Trash Talk
Courtesy of: A Recycling Revolution
www.recycling-revolution.com
October 14, 2005 Volume 1, Number 1
In This Issue
What to do with packing peanuts
Get your creative juices flowing
Recycling Information
Useful Links
The Funding Factory
An incredible resource for pain free empty printer cartridge and used cell phone recycling
Ideal Bite
A wonderful source of daily green lifestyle advice geared towards real people leading busy lives.
E/The Environmental Magazine
A bimonthly "clearinghouse" of information, news and resources for people concerned about the environment who want to know "What can I do?" to make a difference.
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What to do with packing peanuts
We do everything we can to do our part in the effort to ensure that our waste is recycled. We take extra care to combine errands so that we don't waste gasoline (especially at these prices). We even make purchases online to save energy and keep the paper catalogs at bay. And if you are like me, you just love getting packages. Except... when I open the package and my item has been protected from damage in shipping with the dreaded polystyrene packing peanuts!
Not only are these pesky peanuts a big mess, they are utterly indestructible. When these things end up in landfills, they NEVER degrade. Future inhabitants of our planet will be able to study our culture using these suckers.
So what do we do?
- The best alternative is to simply not use these peanuts. There are alternative
packing peanuts available made from starch that almost instantly dissolve in
water. Ask your online retailer to begin using this more environmentally
friendly alternative to polystyrene.
- When you receive a package packed in peanuts, test them by running one under water
to see if it dissolves. If so, you can simply dump them in your sink a little
at a time and run the dissolved peanuts down the drain. They are safe for the
water supply since they are made from vegetable and other organic matter.
- When the peanuts don't dissolve, there are a few things we can do.
- When you have a package to ship that requires a bit of protection, use the
peanuts. Ask your recipient to do the same. At least they don't end up in a
landfill immediately.
- If you don't like the idea of keeping these peanuts around the house, there are
several centers and stores that will take them to reuse.
Many UPS Stores, Mailboxes Etc., PostNet, and other small packing and shipping centers will accept your peanuts to reuse. Contact your local store for verification.
If you are having difficulty finding a drop-off location, please visit http://www.loosefillpackaging.com for information on businesses and centers willing to accept used peanuts (call Plastic Loose Fill Council's Peanut Hotline at 800-828-2214).
Get your creative juices flowing
So, now we know how to recycle those pesky peanuts, but as you know, there are so many opportunities to convert our trash into treasure. So how about a few treasures that we can create from our peanut trash.
- The holidays are fast approaching, so any peanuts we have left over after using them to safeguard the gifts we're shipping can be used for decoration. Use a needle and strong thread to string the peanuts like popcorn to use as a garland for your tree.
- Place a few peanuts in the bottom of a planter before inserting your plant to conserve soil and to help drainage. Be sure not to use too many or to block the drainage hole completely.
- Use an old zippered pillowcase and fill it with peanuts. This makes an inexpensive pet bed or a "bean" bag chair.
- Dip the peanuts in paint and use for creative stamps. Many peanuts look like letters or you can cut them into whatever shape you'd like. If you are a scrapbooker, this is a great way to add a creative splash to a page.
Please feel free to pass this newsletter onto a friend. See you next time!
Dawn
http://www.recycling-revolution.com
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