Recycling Heaven

For the last twelve months, Future Weather Productions has been saving all of the metals and plastics that can't be recycled curbside. While Philly’s recycling program will take Plastics #1 and #2 (soda bottles and milk jugs), there are 5 other types of plastic that we’ve been accumulating for a while now. This pile of recyclables had grown to the point of being clutter, so we decided to finally clear out some space and make the drive to Recycling Services in Pottstown, PA.

We loaded up the car and set out on Saturday, enjoying the beautiful weather during the hour-long drive from Philadelphia. We expected a pretty straightforward trip. (How exciting could recycling styrofoam and old yogurt tubs be?) But when we arrived at the end of a sleepy street in Pottstown, our expectations were definitely surpassed.

Founded in 1971 by Jim Crater, Recycling Services, Inc. (RSI) is a non-profit recycling center that collects numerous materials and resells them to be recycled and reused. RSI is an extensive operation, accepting glass, metals, papers, plastics, tires, textiles, electronics, and even vegetable oil (which is used to make biodiesel). The company dedicates two days a week towards public collection of recyclable goods (they charge an $8 per car gate fee), and if our trip was any indication, they serve hundreds of people on any one of those days.

RSI's staff was friendly and knowledgeable. We were impressed by how easily they helped us sort some of our more mysterious plastic items. While they don't take #7 plastics (that mysterious "other" category) or toothpaste tubes, we still ended up recycling a massive amount. Not only did we learn a lot about our consuming habits (we really need to curb the takeout habit), but we witnessed how people can come together in the effort to minimize their impact on the Earth.

A Life in Plastic

If there were a game show where contestants had to identify an object's plastic code blindfolded, the staff at Recycling Services might just be billionaires.

EnviroWoman and No Impact Man

Help! Our oceans are filled with plastic! Our landfills are overflowing with petrochemical garbage! Looks like a job for EnviroWoman and No Impact Man. No, they're not superheroes, but they're here, with help from folks like Beth Terry to teach us that a life with FAR less plastic is possible. If you thought remembering to bring your reusable bag to the grocery store, or swearing off bottled water was life-changing, check out just how much they've been able to rid their life of plastic.

For those not quite ready to give up chips, crackers and cereal (all in plastic bags), cheese (wrapped in plastic), and all frozen food (either in plastic bags or in cardboard lined with plastic) or to start making your own mouthwash (to avoid that plastic bottle), here are some easy plastic alternatives to start you on a more plastic-free path:

• GreenLine Paper Company is an excellent local Pennsylvania resource for biodegradeable containers/plates/cutlery.
  
• Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottles (sold locally in Philly at Mugshots Coffeehouse)
  
• To-Go Ware "action packs" (stainless steel lunch carriers with bamboo utensils)
  
• ReusableBags.com can help you ditch those plastic grocery bags, and carries many bags/utensils/bottles.
  
• Greenfeet sells soy wax paper as an alternative to plastic wrap, and they even have freezer-safe glass containers to ween you off of all that Tupperware!
  
• If You Care 100% recycled aluminum foil is available at Whole Foods.
  
• BioBag biodegradable trash/pet waste/lawn bags at www.ecoproducts.com
  

Plastic Bags: Just Say No

If there is one thing I will indulge in getting preachy about, it's plastic bags. We must STOP ACCEPTING them with our purchases. At the grocery store, at the dollar store, at the second-hand store, at the farmer's market. We cannot afford to pay lip service to the practice of bringing your own bag. Plastic does not biodegrade. In other words, it will outlive us all.

This video about the research done by Algalita Research Foundation should convince you if you need an extra push.



Also, this article about a Bermuda triangle of plastic bags floating in the Pacific.

Some new bag practices to adopt:

• Using your old plastic bags as trash liners is not a good solution. They'll still end up in a landfill where they'll sit forever. Instead,
  
• bring them to the grocery store or farmer's market to reuse; not as fashionable as cloth, but who cares? it's groceries!
  
