Dear Readers,
Big news and big kudos to our recyclers! The newest recycling project at the Recycling Center has been very successful. Last week we mailed a 27 pound box of toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, floss containers, and various oral products to TerraCycle! And, they paid the postage. If you haven’t found the recycling bin for these oral care products, it is a metal tube on the left side of the Aluminum foil and pan bin. TerraCycle partners with Colgate for the recycling of all brands of used or empty oral care products and packaging.
Dear Recycle Lady,
What are Fair Trade products?
Curious
Dear Curious,
To be certified as a Fair Trade USA product a company must make products to the highest standards, provide sustainable livelihoods and safe working conditions for workers and farmers, and take care of people taking care of animals. The first Fair Trade USA dairy company in the US was Chobani. The Fairtrade America label was created in 2019 and has seen a 46% increase in Fairtrade awareness in the US. According to www.fairtradeamerica.org, nearly 2 million farmers and workers, in 100+ countries, make 30,000+ products that carry the Fairtrade mark.
Dear Recycle Lady,
Please tell me there is progress being made in the big business world so that in the future these products will be properly marked with the standardized recycling information so us consumers won’t have to question each and every item!
Impatient Recycler
Dear Impatient Recycler,
Yes, there is hope that products will be clearly marked for recycling. How2Recycle is part of GreenBlue, an independent 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit. Its mission is “to get more materials in the recycling bins by taking the guesswork out of recycling.” Their goal is to “reduce confusion by creating a clear, well-understood and nationally harmonized label that enables companies to convey to consumers how to recycle a package.” For readers interested in improving the labeling of recyclables, go to their website, https://how2recycle.info/survey, and participate in their questionnaire. They request help in making the How2Recycle label “the best it can be.”
Not so good news: According to www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/24/, “scientists discovered microplastic pollution in human blood for the first time. Tiny particles of microplastics were detected in nearly 80% of test subjects. The discovery has proven that plastic particles can travel around our bodies and may lodge in our organs. While we don’t yet know the impact of this issue on human health, researchers are certainly concerned.”
Earth Day is coming up on Thursday, Apr. 22. How will you participate in Earth Day? Please send me your ideas, so I can make them available to other readers.All ideas greatly appreciated.
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.
