REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

JULY 10, 2012 - REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE 

As you drink from that plastic water bottle, do you consider where it came from?  Or where it is going?  We need to be mindful of what we eat and drink, sure, but what about the packaging?  Recycling has become big business in and of itself.  But buying products that you know have come from recycled items is just as important.   

PET Plastic

·         Water bottles are made with polyethylene terethylene, also known as PET. The bottles carry the numeral "1" inside the recycling logo. PET is one of the most common recycled plastics.

Water Bottles

·         In some cases, recycled water bottles become new water bottles. The Canadian company, Naya Spring Waters, said it's the first to offer a 100 percent recycled PET water bottle. The company said it will offer them throughout North America in 2010.

Tote Bags

·         Chico Bag offers its rePETe tote bag that is made of 99 percent recycled content with 73 percent coming from post-consumer waste. The bag can hold up to twenty-five pounds.

Exports

·         Reclaimed PET plastic from water bottles is melted and formed into pellets. Most of the pellets are exported. China is the number one consumer of this material.

Other Products

·         The plastic from recycled water bottles can be made into a number of other products, including textiles, siding, decking and other forms of packaging.  The items below are all from recycled plastic products.  Look for the pens at a local retailer...I have some in my car!