Your Guide To Green

The global community produces sixty billion tons of plastic each year, primarily in the form of one-time-use goods such as disposable silverware, containers and bags. Where does all of this go? Sadly, as shared in our previous article, Plastic Primer Part I, much of the disposed plastic ends up in our oceans, parks and city water, causing hazards to human, animal and environmental health. In the Pacific Gyre found by Captain Charles Moore, a dead bird was found to have contained 1600 pieces of plastic in its digestive system and a turtle was shaped like an hourglass after swimming through a plastic six-pack holder.

Plastic doesn't biodegrade. Biodegradation is the process by which something breaks down into natural elements and returns to the earth: this process can either be helpful or harmful to the environment. If something is made from toxic elements when it breaks down, those elements will pollute the earth. But plastic doesn't even break down. Plastic is made from carbon and hydrogen elements that cannot biodegrade. No one knows how long (if ever!) plastic takes to return to the earth.

Recycling plastic is a natural solution to the non-biodegradable crisis. There are seven grades of plastic and the only ones that have any recycled value are ones with "Number 1" triangles (the plastic used in soda bottles) and "Number 2" triangles (the plastic used in milk jugs). Other than that you can recycle your plastic packing peanuts by taking them to your local shipping store. Be sure to call your local recycling company to learn what types of plastic they can process.

Recycled plastic can be turned into marketable products such as fleeces and carpets and even Cool RePeat Cutlery Carriers, but it is rarely recycled into the same product: recycled plastic bottles don't become plastic bottles again. There is no way to recycle one bottle into another without adding a virgin layer of plastic. Therefore, recycling plastic doesn't always result in decreased production of virgin plastic: more plastic is always needed.

Fortunately, there is no need to significantly alter your lifestyle in order to decrease your plastic consumption. There are products that are made of biodegradable starch and corn-based plastics that are available at your local grocery store. We even sell a Corn-Based Biodegradable Bottle with Carbon Filter here at YourGuidetoGreen.com!

For more plastic information and insights, check out the following sites:

The Algalita Marine Research Foundation

The Plastics Are Forever! Program

Greenpeace! Defending Our Oceans Campaign

Time Magazine

Click here to browse our Stainless Steel and Plastic Guide, for more information on steel, aluminum, and plastic bottles, plus environmental and health issues involving plastic.