2010 rockland
healthylivinghealthyplanet
recycles Awards
A guide to Plastic recycling
~call for submissions~
by Harriet shugarman
The Rockland County Solid Waste
Management Authority is now
A
ccording to Earth911, less than one percent of
all plastics are recycled yet recycling one plastic
accepting applications for the
bottle can conserve enough energy to light a 60-
2010 Rockland Recycles Awards
watt light bulb for up to six hours. Remember where
Program. The goal of the awards
plastics come from—oil, the “number one” fossil fuel
program is to highlight the successes
contributing to global warming and climate change.
of organizations, agencies, busi- Plastic bottles of all shapes and sizes also play a big
nesses, institutions and government
part in filling up our landfills.
entities that go beyond the norm to
Let’s get to the nitty gritty. What do those little
advance recycling and waste reduc-
triangles on plastics mean? The triangle symbol was
tion in Rockland County. Deadline
developed by the Society of Plastics Industry in 1988
for submissions is Friday, March
and is used universally to mean that something is
recyclable. The “universal resin code,” using num-
12. Presentation of the awards will
bers 1 through 7, may appear inside these triangles.
take place at the Authority’s annual
These codes tell you what kind of plastic is being
Environmental Day, being held on
used. The number isn’t mandatory so many plastics
May 2. Visit
rocklandrecycles.com
still don’t contain one. For those that do, let’s look
to obtain a copy of the 2010 ap-
at what they mean not only for recycling but also for
plication or contact Kerri Scales at
your health. Remember the numbers 2, 4 and 5!
753-2200 x22.
#1 is used primarily for water, soft drink and beer bottles
and is best known as PET or PETE (polyethylene tere-
phthalate). These bottles are considered “single” use and
Did You Know?
shouldn’t be reused, as they can’t be cleaned properly
resulting in bacteria build up.
North Carolina,
Massachusetts and
#2 is used in things like milk jugs, juice bottles, and shampoo and detergent bottles. It
is better known as HDPE or high density polyethylene, and is considered “safe” as it isn’t
Wisconsin all have laws
known to easily leach chemicals.
against throwing plastic
#1 and #2 bottles into
#3 is used in cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, piping and siding. You might know
it better as PVC, or vinyl. PVC contains dioxins and you should never heat it or cook with it.
landfills.
#4 is often used for squeezable bottles, dry cleaning and plastic bags. It is known as LDPE
or low density polyethylene and is generally fine to reuse.
#5 is found in yogurt containers, syrup bottles and caps and is known as PP or polypropyl-
Healthy Living, Healthy Planet ene. You can reuse these containers but don’t put them in the dishwasher.
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#6 is most commonly used for disposable plates and cups or carryout containers. It is
Meet and connect with like-minded
known as PS or polystyrene, but is best known by its trademark name Styrofoam. This is a
entrepreneurs in the natural health
bad resin for leaching so don’t reuse.
and green living elds.
#7 is used in large water bottles, sunglasses, DVDs and hard plastic bottles. It is a combi-
Amazon Juice Bar & Healthy Eatery nation of a variety of plastic resins that don’t fit into other categories. One of the #7 resins
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used is polycarbonate, a hard plastic that has been getting a lot of press lately for contain-
Fourth Tuesday of the Month at
ing BPAs or bisphenol A. Exposure to BPA has been linked to multiple health issues.
Brody’s Best Cafe & Juice Bar
159 West Main St., Goshen
Did you remember the numbers 2, 4 and 5? If you want to reuse some of those plastic
10:15 am
$10 per person
containers that are piling up in your house before you recycle them, make sure they have
For more information, contact Deborah Turner
the numbers 2, 4 or 5. Reusing those plastics are your best bets because they don’t break
at
publisher@naturalawakeningsro.com. down easily. Don’t reuse plastics with a 6 or 7 as they leach chemicals and break down
easily, with heat or even a scratch.
32 Rockland & Orange Counties
www.naturalawakeningsro.com
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