Plastic is made from fossil fuels, contributing to greenhouse gasses that negatively impact climate change.  Plastic also becomes microplastics as it sits on our planet for hundreds of years.  The only way to improve is to do our best to avoid plastics. Look for recycled plastics or products that contain zero plastic.  There are many alternatives available if you just look.

In the U.S., in 2021, there were 51 tons of plastic waste, and only 4.7% of that was recycled.  This tiny percentage is likely for multiple reasons: (1) We hear through the media that a lot of plastic is just not recyclable, so perhaps folks don’t bother to recycle; (2) every garbage collector has different plastic acceptance criteria; and (3) the rules constantly change as systems are upgraded (or downgraded). However, every small change can make a difference. So when I recycle, I know some of it will be recycled (yay!), some will end up in a landfill, and some will be burned somewhere across the world. But I still want to try and do my small part.  So, with that, let’s focus here on demystifying some recycling confusion:  What do those recycle label numbers mean?

Plastics, aluminum, paper, and other materials, from food and packaging to medical devices, are essential to our lives. However, producing these materials requires raw materials from our planet. Therefore, we want to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle these items so we will continue to have these natural materials for the future.

From reading the news to product descriptions, you start seeing the term “carbon emissions” everywhere. So what does it mean? “Carbon” refers to carbon dioxide, sometimes just written as “CO2.” Carbon dioxide is a gas that is sometimes let into our atmosphere from our human activities (“emissions”). These gases can trap heat in the atmosphere and are called greenhouse gases.