aluminum

Shopping: Less Is More

You probably don’t go to the grocery store saying, “I think I’ll buy some trash today.” But depending on which products you choose, that’s exactly what you’re doing. Do Your Part to pick items with the least amount of packaging…or the kind that’s easily recyclable.

One of the best ways to reduce the amount of packaging trash is to avoid individually wrapped items like snack packs and single serve containers. Instead, buy in bulk and divide your bounty into individual washable containers that you can reuse again and again.

And when shopping for produce, choose loose fruits and veggies. This move will usually save you money because prepackaged ones are normally more expensive. Remember to also save and reuse those plastic produce bags from a previous grocery store trip and your purchase will have zero waste!

It’s also smart to look for items such as dish soap and laundry detergents in concentrated formulas. The container size will often be smaller meaning they require less energy to produce and transport. You can also buy soap and detergent in economy sizes with refillable dispensers to reduce packaging waste.

Don’t forget to look for items which come in recyclable containers. For instance, It’s usually easier to recycle a milk jug instead of a milk carton. Tuna cans are easier to recycle than tuna in foil containers. Remember, aluminum and glass packaging are usually best because they can be recycled over and over again without a loss of quality.

Product packaging makes up almost a third of the waste we all generate. When choosing between two similar products, Do Your Part to select the one with the least amount of packaging and in a container that can actually be recycled or reused.

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Metal Water Bottles May Leach BPA

July 14, 2011

Concern over the controversial chemical BPA (bisphenol A) has prompted an increase in metal water bottles and products labeled “BPA-free”. Studies have linked the chemical to problems with brain and nervous system function, reproductive and behavior problems and some cancers. BPA is a chemical widely used in food packaging, hard plastics and liners in metal cans.

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati wanted to find out if bottles marketed as alternatives to BPA-containing plastics really lived up to their claim. In the process they tested aluminum and stainless steel water bottles that have become a popular alternative to plastic because of concern over BPA. Researchers found some aluminum bottles released up to five times the amount of BPA than some plastic bottles. The bottles leaching the chemical were lined with epoxy-based resins. Researchers found both stainless steel and polyester lined bottles did not leach BPA. Experts say epoxy liners usually look copper colored and could be tacky to the touch. UC Professor Scott Belcher says “Consumers should not think that just because a bottle isn’t polycarbonate plastic that it is safe from the dangers of BPA.”

The study did show that when bottles are used according to manufacturers recommendations and are constructed from BPA-free alternative materials they can be used without fear of BPA contamination. Researchers also say the bottles they tested with “BPA-free” labels did not leach the chemical. Experts point out that the “BPA-free” label is not regulated and has no real meaning other than a marketing tag.

There are other containers and products that contain BPA but simple steps you can take to avoid exposure.

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Smog Eating Buildings Clean the Air

May 11, 2011

A revolutionary new approach to architecture helps a building clean itself and the air around it. Aluminum company Alcoa unveiled an architectural panel that works with the sun to neutralize pollution and dirt, enabling the building facade to becoming self-cleaning. The company’s Reynobond EcoClean surface is a self-cleaning technology that reduces maintenance costs and helps with the decomposition of smog and other pollutants, everything from dirt to diesel fumes which can cling to the surface of buildings. The company says 10,000 feet of EcoClean panels has the air cleansing power of about 80 trees. The panels feature a titanium dioxide coating on top of a pre-painted aluminum surface. Sunlight interacts with the titanium dioxide to release free radicals which helps break down organic material on the building and pollutants in the atmosphere nearby. The pollutants are broken down into small, harmless particles that can be washed away with a small amount of rain or humidity. Alcoa says the panels cost 4% to 5% more than conventional panels but can cut a building’s maintenance costs by up to half since they are self cleaning. Alcoa officials say aluminum panels cover about 14 billion square feet of buildings in North America and Europe and if a fraction of those surfaces used the EcoClean product it would be the equivalent of planting several million trees. The panels are being pilot tested right now will be available commercially at the end of May.

