Recycling plastic bottles.

[Logan]

They keep saying that we should recycle more, but the manufacturers don't make it easy. Like shampoo and conditioner bottles, not being able to get the cap off to wash it out.

 

[Silentrunning]

Logan, a good sharp razor knife will enable you to cut the top off very easily. Many people don't bother with recycling but I think it is a top priority.

 

[Becky]

I know what you mean @Logan, some brands make it quite difficult. Also I don't like big lids that can't be recycled! I don't know why they can't make them out of recyclable plastic instead.

 

[CanadianLori]

We recycle just about everything that can be recycled. The first week they started the "greenbin" collection for food scraps, the waste company was overwhelmed. They didn't expect our town to be so aggressive with filling the containers.

I try to do things in the 3 r order - Reuse, Reduce, Recycle ... even water and dirt gets recycled when possible!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

In this day and age, all plastic packaging of any kind should be recyclable - and easy to recycle. There's far too much single-use plastic being used for packaging and I cringe every time I throw it away. There are also a lot of things that people don't realize are recyclable, like plastic shopping bags, which should probably be banned all together at this point, just like California did.

Don't get me started on microbeads!

 

[marlingardener]

My husband drinks a cola that comes in 2 liter plastic bottles. I cut off the bottom and put it over a small pot--instant greenhouse! The cap can be left on or taken off if humidity gets too high. I save the bottles and share "greenhouses" with gardening friends.
Plastic bags I refuse if I can, and if I can't I save them to drop off at the food pantry. If those folks can't afford food, they can't afford reusable bags.
Glass is more difficult. We don't have recycling unless we drive 25 miles to a recycling center, so several of us have gotten together and take turns collecting recyclables and making the drive. Each person goes about every six weeks so it isn't as burdensome.
Styrofoam trays can be put under pot plants or starter cells if you can get them clean enough. I still can't figure out any use for those clear plastic "clam shells" that some berries come in.
Logan, this is a good discussion point--thanks for bringing it up!

 

[Logan]

Logan, a good sharp razor knife will enable you to cut the top off very easily. Many people don't bother with recycling but I think it is a top priority.

Thanks, but I'm not sure if that's wise. I might cut myself.
It's very thick plastic.

 

[Logan]

@marlingardener we have a road side for plastic bottles, paper, food tins and cardboard, that gets collected once a fortnight.
The supermarkets takes some plastic bags,it all depends on what their made of, clothes and shoes.
I have started to use less bags and try to wash them to reuse for food. We've got proper bags to do the shopping that can be used every time we shop.

 

[MaryMary]

Logan, I have found that if I squeeze the bottle a bit, then put it in water and let go, the vacuum created will suck some of the water in. I usually get one more use out of the bottle after I think it is "empty." I do this while in the shower, so I don't waste water. The shampoo and conditioner is watered down a bit, but for one use, it doesn't seem to matter. Just shake the bottle to rinse it off the sides and make sure you get it all.


For the past two years or so, I have been giving gifts in reusable bags, instead of buying gift bags. It's like giving them two presents in one - and a reusable bag is often cheaper than a fancy gift bag, anyway!!


@marlingardener, could the "clam shells" be used as little starter pots? I know they have vents in them, but if you lined them with a used coffee filter first, maybe you could start seeds in them? (Do you drink coffee?)

Don't get me started on microbeads!

Soon, JB, soon!!

Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015
(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to ban rinse-off cosmetics that contain intentionally-added plastic microbeads beginning on January 1, 2018, and to ban manufacturing of these cosmetics beginning on July 1, 2017. These bans are delayed by one year for cosmetics that are over-the-counter drugs.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1321

 

[Logan]

@MaryMary thanks, i've managed to get the cap off. I used a pair of scissors, pushed the closed end of the scissors and pulled it off.

 

[Silentrunning]

Several years ago in Florida there was a guy that melted plastic soda bottles and formed them into picnic tables. They were virtually indestructible. Once a year I would take my pressure washer and give it a good cleaning to keep it sanitary. It always looked new after that. The man and his business just disappeared. It is too bad because I admired his ingenuity.

 

[alp]

A lot of recycling often still ends up in landfill because of contamination. Best is just to paper for packaging. Some plants get burned or stifled in severe heat in some sort of very tough clear plastic and they end up dying during transit. Before they had a clear plastic bag for chicken or meat and the blood went everywhere. Now they have a tray and a clear plastic. Some products are just overpackaged. Hard plastic tops often pose problems. I detach them if I can. If I can't, I just chuck the whole thing in. It's not my fault. As Logan says, I am not going to cut myself if the top is hard to come off. They should talk to the manufacturers.