• use them to protect produce in the frig
• bring your lunch in them
  
• recycle them at a Whole Foods or other grocery that takes plastic bags for recycling; they are typically a no. 1 or 2
• Don't rely on ONE alternative shopping bag. They all compress, so keep one in your purse, pocket, car, at work, by the door - wherever you need to ensure that you'll have one handy when you pop into a grocery store or do a little impulse shopping.
• Bringing your own bag goes beyond the grocery store - just say no at the mall, the shoe store and the electronics store. Your latest purchase from H&M will look just as good in a fold-up tote from envirosax.
  
• If you have already purchased Ziploc bags, don't throw them out. Reuse them. They wash and dry, just like dishes. When they're worn out, cut the tops off and recycle them. According to the Ziploc site, they are plastic no. 4.
  
• Make the switch to biodegradable trash bags. Use your current supply to protect things you put in a musty basement or fluff them up and fill a pillow with them. Okay, so I've resorted to an art project. Anyone got a better idea?
  

WEEK 10: Waste Management, Plastic Edition

I went to Target this weekend to pick up some necessities. Not paying attention, I was handed two items in separate plastic bags, each double-stuffed. I had to laugh to myself as I took the products out to carry. Not only were the bags so ridiculously thick that they probably had the consistency of four or five bags, but in front of me was a display touting t-shirts that said "Go Green." It's a shame I was probably the only one who noticed the irony.

As promised, we're going to focus on plastic for this lovely Fourth of July week. In May, we did a piece on how to recycle plastic, but since it's one of the most problematic materials to deal with at both ends of its life cycle - production and disposal - we're going to spend most of our energy this week suggesting ways to boycott it altogether. I'm going to start out with a piece on the ins and outs of plastic alternatives. Wednesday, Karyn will follow up on some locations where you can purchase those alternatives. Thursday, we'll have something fun to set the Fourth of July weekend off right. Just in time to say no to a plastic fork in your apple pie.

WEEK 9: Waste Management

We all do it, whether we want to admit it or not. We have some scraps left on the kitchen counter, be it egg shells or the unused coffee grounds from the morning's cup of coffee. As you rush out the door for work, you quickly scrape the leftovers into the kitchen trash can. What you don't know is that, according to the US EPA, along with yard trimmings, food waste makes up 24% of the country's waste stream.

This week, we're going to focus on waste removal. Karyn will start the week off with a look at waste removal and recycling on film sets, as well as discussing mandatory recycling laws for businesses. Then, we'll take a look at Clean Vibes, a waste management company that handles concerts and other events. We'll wrap up with a look at landfill gas and composting.

And for all you people who are asking "Where's the plastic?" Don't worry! We got a whole week of it coming up next!

Greener Catering

Filmmaking uses a tremendous amount of resources. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the meal tent on a typical movie shoot. Feeding hundreds of people in a temporary, often outdoor, location usually involves the crew eating in giant plastic tents, with air conditioning or heat pumped in. Access to sinks and running water is usually limited, so all of the plates, cups, and utensils are disposable. These items are almost always plastic, as are the hundreds of bottles of water and soft drinks that are thrown out at every meal, since no recycling is ever provided.

Estimating how much food to make is difficult, and providing film crews with an array of food choices results in an enormous amount of food being wasted. Snacks, or "craft service", are also required on every union film, offering donuts, candy, and other heavily packaged, mass produced convenience foods. If things like apples or carrots sticks are offered, it will be conventionally grown produce that has a large carbon footprint. None of this food is made with local or organic ingredients, because sustainability has not been a priority on the production company's bottom line.

While feeding the crew in a more environmentally friendly way would usually involve spending more money, anyone who has worked on a big budget film can attest to the unbelievable waste of cash and resources that goes on in every department. It is not the lack of funding, but a lack of commitment that keeps productions from making many "green" changes, and food is no exception.

So, here are some suggestions for feeding the crew:

• Buy organic food, shade-grown/organic and fair trade coffee & teas.


• Choose organic or local produce whenever possible.


• Look for sustainable seafood and organic and/or free-range meats from local farms.


• Encourage the use of reusable dishware and mugs, if a place to wash dishes is available. If not, provide recyclable or compostable plates, cups and utensils.
  
• For catered meetings and general craft services, make sure food suppliers do not provide Styrofoam. Ask caterers to provide only recyclable serving containers, like aluminum pans.


• Find out if leftovers from catered meals can be donated, and give unopened packaged food to the local food bank.


• Purchase a composter for vegetable food scraps.