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Recyclable Wind Turbine Turns out Green Power

Photo Credit: WindSimplicity

May 10, 2011

You might assume a wind turbine is about as green as it gets when it comes to renewable energy. But the technology that produces the turbines is not very earth friendly. The rotor blades on most wind turbines are made from hard to recycle composite fibers like fiberglass. A father-daughter team felt the technology that makes renewable energy should be green itself. The pair designed and produced a wind turbine made of aluminum which can be recycled without losing its integrity. The Wind Simplicity Windancer turbine recently won a Design for Recycling award from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI). Alfred Mathieu and his daughter Sharolyn Vettese designed the high-efficiency, low noise turbine with the concept of a sustainable life cycle in mind. ISRI president Robin Wiener says ” Design engineers rarely get to the point of thinking about what will happen to a product at the end of its useful life. However, as time goes by and new materials and technologies are developed, the challenge that recyclers face in safely and economically recycling products grows more difficult”. Design for Recycling awards are given to products that eliminate the use of toxic or hazardous materials and discourage the use of materials that are not recyclable. The voluntary program urges manufacturers to design a produce that can have several lives.

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Workers Dig Through Trash to Study Recycling Habits

Environmentalists in Minnesota wanted to find out why the state’s recycling rate has not improved in nearly ten years. They decided the only way to find out was to dig through the trash of homeowners to see what is being thrown away. The 12-month project launched by Minnesota Green Corps involves sifting through and analyzing the trash from 100 homes in a Minneapolis neighborhood. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports the Green Corps members set up in an unused Public Works Department garage to sift through the garbage which was separated, weighed and recorded. The project hopes to determine what kinds of materials are consistently being recycled and what items are not making it to the recycling bin. Green Corps has already discovered that aluminum or glass is rarely found in the garbage bin. On the flip side, more than 10 percent of the trash they have sifted through is recyclable paper. The recycling rate in Minnesota has consistently ranked in the top five but levels have not improved in nearly a decade.

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Aluminum Cans are the Most Recycled Beverage Container


In 2009 the aluminum recycling rate reached 57.4 percent, according to the Aluminum Association.  Americans and the aluminum industry recycled a total of 55.5 billion aluminum cans which makes it the most recycled used beverage container in the United States. The association reports that the 4.6 million metric tons of recycled aluminum processed last year is equal to the energy savings of 1.3 billion gallons of gasoline. In the coming years, the aluminum industry hopes to reach a goal of a 75% recycling rate and encourages Americans to increase their recycling efforts.

How can you Do Your Part?

Do Your Part and continue to buy and recycle aluminum cans. Aluminum is the most valuable recyclable material. Compared to virgin materials, it takes 95% less energy to make a can from recycled materials. Plus, it only takes 60 days for a recycled can to make it back to the store shelves. To find out how aluminum recycling really can make a difference, watch this DYP video.

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A Bottled Water Breakthrough

One North Carolina company is getting creative while trying to tackle the disposable water bottle problem. The Charlotte Observer reports Clearwater Manufacturing has created a water bottle refilling machine to reduce the impact of all those individual plastic bottles. The machines purifies the water on site and then bottles it in sterilized glass or aluminum bottles that can be returned to the machine to be reused again. This is such a great idea for hospitals, colleges, sporting arenas and theme parks!

How Can You Do Your Part?

You can Do Your Part by investing in reusable water bottles or when you have to buy bottled water, pick a better one. This Do Your Part video walks you through all the ways to reduce your bottled water habit!

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GreenDish: Declare Your Independence From Toxic Chemicals

Welcome back to GreenDish, I’m Terri Bennett. It’s a holiday weekend and so today, we’re declaring our independence from toxic chemicals.

On that front, I want to mention a new idea from – of course – one of the greenest states – California. The state is working on one of the most ambitious programs in the country to get the riskiest chemicals out of consumer products. This comes after children have gotten sick from tainted toy jewelry or from people having bad reactions to flame retardants in furniture. What California is trying to do is to regulate all products coming from overseas. And get this, the products they are targeting can’t even be sold in places like Europe, Canada, and Japan because they’ve already banned the chemicals the products contain! For more information, check out the link on our homepage.

And, here is another indicator of just how widespread this toxic heavy chemicals are in our world – they’ve just been found in amazingly high amounts – in whales!! American scientists spent five years using darts to get tissue samples from 1,000 sperm whales. They said their finds were shocking. The levels of cadmium, aluminum, chromium, lead, silver, mercury, and titanium were the highest ever found in marine mammals. That should be a warning to all of us about not just the health of our oceans but what could be in the seafood we eat.

