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Learn more about recycling fishing line at takemefishing.org and BoatU.S.Foundation websites.
Photo by Susan O'Donnell
![]() Marine birds, mammals, and other wildlife can become entangled in abandoned fishing line, resulting in injured limbs, starvation, and a slow death. The material in fishing line takes 600 years to break down, so proper disposal is crucial to protecting wildlife. The best practice is to cut old fishing line into pieces no longer than one foot to prevent accidental entanglement and collect it in a bag. The most common types of line, monofilament and fluorocarbon, are recyclable (braided line is not). Many boat launches, piers and fishing access locations provide fishing line collection sites. Some bait and tackle shops also have fishing line recycling bins. Learn more about recycling fishing line at takemefishing.org and BoatU.S.Foundation websites. Photo by Susan O'Donnell ![]() Recycling mystery revealed: plastic utensils are not recyclable. Plastic utensils are not recyclable. The majority are made of polystyrene (#6 plastic, same as Styrofoam). Some are made of #1 plastic but are not labeled, so we have no way of knowing. The odd shapes also jam machinery. Replace plastic utensils with compostable or reusable ones. Read more here. Photo by Susan O'Donnell ![]() Recycling old electronics allows for reuse of their component parts for new devices. Reusing these materials reduces the metals and toxins that would otherwise end up in the waste stream and reduces the energy input for manufacturing new plastic and glass. Citing a 2006, U.S. Geological Survey publication, the EPA reports that:
*”Electronics Donation and Recycling.” Last updated on August 23, 2022. https://www.epa.gov/recycle/electronics-donation-and-recycling ![]() The biggest toilet paper brands are destroying Canada’s boreal forest according to a new study by the Natural Resources Defense Council, but many new brands that use recycled paper and bamboo have entered the marketplace. It’s important to note that all of these sustainable brands make up only a fraction of the market and are nowhere near as widely available as the big brands. Still, consumers can make a difference by choosing more sustainable alternatives, both because it saves trees, but also because it sends a signal to large corporations that there is money to be made selling eco-friendly toilet paper. Read more here: --https://www.fastcompany.com/90677480/toilet-paper-really-is-terrible-for-the-planet-heres-what-you-can-do-about-it Photo by Susan O'Donnell ![]() Old tennis balls can be recycled at Recycleballs.org, which offers free shipping. Jessian Choy describes the reasons to recycle tennis balls on www.sierraclub.org: "Tennis ball fuzz is made from plastic like PET (polyethylene terephthalate), which gets worn away and becomes microfibers that turn into dust we breathe in."* RecycleBalls grinds the rubber, which is then used as a construction material for tennis courts, playground turf, stucco, and equestrian turf and keeps tennis balls out of landfills. *https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/ask-ms-green/how-do-i-recycle-used-tennis-balls?utm_source=insider&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter Photo by Old Photo Profile, Flickr ![]() You can now recycle clothes at the Used Clothing Drop-Off Shed at the Swarthmore Recycling Center at 121 Dartmouth Avenue. The shed is serviced by Turnkey Enterprises, LLC, which pays the Borough for items collected. They accept used clothing, shoes, sneakers, belts, purses, blankets, linens and stuffed toys. The clothing collected is intended for continued use as clothes, so please do not deposit cut cloth or rags. They also do not accept pillows, fabric scraps, toys, or household goods. Another change at the Swarthmore Recycling Center is that they no longer accept glass, plastic, or steel cans; those bins have been removed from the site. However, these items can still be recycled in the curbside pickup. According to the Borough web site, residents are still encouraged to take cardboard, newspaper, office paper, and aluminum to the Recycling Center instead of including it in their curbside collection bins. The Borough sells these valuable source-separated products on the local recycling market. Also note that shredded paper is accepted at the recycling center but not curbside. As a reminder, hours of operation of the Borough Recycling Center are: 7:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Weekdays 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Weekends Please be considerate of nearby neighbors and observe the posted hours. Treehugger.org reported on a McDonald's restaurant built in England "which is one of the first to account for embodied carbon—the upfront carbon that is emitted in the construction of the restaurant—as well as the operating emissions."* They lowered carbon emissions during construction by using various recycled materials, including appliances:
