Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE), otherwise known as plastic #4, was created in 1933 by Imperial Chemical Industries. In 1999, LDPE accounted for only 1% of all plastic bottles in the United States. While this isn’t a lot, plastic #4 does make appearances in our lives… What is it made of? LDPE is a thermoplastic made [...]

I was wandering around Lowe’s the other day with my two boys, and we were doing more playing than shopping. After riding the lawn mowers, discussing the merits of various fountains, and taking a trip through Holiday Decoration Valley, we literally bumped into the “Caution: Wet Floor” sign. This ubiquitous yellow pyramid can be found [...]

Plastic product packaging always seems to end up in the trash at my house, typically because it’s made from a non-recyclable plastic. That’s why I was happy to see that the bag from my portable DVD player’s remote control indicated it was made from Polyethylene Terephthalate, or plastic #1. That means it can be dropped [...]

The other day I was wandering around the yard with my plastic watering can instead of my hose. I’ve been doing this to conserve water, where as before I would have just been spraying down everything as if I was trying to save the Towering Inferno. When I got back to the garage, I set [...]

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the standard blue recycling bins are recyclable. Of course they are – they’re made from recycled plastic #2 (High Density Polyethylene). Look closely, and you’ll see the resin identification code, which means you can take yours to any Charleston County Recycling drop site if it wears out. Please [...]

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC or V), also known as plastic #3, is pretty rare when it comes to household plastics. Only 2% of all plastic containers are PVC, despite being accidentally discovered way back in the 1800s. What is it made of? PVC is Polyvinyl Chloride – Its molecular formula is (-CH2-CHCl-)n. It’s a tough and [...]

The ubiquitous 5 gallon white paint bucket…you know you have 1 or 2 in the garage, either crusty with interior latex paint or full of last summer’s pruned mums. I’ve used these buckets for years as gardening tools, yet never thought to look for a resin identification code. Sure enough, it’s a #2 plastic (High [...]

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), also known as plastic #2, is the second most used bottle plastic behind PET (plastic #1.) 95% of all plastic bottles sold in the U.S. are either HDPE or PET…that’s a lot of bottles. Despite this increase in use, HDPE contributes less than 1% of the solid waste in landfills. That [...]

I love surprises. Some day I hope to be surprised to find I’m not the only one with reusable bags in a Target store. Today, I was surprised to see a #2 resin identification code on the handle of my bright red cart. I looked around, and they were everywhere. All the plastic on the [...]

I can’t believe it’s been almost four months since I impetuously decided to give up bottled water. I pledged to go the entire Charleston summer without a single bottle touching my lips, and I have to say it was easier than I thought. It made me realize what we were missing before bottled-water became omnipresent [...]

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PETE or PET), also known as plastic #1, is one of the most commonly used plastics in the world. Not surprisingly, it’s the most recycled plastic as well – probably all those dreaded water bottles. PET was born in 1973, and was first recycled in 1977 – I can just hear the Bee [...]

Over the last couple weeks, I’ve been storing my paperboard packaging containers in a milk crate as research for an upcoming post. When I emptied the crate into my blue bin last night, I noticed that the resin identification code was a #2. That means the crate is made from High Density Polyethylene, and can [...]

One side effect of my personal greenification is that I now question everything I use, own, and buy. Did I really need this? Can it be reused? Can it be recycled? Did my weed eater just melt a glacier? It’s really quite nerve racking. Because of this, I often find myself looking for recyclables that [...]

I just finished another Go Green Map featuring locations where you can drop off used plant containers. These items are limited to round pots, flats, and trays. Not much, I know, but reducing our impact means resuing everything we can. And until biodegradable pots are the norm, or Charleston County starts recycling plastics 3-6, reusing [...]

Actually, both of these cups are recyclable – sort of.  I took this photo because these cups appeared to be made of the same material, yet only The Moe’s cup had the three-arrowed recycling symbol on the bottom.  After emailing Berry Plastics, they ensured me that both cups were indeed polypropylene, A.K.A. plastic #5. Since [...]

It’s been 2.5 months now since I pledged to have a bottled water-free summer, and I have to tell you it’s been pretty easy so far. If I travel with my canteen-style water bottle, I never have a need to buy one. I just fill it up at a sink or drinking fountain, and I’m [...]

When I posted my list of of local nurseries that accept used pots for recycling, my fellow contributer Justin asked me if I had called any of the big box stores like Wal-mart, K-mart, or Lowe’s. I told him I hadn’t because plants are never potted there – they arrive on trucks. So while they [...]

The more I look at my consumption, the more things I find that can be eliminated, reused, or recycled. Since we just went through the beginning of gardening season, the pile of pots, trays, and flats from our plant purchases has swelled. These pots and trays are typically made from non-recyclable plastics, probably for economic [...]

Jen heads over to Whole Foods once a week to pick up some goodies for our vegetarian diets. I’ve noticed that nearly all of the food containers used in their deli and other areas are made from plastic #5, which is almost universally non-recyclable. I wondered why a company with such a green focus would [...]