styrofoam

styrofoam is something you generally don't try to acquire, but it's so easy to accumulate this undesirable material.

Disadvantages of styrofoam, off the top of my head:
it's not recyclable where I live
if it ends up in the landfill, it'll probably lay around there for a million years
styrofoam litter breaks down into smaller pieces that lay around for years
it's a petroleum-based product and therefore unsustainable to manufacture

Styrofoam can easily be reused for shipping, but, storing the material can take up a lot of volume in the garage.

What's the answer? I try to avoid styrofoam whenever possible, but I'm not 100% successful. Anyway, the URL below leads to a good styrofoam overview.

http://www.grinningplanet.com/2008/04-08/foam-cups-polystyrene-cups-article.htm

Although styrofoam is accepted for recycling in some urban areas, it's not always feasible to do this in less populated communities. Ecocycle accepts polystyrene, and now sells alternatives to this material to use at special events: http://www.ecocycle.org/charm/index.cfm

There's an Alliance of Foam Packaging, but I'm a bit skeptical about the content of their site: http://www.epspackaging.org/info.html

The bottom line is, in my opinion, styrofoam creates waste. See more on this topic at: http://www.cawrecycles.org/issues/polystyrene_main

recycling snack packages

sometimes - not always - I refrain from purchasing junk food because the packages don't appear to be recyclable. I came across the following recently........

Here are some answers to environmental questions consumers frequently ask us:

Q: Can Frito-Lay packages be recycled?

A: Yes. Flexible plastic bags may be recycled into other products such as a wood substitute, which may be used for park benches, landscape decking, boat docks, and the like. For example, Frito-Lay bags have been used to make plastic trays at KFC restaurants in the United States.For recycling to be successful, recyclable materials must be separated and collected. Cans, paper and glass bottles tend to be more popular recyclable items than plastic. However, as more cities require and provide for separation of trash, opportunities for the use of recycled plastic will grow. For more information about the feasibility of starting plastic recycling, we suggest contacting your local city sanitation department.

Q: Which Frito-Lay packages can be recycled?

A: Frito-Lay items that can be recycled include:
Dip cans - may be recycled in communities where aluminum is recycled
Outer lid of dip can - may be recycled with other plastics
Inner steel lid of dip can - may be recycled where steel items are recycled
Salsa and dip jars - may be recycled as clear glass
Salsa and dip jar lids - may be recycled where steel items are recycled
Lay's Stax can and lid - may be recycled

Green Planet & information sharing

Green Planet's purpose - and my evil plan, ha ha - is to share information. Along the way, I want to learn more, and share links to fun stuff.