The 1,2,3s….and 4,5,6 and 7s of Plastics and Recycling in DC

Everyone’s seen those numbers on plastic packaging, but until recently, I really didn’t know what they meant.  Here’s the 411 in a nutshell. 

The numbers you’ll see range from 1 to 7 and refers to the type of plastic that’s been used to make that product. For you, it’s also a shorthand for potential health risk and the recycle-ability of the product. Fortunately, in DC, plastics of all numbers EXCEPT PLASTIC#6 (Styrofoam) are recyclable. Plastics#6 (Styrofoam) and plastics of any number that are made into food (saran) wrap, “clamshells”, motor oil or pesticide containers aren’t recyclable in DC.

A few more details on each of the plastics are provided below:

• Plastic #1, polyethylene terephtalate, is also known as PETE or PET.  Think soda bottles. It’s considered safe but porous, so it's best not to reuse these containers. Plastic#1 is recyclable in DC.
• Plastic #2 is high density polyethylene, or HDPE. Think milk jugs. It’s considered safe and is recyclable in DC.
• Plastic #3 is polyvinyl chloride (PVC).  Goods include food wrap, cooking oil bottles, and plumbing pipes. It’s not considered safe to cook food in or near it. DC recycles Plastic #3.
• Plastic #4 is low density polyethylene (LDPE). Think grocery bags, ziplocks, some food wraps, squeezable bottles, and bread bags. It’s considered safe. Plastic#4 is recyclable in DC.
• Plastic #5 is polypropylene and used for yogurt cups other wide-necked containers as well as medicine, ketchup, and syrup bottles, and straws. Plastic#5 is safe and is recyclable in DC.
• Plastic #6 is polystyrene, or Styrofoam. There’s some evidence that Plastic#6 leaches potentially toxic chemicals, especially when heated. Plastic#6 is not recyclable in DC.
• Plastic #7 is essentially “what's not plastic 1-6” including polycarbonate plastics and BPA. Common products include iPods, computer cases as well as some baby bottles and food storage containers. Plastic#7 is also used for milk/soda crates, plastic buckets with metal handles, plastic laundry baskets, plastic lawn furniture, plastic totes, plastic drums, plastic coolers, plastic flower pots, plastic drinking cups/glasses, plastic 5-gallon water bottles, plastic pallets, and plastic toys and all of these are recyclable in DC. 

I used this article to write this post.  It's a great resource for the health benefits of the various plastics. 

DC Government Posts Hazardous Waste Disposal 2012 Calendar!

Hey Folks, the DC Government has posted Hazardous Waste/E-cycling disposal dates for 2012 at the Ft. Totten Transfer Station, 4900 John F. McCormack Road, NE.  You’ll (very likely) need a DC Driver’s License that does not have an apartment address to get into the facility.  Below, you’ll find a list of acceptable items and a calendar can be found below that.  Send an email out to friends and neighbors and take turns going up to the facility every month or so.  There’s usually not a long line and you’ll be in and out before you know it!  More information on the program can be found at: http://dc.gov/DC/DPW/Services+on+Your+Block/Recycling/Household+Hazardous+Waste+-+E-cycling-+Document+Shredding

Acceptable Hazardous Waste	Acceptable E-Cycling
Acids Aerosols Antifreeze Asbestos tile Batteries Cleaning chemicals Drain openers Fluorescent light bulbs Furniture stripper Stains Varnish Fertilizer Lighter fluid Mercury thermometers and mercury containing devices Moth balls Motor oil Paint Pesticides Poisons Roofing tar Solvents/thinners Transmission fluids Windshield wiper and Brake fluids Wood preservatives	Audio/visual equipment Audio cassettes Camcorders CD Rom drives CDs/DVDs Cell Phones Computers and monitors Connectors / Cords / Wire Copy machines Fax machines Floppy drives Hard drives Memory chips Network / Video / Sound cards Pagers Power supplies Printers Scrap computer plastic  Scrap computer metal Tape drives TVs VCRs VCR tapes Video games & Software

 

2012 DC Hazardous Waste/E-Cycling Dates
Thursdays(1pm-7pm) ·         January 5 ·         February 2 ·         March 1 ·         April 5 ·         May 3 ·         May 31 ·         July 5 ·         August 2 ·         August 31 ·         October 4 ·         November 1 ·         November 30 ·         January 3, 2013	Saturdays (8am-3pm) ·         January 7 ·         February 4 ·         March 3 ·         April 7 ·         May 5 ·         June 2 ·         July 7 ·         August 4 ·         September 1 ·         October 6 ·         November 3 ·         December 1 ·         January 5, 2013



What to do with all that holiday stuff?

 The DC Government seems to still be hanging on to 2011 as there's not much information about Christmas tree or hazardous waste disposal for 2012 out there yet.  It seems that in DC, free curbside pick-up of Christmas trees will run January 3-14, 2012. After January 14, trees are not recycled but can be picked up with trash on regular delivery days as space in the trucks allows. Find details at http://dpw.dc.gov/dc/dpw. This website has info on Christmas tree recycling in MD and VA.

