Those who know me, know that I try desperately to be earth conscious. I recycle everything, even though it involves frequent tedious trips to the recycling center in town since there is no curb side pickup where I live. I try to reuse as much as I can. I use my own totes when shopping at grocery and retail stores (no one should be using plastic bags at stores anymore! In California, they have been banned alltogether). I look for local products when shopping. I have my own compost pile. And on and on... sometimes (as my family will attest) I'm an annoying recycler.
My latest focus has been on plastic products. Plastic is made from oil and natural gas—making up roughly 9% of the world’s petroleum usage. I don't think I need to tell you how we need to stop relying so heavily on oil! But everything seems to be made of plastic! It's unavoidable, but the first step is to at least recycle the plastic we are using.
Let's first talk about plastic bottles. Americans buy 28 MILLION plastic water bottles a year. 8 out of 10 of these bottles end up in a landfill instead of being recycled. Making these plastic bottles accounts for 4% of America's energy consumption. In 2006, it took more than 17 MILLION barrels of oil (not including the oil used in transporting the plastic) to produce plastic bottles. It also takes more than three liters of water to create one liter of bottled water. Think of the energy needed to make the bottles, fill them with water, transport them to the store, keep them cool and dispose of them. It is estimated that the total amount of energy used to bottle water is equivalent of filling a bottle a quarter full of oil. It has been stated that the amount of oil used to produce plastic water bottles in America is enough to fuel about 100,000 cars for a year.
And then there is the plastic bags, which an even bigger peeve of mine. About 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are used each year and only 5% were recycled in 2005 (I know my recycling center doesn't take them). Plastic bags are among the 12 items of debris most often found in coastal clean-ups according to the Center for Marine Conservation. I read once that there is a mass of them floating in the ocean that is the size of Texas... this is what lead them to ban them in California. Plastic bags do not biodegrade, they photodegrade, which means they slowly break down into smaller and smaller toxic bits that can contaminate soil and waterways.
Plastic litter can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.
Plastic litter can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.
Then there are the other plastic products such as PVC, plastic packaging, plastic casing found in tvs, radios, computers, etc), and styrofoam. Some areas have banned restaurants from using styrofoam in take out containers. California claims that styrofoam is responsible for 15% of the litter collected from storm drains.
I am always trying to find ways to recycle and use products made from recycled products, but sadly, they often tend to be spendy. Well, this morning I was happy to find a place that makes 
toothbrushes and razors from recycled plastic at a reasonable price! The company is called Recycline, they have 14 earth-conscious employees, and they are located in Boston. For $11 they will send you a toothbrush every 3 months for a year. The toothbrushes are made from 100% recycled plastic (mostly yogurt cups) and when you are done with yours you send it back to them in a provided postage-paid envelope to be recycled into plastic lumber! How awesome is that? If you live in the cities, their products are also carried by Trader Joes in Woodbury. Target will also start carrying their products soon.
toothbrushes and razors from recycled plastic at a reasonable price! The company is called Recycline, they have 14 earth-conscious employees, and they are located in Boston. For $11 they will send you a toothbrush every 3 months for a year. The toothbrushes are made from 100% recycled plastic (mostly yogurt cups) and when you are done with yours you send it back to them in a provided postage-paid envelope to be recycled into plastic lumber! How awesome is that? If you live in the cities, their products are also carried by Trader Joes in Woodbury. Target will also start carrying their products soon.I encourage you to check them out at http://www.recycline.com/index.html. Please think twice before you bag your groceries in a plastic bag or throw that plastic bottle in the trash.
Allright, I will step off of my soap box now. Thanks for reading!
P.S. Much of my facts were taken from another of my favorite sites Earth 911.
