Article originally from American Chemistry magazine

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American produces approximately 1,600 pounds of trash per year. Too much of this trash going to landfills contains items that should instead be going into the recycling bin. To encourage consumers to adopt more eco-friendly habits, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) recently asked Bob Lilienfeld, editor of the Use Less Stuff Report, for some simple how-to steps for waste reduction.

Lilienfeld’s feedback provides the perfect opportunity to get acquainted with reusing and recycling plastics, which both help to conserve resources and protect the environment for future generations.

Using our resources wisely can make a big difference. The four billion pounds of plastics that were recycled in the U.S. in 2006 saved enough energy to heat 2.1 million homes.

While approaches to recycling may vary throughout the country, more than 80 percent of U.S. households currently have access to a plastics recycling program, whether it involves curbside collection or community drop-off centers.

Plastic bottles
In the spirit of "reduce, reuse, recycle," Lilienfeld recommends beginning by looking for ways to use less materials. For example, new concentrated laundry detergents are available in smaller bottles, which are handier around the home and mean less to reuse or recycle later.

Some plastic bottles can be reused. For example, a plastic spray bottle can be washed out and filled with water to mist houseplants. Alternatively, a solution of half vinegar and half water can be sprayed to clean dirty windows.

A clean plastic jug can be filled with water and placed inside a conventional toilet’s tank, off to one side. This will take up space in the tank, reducing the quantity of water used for flushing.

The vast majority of community recycling programs collect plastic bottles. Indeed, lightweight shatter-resistant bottles are among the most readily recycled plastics.

For recycling purposes, a bottle is any container with a neck or opening that is smaller than its base. These include the following:

• Milk jugs
• Beverage bottles
• Shampoo, detergent, and household cleaner bottles
• Salad dressing, cooking oil, and condiment bottles
• Peanut butter, mayonnaise, and other food jars

Bottles should be rinsed and their caps removed before recycling.

Plastic bags and product wraps
Plastic bags can be used and reused for dozens of household activities throughout the year. In addition to benefiting from the initial convenience, more than 90 percent of today’s consumers go on to reuse plastic bags around the home for such things as waste bin liners, shoe totes, and laundry or garment bags, to save both time and money.

Other handy ways to reuse plastic bags include:

• Kitchen counter mats—Place them under a cutting board to collect scraps for quick removal
• Wet umbrella covers—used in a handbag, briefcase or suitcase, these help keep other items dry when your umbrella is wet
• Hand protectors—Place them over your hands to handle indoor and outdoor messes, such as pet waste

Many grocery and retail chains offer drop-off programs that allow consumers to return their used plastic bags and product wraps for recycling. The collection areas are usually located at the front entrance or near the checkout counters. (To find a list of these stores in your state, visit www.plasticbagrecycling.org/ and click on the "Consumers" tab.)

The following items can be included wherever plastic bags are collected for recycling:

• All clean bags labeled #2 (HDPE) or #4 (LLDPE)
• Grocery and retail bags
• Dry cleaning bags
• Bread bags
• Plastic newspaper bags
• Outer wraps from products such as paper towels, toilet paper, napkins and diapers

All such bags should be clean and empty before being placed in the bin.

More ways to reuse and recycle plastics
There are many ways to reuse plastic items at home. Old plastic toothbrushes, for example, can be used to clean around faucets or the corners of sinks and bathtubs.

Yogurt and margarine tubs can also be washed and put back to work. Yogurt cups, especially, are the perfect size for growing seedlings indoors before planting them outside.

A growing number of communities collect and recycle a variety of plastic containers, such as tubs, trays, lids, and yogurt cups. It is worth checking local guidelines, though, as mixing in the wrong types of products can contaminate and lower the value of recycled materials. When in doubt, leave it out.

Plastics are a valuable resource and should be reused and recycled whenever possible. Recycled plastics go on to become useful second-generation products, including not only new bottles or bags, but also fleece jackets, carpeting, shopping carts, outdoor decks, railing, fencing, benches, and picnic tables.

With files from the Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC). For more information, visit www.americanchemistry.com/plastics.

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