Plastic in Concert

Do you remember the last time you went to see a band where the bar still served you a drink in a glass? How about the last concert that didn't sell water bottled in plastic? Or an outdoor festival without the ubiquitous plastic cup?

The change-over seems to have occurred sometime in the 1980’s, since I remember going to many shows in that era where the water was in fountains, the beer was in cans or glass bottles, and paper cups (albeit poly-coated, or with plastic straws and lids) were the norm. Bars that served drinks in plastic cups were rare. You could still bring a thermos to outdoor concerts, as long as it wasn't filled with alcohol. And vendors selling things like hot dogs in plastic clamshells, which they do now in many of our arenas, was unheard of.

The amount of non-recyclable plastic trash left after one Memorial Day party in my neighborhood tells me that entertainment and waste still go hand in hand, and we have a long way to go towards reducing petrochemical pollution. Plastic cups, cutlery, plates etc. are not currently recycled in this city, so the best solution for festivals and concerts is to bring your own containers or choose biodegradable alternatives. Two local examples, the annual Philadelphia Folk Festival, and the upcoming Popped Music Festival, provide water stations, so concert go-ers can fill their own bottles, instead of buying bottled water.

Getting bars, or any businesses, to comply with recycling laws has been next to impossible for the city's underfunded Streets and Walkways Education and Enforcement Program (S.W.E.E.P). But it might be getting easier, now that Mayor Nutter has appointed a new Director of Sustainability, Mark Allen Hughes. Hopefully, we will start to see more clubs sending their cans, glass, and plastic bottles to the recycling center instead of the dumpster. Unfortunately, this city still doesn't recycle plastic cups, so that problem will only be solved when clubs and bars start making more sustainable choices.

As for large arenas, Farm Aid  sets the best example nationally, consistently making strides towards reducing their environmental impact. Locally, Aramark, the food concession provider for arenas like Citizen’s Park, has unveiled their new environmental policy which includes recycling, using biodegradable cups, and recycling frying oil for biodiesel fuel. The Eagles have also switched to corn-based plastic at some of the vendors at the Linc and increased their recycling efforts as part of their larger "Go Green" plan. Let's hope this catches on at places like the Wachovia, and the Tweeter, and the Festival Pier, and The Mann... 

Recycling Services, Inc.

...bottle caps...yogurt containers...disposable utensils...coffee lids...poly-coated frozen food boxes...straws...fast-food containers...styrofoam...paint buckets...six-pack rings....plant pots...cd cases...cosmetic containers...old toothbrushes...

This is the petrochemical detritus of our modern life. While nature recycles its detritus for nutrients, reincorporating it back into a sustainable system, our man-made plastics are “landfill”, literally filling the land, as well as our oceans, with non-biodegradable, non-renewable, toxic garbage. Rarely recycled, plastic accounts for an estimated 25% of all landfill space, and it is the fastest growing portion of municipal solid waste (plasticdebris.org). According to the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, only 3.5% of plastic is recycled in any way, and 60-80% of all marine debris is now plastic. Here in Philadelphia, we only recycle 7% of our total waste, and have only recently begun to collect #1 and #2 plastics curbside.

So what is the answer? Obviously, the main thing we all can do is expand our understanding of plastic waste to include more than just plastic bags and water bottles. Sure, it’s great to bring your own bag to the store, but not filling that bag with products packaged in plastic is just as important. You might choose organic produce, but if it is put into plastic bags and trucked hundreds (or thousands!) of miles, the whole concept of sustainable agriculture is being polluted. Water and soda bottles may be recyclable in some areas, but the market for products made from recycled plastics cannot keep pace with our consumption, so a better solution is to not buy these products in the first place. Also, convenience foods and beverages are often packaged in plastic or styrofoam, but a great deal of evidence now suggests that chemicals like antimony, DEHP (di-2-ehtylhexyl phthalate), bispehonal-A and the carcinogenic benzene and styrene make their way into the foods and liquids they hold, which is reason enough to avoid them. And finally, plastics are made from petroleum, an often overlooked aspect of our dependency on foreign oil, so any efforts to shift to renewables must include not just new fuels but alternatives to all petrochemical products.

Many alternatives exist, such as:

• stainless steel water bottles at www.kleankanteen.com (sold locally at Mugshots Coffeehouse)
• stainless steel lunch/to go containers at www.to-goware.com
• reusable cotton produce bags and biodegradable containers/plates/cutlery at www.greenhome.com
• many bags/utensils/bottles at reusablebags.com
• soy wax paper (regular wax paper is petroleum based paraffin) at www.greenfeet.com
• If You Care 100% recycled aluminum foil at Whole Foods
• BioBag biodegradable trash/pet waste/lawn bags at www.ecoproducts.com

Hopefully, as demand increases for these products, more will be available locally, to avoid shipping...

For those products with no reasonable alternatives (toothbrushes?) or that you are not prepared to live without (yogurt?) there is:

Recycling Services, Inc. (recyclingservices.org)

365 Elm Street Pottstown, PA 19465

phone #(610)323-8545

Open Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9:00am-1:00pm

It is well worth the trip to visit this amazing facility (about 45 minutes from Philadelphia) that takes everything listed at the beginning of this post, and MUCH more (see website for complete list). Also, you can save up your recyclables with family and friends, so that you only have to make the trip once or twice a year.

Recycling FAQs

Answers for the Clueless to the Neurotic and everyone in-between.
Don't be a schmykel. Please recycle.

Can I recycle windowed envelopes?
Yep! All non-natural fibers and metals make their way out when the paper’s turned into pulp in the recycling process.


Can I recycle post-it notes?
Yessiree - as long as your recycler takes mixed-paper. Contrary to public opinion, most post-its are 99% paper, so not only do they recycle easily, they also don’t gum up the machines, a criticism often lobbed at them.


Should I recycle my pizza box?
Thanks, but no. "Food and grease-tainted paper is not desirable to have in pulping systems that recycle recovered paper."


Can you recycle plastic-coated paper cups?
No, unfortunately, there is no recyclable value. The same goes for wax-coated. While Styrofoam takes less energy to produce, it does not degrade, which is something paper has to its advantage.

The problem is using paper cups to begin with. Very few of them come from recycled paper, and Americans are projected to increase our consumption of them from 17 billion to 23 billion by 2010. If those #s don't scare you into bringing your own mug, read this.


Why can’t you recycle all plastics in Philly?
The official answer is that there isn’t enough demand to break down the plastic content in #s 3-7, because you can only garner a certain amount of reusable materials. However, according to some sources, a city will increase its plastic recycling count if it accept all numbers. Something worth bringing up at the next city council meeting. Philadelphia also has both single-stream (everything in one bucket) and dual-stream (separate your papers and cans, no plastics) recycling, but this summer will condense to single-stream. (Ahh, much better.) Learn more about Philadelphia's recycling program from this comprehensive City Paper Guide.


So if I can't recycle plastic #s 3-7 with the city, where can I recycle them?
Recycling Services, a mecca for plastics and other materials your city won't take. Located in Pottstown, PA, it's only a 45 minute drive from Philly. So save up all of your odds and ends (their list of accepted materials is exhaustive and specific, so please check it out) and make a trip once a year. It's worth it to see Jim Crater's amazing place and wandering peacock.

Meanwhile, make sure you separate your #1s and #2s for city recycling. Even a small amount of the wrong type of plastic can ruin a recycling melt. Because a lot of people don't take time to separate it, much plastic collected for recycling is actually landfilled when it could go to larger recycling centers like the one in Pottstown.


Can you recycle the caps on plastic bottles?
Yes, but not through most municipal recycling programs. They're made from a different type of plastic resin and can contaminate the other plastics. I did a search for "plastic bottle tops" and pulled up three straight pages of ways to turn them into fishing lures. Is anything NOT a craft project?! Luckily, Recycling Services will take them (see above).


Egads! There's plastic everywhere! What about baggies, cling wrap and bread bags??
Some of this falls into plastic type #2. Please refer to this chart at plasticbagrecycling.org to see the breakout and click on your location to see specifically what your city will take.


We're setting up our production office on location, and I'm not familiar with the recycling services there...
We'll be covering production waste in more detail soon, but if you're in a jam, try this handy 1-2-3 from the National Recycling Coalition.


I'm auditioning for America's Next Top Recycler, I'm burning to know more!
Here's a quick, helpful guide for when you're in doubt!