 22nd, 2009
This is a really cool idea and definitely an awesome product line too. These are breathable “pockets’ made from 60% recycled plastic bottles for growing plants in. They are made in the USA and look sort of like pockets from the back of your jeans or the front of a work shirt.
Woolly Pockets come in various sizes and shapes and are made to grow plants in: flowers, herbs, vegetables, whatever you’d like. Think of them as canvas-like pots. The breathable containers actually increase oxygen and ease drainage for the plants’ roots, which makes for healthier plants.
They aren’t exactly cheap, though, but $250 gets you a whole garden of them (which they call a “Woolly Meadow”) or you can buy “pots” individually for your various needs.
The Woollys are durable enough for outdoors and chic enough for indoor use.
Of course, as their site proclaims, no Woolly Mammoths were harmed in the making of Woolly Pockets…
The Story of Stuff Posted on July 20th, 2009
This is a great video. It’s about 20 minutes long and explains the process of resource gathering, manufacturing, distribution, consumption, and waste. It explains how this could be made into a cycle rather than a linear march towards the garbage pit.
It explains a lot of other things about our consumer-culture too, including how it got started.
Great video and well worth watching. You can visit TheStoryofStuff.com and download or stream the video for free. I’ve included a teaser video:
