Dear Recycle Lady

Dear Recycle Lady,
I found this information about planting trees online. The article said: Perhaps there is one small thing that each of us could do that would have a big impact on the environment. There is a way to reduce climate warming cheaply and relatively easily. And it doesn’t involve banning gas stoves, outlawing people’s cars, or decimating the fossil fuel industry. We just need to plant a trillion trees! There are innovative design projects in place allowing trees and shrubbery to be planted on and around buildings in urban areas.These plants will create shade and lower the local temperature. Plus, they will simultaneously take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and replace it with oxygen. Also, there are with vast tracts of former forestland that could be restored. Planting one tree can make a big difference.
Food for Thought
Dear Food for Thought,
Great idea. Trees are definitely one of the keys to fighting climate change. One tree provides four people with a day’s supply of oxygen and absorbs over 48 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Yet over 15 billion trees are cut down every year and thousands are destroyed by natural disasters. Some of the cut trees are replaced with seedlings, but many are not. Think of the impact local readers could have if each one planted a tree. I challenge each of you to do so. Kudos to the Lewisburg Foundation for implementing a tree replacement plan for the City of Lewisburg.
Dear Recycle Lady,
Yesterday I purchased a bag of sugar that was packaged in a white paper bag with a small plastic window in the front of the bag that showed the product inside. I know the white paper bag can be recycled, but must I remove the plastic window first?
Recycler
Dear Recycler,
The white paper sugar bag can be recycled without removing the plastic window. If the inside of the white bag is white, the bag recycles with office paper. If the inside of the white bag is brown, it recycles with cardboard. The plastic window in the sugar bag is probably easily removed, so if you want, you can remove it. Most post-consumer paper mills have systems and technology that removes plastic windows while recycling the bag. Since the plastic window is a contaminate when recycling paper, it will be removed eventually. Plastic windows are also in many envelopes that come in the mail. These windows can be removed or not, whichever you prefer. However, to increase the chance of white bags or envelopes being fully recycled it’s best to remove the plastic window and throw it out.
Dear Recycle Lady,
What is Methylene Chloride?
Another New Name
Dear Another New Name,
Methylene chloride is an industrial solvent that is commonly used in paint and coating removers, as well as in many everyday products such as automotive cleaners, adhesives, and degreasers. Inhaling vapors from these products can cause serious harm to the central nervous system and even death. Longer-term exposure can lead to liver toxicity, liver cancer, and lung cancer.
Kudos to the talented gardener in Cancun, Mexico, who is turning piles of beached seaweed into bricks for construction. So far, 6,000 tons of seaweed, that otherwise would have been taken to a landfill, has been used to make blocks and build different structures. A creative solution he hopes will inspire others! (fto.com)
Interesting Information: Oceans cover 70% of our planet’s surface so the ocean is, by far, the world’s largest ecosystem. Oceans are vast and diverse and play a crucial role in regulating climate, producing oxygen, and supporting a wide array of marine life. Understanding and protecting our oceans is vital for the well-being of our planet!
Have questions about recycling, or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests to recyclelady@greenbrier-swa.com. Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling.