Tuesday Tidbits: CAN I RECYCLE THAT?

 

I had originally set out to do a post with one quick, short paragraph about a series on my attempt to create less trash and what I’m trying do about it, and then describe the first thing I’m doing to that end and that I would be posting once a month about a new way I’m reducing my trash output. 

But then like any good topic, when I do a little research, I learn so many new things and my brain explodes with ideas.

So, if I’m going to reduce the amount of trash I create, I need to know what is trash and what is recyclable. Because if I know a throwaway product can be recycled, I don’t feel so bad about using it. Not as much is recyclable as I thought. 

Plastic, Paper, Cardboard, Glass, and Metal, into the recycling bin. Hold it! Not so fast.

Here are a few things that surprised me about recycling.

~Most of us know that not all plastic can be recycled, but if you’re like me, you aren’t quite sure which ones can and which can’t, or why. So in it goes to the recycling bin to let the waste management company sort things out.

All plastics are not created equal. Some plastics can only be recycled once. Others 4-6 times. Plastic bottles and jugs with a #1 or #2 on them are the only plastics that can be recycled. Polyvinyl chloride plastics like in shower curtains, piping, window frames, and some toys are not recyclable. Though some stores have bins at the front to recycle grocery bags, do not put these bags in curbside bins because they can clog the recycling machines.

One of the reasons not all plastic can be recycled is because each time it is recycled the fibers in it are shortened. Another is what the plastic is made of. All plastics are not created equal.

A lot of plastics that can’t be recycled into water bottles and such, are recycled into other things like fabric, but not all. A large amount of plastics still ends up in landfills and the ocean.

~On to paper. That piece of paper I just threw in the recycling bin might not be recyclable. Seriously? I thought paper was guaranteed to be recycled. Paper can only be recycled 4-7 times because the fibers break down and become too small. So if you buy something made from recycled paper, it might be at the end of its life. So that good feeling of buying something from recycled paper is diminished for me if it can’t be recycled again. So am I just delaying the inevitable landfill destination? But at least paper decomposes unlike plastic that takes eons.

~All cardboard is a safe bet for the recycling bin, right? Maybe not. Stop before you throw that pizza box away. Though it is cardboard—and cardboard is recyclable—that pizza box, not so much. Takeout food containers like pizza boxes and Chinese food containers shouldn’t be put in the recycling bin. The grease left on the box from the food can’t be separated out of the cardboard pulp in the recycling process, not allowing the fibers to bond together for new cardboard or whatever it’s being made into. If you cut away the soiled portions of a pizza box, the rest can be recycled.

~Glass is a great recyclable material that can be recycled endlessly. It doesn’t lose any of its quality. BUT not all glass can be recycled. Glass food and beverage containers can be recycled over and over. But some glass can’t be recycled: like any glass contaminated with stones, dirt, or food; ceramics; heat resistant glass like Pyrex; windows and mirrors; mixed colors of broken glass; drinking glasses; and crystal. I thought all glass was created equal when it came to recycling. I guess not.

~Metals, including aluminum, don’t lose their quality during recycling either, so they can be recycled infinite times. But metal lids with that plastic rubber seal thing, need to be treated differently in recycling because they have mixed materials.

Of the various materials we put in recycling bins, glass and metal are the most environmentally friendly.

I believe most if not all of the trash we create is due to convenience. I’m all for convenience. I love convenience. But I’m wondering what conveniences I can do without or substitute a non-trashy thing for. So, hopefully once a month, I can report on what I’m doing to be less trashy. Now, these post are NOT a crusade to get everyone to produce less trash and do all things eco friendly. I just want to share the small things I’m doing to reduce my trash footprint upon our earth.

Now that I know that all things recyclable aren’t recyclable indefinitely, I want to do a little more to reduce my waste. Next week, I’ll share one of the things I’m already doing to reduce my trashy side.

=0)

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THIMBLES AND THREADS: 4 Love Stories Are Quilted Into Broken Lives

Love Stitched into Four Women’s Lives
Enjoy four historical romances that celebrate the arts of sewing and quilting. When four women put needle and thread to fabric, will their talents lead to love? #thimblesandthreadscollection
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“Bygones” by Mary Davis
Texas, 1884
Drawn to the new orphan boy in town, Tilly Rockford soon became the unfortunate victim of a lot of Orion Dunbar’s mischievous deeds in school. Can Tilly figure out how to truly forgive the one who made her childhood unbearable? Now she doesn’t even know she holds his heart. Can this deviant orphan-train boy turned man make up for the misdeeds of his youth and win Tilly’s heart before another man steals her away?

Other stories in this collection:
“The Bridal Shop” by Grace Hitchcock, “Mending Sarah’s Heart” by Suzanne Norquist, and “Binding Up Wounds” by Liz Tolsma


THE DAUGHTER'S PREDICAMENT (Book 2 in the Quilting Circle series)
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Can a patient love win her heart?

As Isabelle Atwood’s romance prospects are turning in her favor, a family scandal derails her dreams. While making a quilt for her own hope chest, Isabelle’s half-sister becomes pregnant out of wedlock and Isabelle--always the unfavored daughter--becomes the family sacrifice to save face. Despite gaining the attention of a handsome rancher, her parents are pressuring her to marry a man of their choosing to rescue her sister’s reputation. A third suitor waits silently in the wings, hoping for his own chance at love. Isabelle ends up with three marriage proposals, but this only further confuses her decision.

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HEARTBEATS IN TIME – 5 books of Old West

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The Widow’s Plight (Book 1 in the Quilting Circle series) by Mary Davis
A single mother steps out of the shadows of abuse and into the sunshine. But will a secret clouding her past cost her the man she loves?
Finding Love In Last Chance, California by Miralee Ferrell
Dreams of My Heart by Barbara Scott
Hills of Nevermore by Janalyn Voigt
Heart of a Cowboy Novella Collection--four Old West romances by Susan Page Davis, Miralee Ferrell, Yvonne Lehman, and Vickie McDonough

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MARY DAVIS s a bestselling, award-winning novelist of over two dozen titles in both historical and contemporary themes. Her 2018 titles include; "Holly and Ivy" in A Bouquet of Brides Collection (January), Courting Her Amish Heart (March), The Widow’s Plight (July), Courting Her Secret Heart (September), “Zola’s Cross-Country Adventure” in The MISSAdventure Brides Collection (December), and Courting Her Prodigal Heart (January 2019). Coming in 2019, The Daughter's Predicament (May) and "Bygones" in Thimbles and Threads (July). She is a member of ACFW and active in critique groups.

Mary lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of over thirty-four years and two cats. She has three adult children and two incredibly adorable grandchildren. Find her online at:

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