REMEMBERING YOUR THREE R's

Over the years, people have gotten into a lot of bad habits.  We use things once and then throw them away.  And why not?  There are so many things that are SUPPOSED to be used just once and thrown away.  Every day and in little ways, I try to think of new ways to reduce, reuse and recycle all sorts of objects.

* Every morning, my dad makes a cup of coffee for the ride to work and puts it in a disposable cup.  One cup a day times hundreds of days equals lots of cups.  What a waste!  For just a few dollars out of my piggy bank, I bought dad a brand new stainless steel coffee container.  He never spills coffee in the car anymore and I helped him to greatly reduce his cup waste!

* I cleaned my room this week and found a whole bunch of books that I didn't want anymore.  My friend Nick said, Throw them away!"  But what a waste!  I went to my local library and asked if they were accepting book donations.  They were!  I may be too old for some of those children's books, but plenty of kids at the library would just love to reuse them!

* My mom came home with some clothes from the dry cleaners.  Each shirt and dress was wrapped in a long piece of plastic to protect the clothing.  Off came the plastic bags and into the garbage they went.  But what a waste!  I pulled the bags out of the trash--I knew they could be used again.  My friend Ashley was having her room painted painted this week.  Instead of buying plastic at the store, Ashley used the dry cleaner bags to cover her rug, lamp and carousel horse collection while her parents painted the walls!  What great a great way to recycle one thing into something else!

What are some ways YOU have learned to reduce, reuse and recycle?

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Have you ever heard of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?  No?  It's in the middle of the ocean, so most of us will never see it, but it's one of the largest man-made environmental disasters in the world.  It is the world's largest landfill and it's getting larger every year!

The ocean is constantly moving.  Ocean currents move the water in different directions depending on wind, temperature and other factors.  The North Pacific Gyre is a  place in the Pacific Ocean between California and Japan where many currents come together to form a giant, clockwise moving area of water.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as the Pacific Trash Vortex, is located here in the North Pacific Gyre.  It is literally a giant, floating patch of garbage twice the size of Texas and made up of millions of pounds of plastic, chemical sludge and other debris.  Greenpeace has said that 10% of all plastic manufactured each year ends up in the ocean!

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch presents hazards to marine life.  Plastic can end up in the stomachs of marine birds, sea turtles and fish.  These toxic plastic pieces can also be eaten by jellyfish, which are then eaten by larger fish.  When the larger fish are eaten by humans, these toxins can enter our bodies!  All life on Earth is connected.  Our abuse of the environment comes back to us full circle.

Be aware of your waste!  Throw garbage in the trash, not on the ground!  Recycle plastic disposable products when you can or avoid buying them altogether!  The next time you see a piece of garbage about to blow into a sewer, a river or a stream, pick it up and throw it away.  How big will the Garbage Patch get before we start to act?

RECYCLE BY NUMBER - PLASTIC RECYCLING SYMBOLS

The next time you use a plastic disposable item, take a look at the symbol on the bottom to see what kind of plastic it is.  On most plastics, you'll see the recycling symbol (three arrows chasing each other in a triangle) and a number 1-7 in the middle.  Below you'll find information about each type:

Plastic #1:  RECYCLED?  Often. IS IT SAFE?  Yes.  However, it is known to have a porous surface that allows bacteria to accumulate, so don't reuse these bottles again and again.

Plastic #2:  RECYCLED?  Often.  IS IT SAFE?   Yes!  Very safe and has low risk of leaching.

Plastic #3:  RECYCLED?  Rarely!  IS IT SAFE?  No!  There are chemicals in this material, called phthalates, that interfere with hormonal development.  You should avoid the use of #3 plastic around food and never cook using food wrap, especially in a microwave oven.

Plastic #4:  RECYCLED?  Rarely!  IS IT SAFE?  Yes.

Plastic #5:  RECYCLED?  Sometimes, depending on your location.  IS IT SAFE?  Yes.

Plastic #6:  RECYCLED?  No!  Polystyrene, or Stryofoam, is difficult to recycle and most recycling programs won't accept it.  IS IT SAFE?  No!  Lots of evidence suggests that this type of plastic leaches potentially toxic chemicals, especially when heated.  Avoid Plastic #6!

Plastic #7:  RECYCLED?  Rarely.  It is difficult to recycle this weird mix-up plastic and most programs won't accept it.  IS IT SAFE?  Uncertain.  Use of #7 plastic is at your own risk, since you don’t know what could be in it.  You should dispose of any food or drink related product, especially for children, that is known to contain BPA.