Now, if you aren’t signed up for our newsletter – you’ll want to check out this week’s. It’s all focused on getting toxic chemicals out of your home! Go to our homepage to check out this weekend’s edition and sign up for future e-newsletters.

We’ll see you right back here Monday for more GreenDish!

Links:
California unveils proposed regulations to rid consumer products of riskiest chemicals

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Less Is More


You probably don’t go to the grocery store saying, “I think I’ll buy some trash today.” But depending on which products you choose, that’s exactly what you’re doing. Packaging makes up almost a third of the waste we all generate. And, all that excessive packaging ends up in our landfills where it takes an extremely long time to decompose — if at all. Start making a difference today by making smarter choices when you shop. When choosing between two similar products Do Your Part to select the one with the least amount of packaging and in a container that can actually be recycled or reused.

One of the best ways to reduce the amount of packaging trash is to avoid individually wrapped items like snack packs and single serve containers. Instead, buy in bulk and divide your bounty into individual washable containers that you can reuse again and again. Lots of items are available in bulk such as crackers, nuts, and even cereal. The same goes for water; opt for reusable bottles instead of single use bottled water. If your tap water leaves a lot to be desired, a jug or pitcher water filter system can replace thousands of individual plastic bottles and the caps.

And when shopping for produce, choose loose fruits and veggies instead of prepackaged ones. This move will usually save you money too because prepackaged ones are normally more expensive. Remember to also save and reuse those plastic produce bags from a previous grocery store trip and your purchase will have zero waste!

It’s also smart to look for items such as dish soap and laundry detergents in concentrated formulas. This simply means you are the one adding the water instead of the manufacturer. The container size will often be smaller meaning they require less energy to produce and transport. You can also buy soap and detergent in economy sizes with refillable dispensers to reduce packaging waste.

Finally, whenever possible, choose items that are made with recycled or recyclable packaging. For instance, buy milk in a recyclable plastic jug instead of a wax-coated carton that is not always recyclable. Buy tuna in a can instead of a foil pouch that is not recyclable, and buy juice in recyclable plastic jugs, or better still jugs of concentrated juice, instead of individual juice boxes which are not usually recyclable. And remember, aluminum and glass packaging are usually best because they can be recycled over and over again without a loss of quality.

Shopping with packing in mind is just one more way you can Do Your Part to reduce your waste and tread a little easier on the planet.

Terri Bennett is an Earth scientist, syndicated columnist and mom. Send questions to terri@doyourpart.com. Get more every day green living tips at www.DoYourPart.com
© 2010 Terri Bennett Enterprises, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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Recycle Your Way to Less Waste


The easiest way to Do Your Part and help the environment is to simply recycle. It’s also one of the most effective ways to conserve natural resources, create less pollution and reduce the amount of waste sent to the landfill.

Seventy-five percent of the waste we generate in American homes is recyclable but less than 35% is actually making it to a recycling center. The following steps are simple practices you can put into place to help you Do Your Part and make a habit of recycling.

Make It Easy: Most of us keep our recycling bins outside or in the garage, which isn’t always convenient. Put other containers throughout your home to serve as recycling bins—especially in places where it’s easy to forget to recycle. One of those places is the bathroom. Think of all the empty shampoo bottles, toilet paper rolls, and even those cardboard soap boxes that usually get tossed in the trash. In your home office, have another basket to collect paper for recycling. By spreading out small containers for recycling around the house, the entire family will be more inclined to think twice before throwing something in the garbage.

Know Your Numbers: All plastic containers have a little number inside recycling arrows located on the bottom which identifies the type of plastic used to make the product. Many local curbside recycling programs accept products marked with a No. 1 or No. 2 but some take all seven types of plastic.

It Makes Cents: Throwing aluminum cans in the trash is like throwing money out the window. Recycled aluminum is turned into new cans in less than 90 days and it can be recycled over and over again. It takes 95% less energy to make a can from recycled materials and produces 97% less water pollution. So choose beverages in aluminum and recycle every can.

Speak With Your Wallet: Filling your curbside-recycling bin is just the beginning. Complete the circle by seeking out products made from recycled content—especially post-consumer content. That’s the materials you recycle and not the scraps on factory floors.

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