As for wreathes, why not throw them on your yard and let them decompose over the next month or so? You can also take them off the wire, and throw the branches into the Christmas tree pile...or better yet, into your fireplace.

Meanwhile, St. Jude's Ranch for Children has a greeting card recycling program. They operate year round, so consider starting a card recycling program at work and/or with your

friends.  A couple of specifics:

• They accept all types of greeting cards, including Christmas cards.
• You need only send the card front (please ensure the back side is clear of any writing, etc.).
• No Hallmark, Disney or American Greeting cards, please.
• 5″ x 7″ size or smaller is preferred.

You can also BUY cards for all occasions from these same folks!

Mail donations to :

St. Jude’s Ranch for Children
Recycled Card Program
100 St. Jude’s Street
Boulder City, NV 89005

Tis the Season - to Freecycle



T'is the Season to Freecycle!





 With the holidays nearing their end ...and the new year coming on, it's a great time to purge and Freecycle!  Freecycle DC is a great place to find or advertise goods you want or want to get rid of.  You can opt out of the emails - or just get the daily journal if you want to minimize traffic. Craig's List DC also has a FreeSection.  But, even a walk around your neighborhood might render some great gems!  My dog and I found this grill on a morning walk.  One of the 5(!) burners was broken, so it was being thrown out! 

Give Locally!

Day 12

So during this time of giving, don’t forget a gift – or your time to your favorite local charity.  With the economic downturn, contributions to most charities are down, and the smaller non-profits operating on shoe string budgets really feel the pinch.  DC has a wealth of charitable organizations that address a wide variety of causes:  Food&Friends provides and delivers cooked meals to people with life threatening diseases, Martha’s Table provides food, clothing and educational opportunities to at risk folks, Street Sense helps get homeless folks back on their feet; and the Washington Animal Rescue League and the Washington Humane Society find homes for rescued pets.  There are many more!  Help make DC a better place for all of us!

Ditch (even more) Plastic!

Day 11

Plastic containers are petroleum based, and some contain Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and Bisphenol A (BPA) which are now being questioned for their impact both on the environment and human health.  Glass and stainless steel storage bowls are a great green storage option – and are great containers for taking lunch to work.  I’m amazed how many people still microwave in a plastic container.  Glass is microwavable and it’s a much better option than microwaving plastic.  Take one of these along with you on your next dine out, and forego the Styrofoam doggie bag.

Occupy DC businesses…buy it LOCALLY!!

DAY 10

Whatever you buy this holiday season, buy it locally and support DC owned businesses.  The City Paper has a great DC local shopping guide and the search engine Milo.com will help you buy things locally…though most of their businesses seem to be major retailers. Pay in cash, and the proprietors will appreciate you even more - as they'll avoid the credit card fee they have to pay on every transaction.

Make your own sparkling water!

DAY 9

Get some plastic bottles out of your…or someone else’s life by getting them a machine that makes fizzy water.  There are lots of brands out there these days..Soda Stream seems to be the most popular brand.  Buy one locally instead of on line! Hill's Kitchen is just one of many local stores that carries these!

COMPOST IT!

Day 8

I’m on my soapbox again, but composting has cut my trash by more than ½.  I now only have trash to put out only once a month, and that’s not enough to fill a garbage bag.  A kitchen composter with a charcoal filter makes a great gift. If you can’t have a compost bin outside, consider buying a gift certificate to Compost Cab or FatWorm Compost who will pick up your goods weekly or more ( see far right side board of this blog for more compost options)!

iPad/iPhone covers - Cork it!

Day 7

So, you know that buying wine with REAL corks is the right thing to do…and you’ve been recycling your (real) wine corks 4eeeever…so what comes of it?  Walk the upcycle talk and buy one of these cork iPad/iPhone cork covers.  Uncommon Goods has a plethora ….no, better said – a cornucopia of great upcycled products!

E-Tip Gloves

Day 6

Keep your hands warm AND use your touch screen!  E-tip gloves will allow you to use any touch screen - iPhone, iPad and Kindle.  Most models have an e-tip enabled thumb and index finger.  They're available from a wide variety of retailers including REI. Search for "A-gloves" and "E-tips".   Sweeeeet!

A Pressure Cooker

Day 5

While not the most romantic of gifts, if you’re looking for an energy saving and practical gift for someone who likes to cook, you can’t go wrong with a pressure cooker.  See my November 26^th posting touting the wonders of these devices:  soaked beans cook in 7 minutes, artichokes in 10 and carrots in 2.  It’s a great fast way to make winter soups or your own baby food.  They come in all sorts of shapes and sizes these days. And, it might even be a great conversation starter for you and your (future) mother-in-law!

Flannel Sheets !!

Day 4

They come in a wide variety of colors…and they’ll keep you toasty warm while allowing you to turn the thermostat waaaaaaaaaaaay down at night, saving you lots of $$$$...and cutting down on your carbon footprint.  Program your thermostat to warm up the house 15 minutes before you wake up..and you’ll never even notice the difference!

GIVE YOUR TIME!

DAY 3

Give some of your time. Homemade gift certificates for child or pet sitting, dog walks (hint, hint), housecleaning, cooking lessons, closet reorganizing, coffee dates, car washing, snow shoveling, language lessons, dinner, massages, a lift to the airport, bike maintenance, a trip to Value Village…you get the idea .. make great gifts.

RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES

DAY 2

Rechargeable batteries have evolved considerably (and gone down in price). Available in AA and AAA sizes, they're a great stocking stuffer.  Rechargeable Hybrid Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) batteries come fully charged and can hold a charge over many months.  A quick and unscientific web survey of best rechargeable batteries around found the Sanyo Eneloop to be a fave.  HYBRID is a word you should look for as these batteries can hold their charge over time (for low drain items like remotes and flashlights) but can take frequent use of high-drain devices like digital cameras.  This article provides a great overview of the best rechargeable batteries and chargers. 

Announcing - 12 days of Green Gifting Ideas

The DCR is attempting a 12 days of Christmas, Hanukkah a/o Kwanzaa – a list of green and environmentally friendly gift options.  The 12 days may not be consecutive, but I hope to get in at least 12 options before the 25^th.  And the 1^st Day option…..drumroll, please…………………

Day 1    

GIVE!

Give to those in need.  Most of us have far too much stuff and our true needs are few.  Yet there are plenty out there in the US and around the world that are truly living from one day to the next.  Oxfam America, World Neighbors and Heifer International ..among others ..provide great and creative options that allow you to give anything from art supplies for a school, a share of a water buffalo, a hive of honey bees, alternative pesticide or HIV education to folks around the world.  If you get your order in early enough, each organization will send you a card representing your gift.  Do it!

Resurrecting the Pressure Cooker

If you grew up at a high altitude, you probably know all about pressure cookers. For the rest of us, they may be something you heard your Grandma talk about.  Pressure cookers are sealed vessels that won’t allow air or liquids to escape below a preset pressure. Because the boiling point of water increases as pressure increases, pressure cookers bring the liquid in the pot to rise to a higher temperature before boiling – and cook food …especially beans and grains that take a long time to cook a LOT faster. Soaked kidney beans will cook in less than 10 minutes in a pressure cooker. Brown rice will cook in 12-15 minutes and artichokes in 10.  You can even cook meat and chicken in them. Think of all the energy..and time you’re saving by cutting down on the cooking time!

Using a pressure cooker is not rocket science, but there are some things you need to know to avoid a mess or even getting hurt.  This YouTube video gives a great overview, (even if the woman might be one of the Stepford wives).  I also found this very comprehensive timetable for the length of time to cook various foods.  I found my pressure cooker (one of the old ones with a manual pressure release valve) at a garage sale.  I’ve seen them for sale at Value Village and several thrift stores.  There are new and improved models on the market these days that are more straightforward to use..but don’t shy away from learning how to use one of the old models.  It’s not that complicated, and your friends will think you’re a really sophisticated cook! 

Rethinking the water filter

For the last few years, I've dutifully filtered all the water we drink in the house.  Recently, I noticed green algae in the bottom of my plastic filtered water pitcher.  Ewww.  While, I realized I could stop this by keeping the pitcher in my frig, it got me wondering if I really need to filter my water.  I'm antiplastic, and here I am filtering my water through a plastic filter and storing my drinking water in a plastic pitcher.  While some Whole Foods will recycle used Brita filters, not all stores do.  Preserve will also recycle them, but I have to go to the Post Office to mail them in. These filters are only good for 3 months and they generate a lot of plastic over time. Alas, was I on an off-ramp on my road to a plastic free - or at least plastic-less life??



The Brita vs. Kishu Experiment



About the same time, I started hearing about binchotan- a white charcoal made of oak trees found in Japan that is used to filter water.  So, I bought a water sampling kit, a stick of  Kishu and put it to the test against my Brita.   The results: there was no detectable difference in the water quality. Hmmmm.
Living in a house that was built in the 1880's, I'm most concerned about lead in my water.  As I know charcoal filters only have limited ability to filter out lead, I bought a lead test kit, and found that the water that was coming RIGHT OUT OF MY TAP was below the EPA action level of 15ppm.  Yay!

Then, I interviewed my neighbor Carl, who works on water quality at EPA about his drinking water consumption.

• You work at EPA on water quality issues, right? YUP,specifically drinking water quality issues and overseeing regulation of drinking water systems and Underground Injection Control (UIC) wells.
• Do you filter the DC water that comes out of the faucets at your house? NOPE, no filter on faucets.
• Why or why not?  I believe what bad stuff is likely to pass thru the DC treatment thru the distribution system to the house will not make me immediately sick (i.e, no acute effects), the closest contaminant of most concern to me is lead and I flush the sitting water out of the faucet before  using, and the pathogens and other chronic contaminants that were in the source water have been removed before reaching my faucet.  I'd be more cautious if young kids or old folks lived in the house.

So, I'm not sure whether I need a water filter at all. I am convinced that I don't need to buy Brita filters anymore, so I'm putting my pitchers up on Freecycle DC.  I'm not sure if I'll keep buying the Kishu or not (it's got quite the carbon footprint if it's shipped here from Japan)...but for now it looks cool in the bottom of my glass water pitchers and in a few months, I'll just throw it in the compost bin.