"The walls were insulated with sheep wool and clad with metal made from recycled IT equipment and "white goods": washers, fridges, and stoves, along with sustainably sourced poplar and plastic cladding made from recycled plastic bottles. The internal parapets on the roof, which nobody sees, are apparently made from recycled toasters and blenders. Instead of the usual aluminum commercial windows, it has used sustainably sourced timber. A thousand concrete curbs were replaced with Durakerbs made out of plastic bottles, and the drive-thru lane is paved with recycled tires." Operating emissions were reduced by installing solar panels as well as wind turbines. Author Lloyd Alter described this as an impressive first step toward sustainable construction. *https://www.treehugger.com/mcdonalds-net-zero-restaurant-uk-5220187?utm_campaign=treehugger&utm_medium=email&utm_source=cn_nl&utm_content=26850509&utm_term= ![]() Although paper towels are made of paper, they are not recyclable. Eilidh Dempsey lists the reasons in an article on utopia.org: "During manufacturing, the wood/cardboard gets pummeled and battered so much that all the natural fibers are broken down almost completely. Recycling this paper product at a later stage becomes impossible. Not to mention the paper also gets a chemical treatment. Softeners, resins and glues are added to the paper fibers for better absorption, strength and smoothness, all of which are highly toxic. On top of that, bleaching often occurs at this stage of manufacturing." Unbleached paper towels, while still not recyclable, are compostable, and the cardboards tubes around which they are wrapped are recyclable. Dempsey suggests that the best way to reduce paper towel waste is to use washable cloth towels. Newspaper is also effective at "removing stains and streaks from glass surfaces like windows and mirrors"* However, "if you can’t quite resist them, then try to use just one square at a time. If need be, fold the square a couple of times to make it thicker, for those bigger spills. You can also reuse paper towels, especially if they were just used for mopping up water or spilled soap."* *Eilidh Dempsey, August 16, 2021, "Are paper towels recyclable? What you need to know." utopia.org photo by Susan O'Donnell Recycling is a thing of beauty! Nordstrom has partnered with TerraCycle® to create a national program to recycle and eventually reuse empty containers and packaging from all brands of beauty and skincare products. Their goal is to recycle 100 tons of beauty packaging by 2025. You can drop off items in collection bins in the beauty department of Nordstrom stores, including those located at King of Prussia Mall and Christiana Mall in NJ. Bring your empty shampoo and conditioner bottles, skin moisturizer tubes, and makeup palettes. See the BEAUTYCYCLE website for a complete list of items that they will accept.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLS) are more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs but contain mercury, so they must be disposed of properly after they burn out. Retailers including The Home Depot and Lowe's have recycling programs for CFLs and provide bins for collection.
A recent TreeHugger.com article describes how CFLs are recycled and the materials reused. "A bulb recycler uses special machines to extract mercury and break down the CFL’s glass casing and aluminum fixtures. They can reuse the mercury in new light bulbs or in products like thermostats. The glass becomes material like concrete or tile, while the aluminum is recycled as scrap metal. Not only does recycling CFLs divert waste from the landfill, but it also prevents the release of toxic mercury into the environment."* The article also provides instructions for how to handle a broken CFL bulb: "Immediately have all other people and pets leave the room so they can avoid exposure. Open a window or door to the outside to air out the room for 5-10 minutes while you collect all broken glass and visible powder. Do not vacuum up the pieces because this could spread mercury-containing powder or vapor. Place all broken glass and powder in a sealable container and check with your local government about disposal requirements."* *Lauren Murphy, March 14, 2022, "How to Recycle Light Bulbs and Why You Should," www.treehugger.com --https://www.treehugger.com/light-bulb-recycling-5206232?utm_campaign=treehugger&utm_medium=email&utm_source=cn_nl&utm_content=25939313&utm_term= |
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