recycle

Jan

2023

Sorting Plastics for Recycling

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Sorting plastics for recycling is one of the many ways that we can help lessen the negative impact that it has on our environment. Consumer goods are ever increasing in the market and different kinds of plastics are the go-to containers for them. So, it is important that we know what kind of plastics we are bringing into our homes; to make it easier for us to identify them for recycling. It is one of the easiest way to taking your first step towards environmental wellness.

Common Uses of Plastic

A plastic water bottle is the most common item that comes to mind when we talk about recycling plastic. But there are different types of plastics that we use in our everyday life and a lot of these plastic items can be recycled.

LDPE film (stretch wrap, sheet film, clean plastic bags)
PET pallet banding
Big bags
PP/PE packaging
Kraft Poly-lined bags (the kraft is paper)
Plastic drums and buckets
HDPE belting and tooling
Various PPE gear

Types of Plastic

Plastic producers use a numeric resin identification coding (RIC) system to determine the polymers or resin used in them. Not all plastics have resin in them but this coding system help make them easier to identify for recycling. You will usually see this code at the bottom of bottles or at the bottom corner of other plastic items.

1 PETE – Plyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE): water bottles
2 HDPE – High Density Plyethylene (HDPE): milk bottles, bags
3 PVC – Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): juice bottles, cling wrap
4 LDPE – Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE): squeezable bottles
5 PP – Polypropylene: yogurt cups, plasticware
6 PS – Polystyrene (PS): egg cartoons, packing peanuts
07 O – Other: Often Polycarbonate or Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), bottles, auto body parts

Even though not all plastics contain resin codes; it is important t still sort them because they can still be reused. Sorting plastic by their type also helps to reduce contamination during recycling so that they can be recycled properly. Remember to wash them thoroughly with soap and water and dry them before taking them to a recycling center.

Don’t forget that electronic gadgets have plastic parts too but they contain more chemicals than household plastics. There is a proper way to dispose of electronic wastes that we should follow for these items.

In the meantime, there are simple things you can do to help reduce environmental pollution. Of course, it also helps to be aware and to avoid actions that end up further damaging the environment.

Feature Image: Original Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash.

Feb

2021

Ways to Conserve Water at Home

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Water is essential in life. All living things need drinking water to survive. Aside from that, we also use water in many things such as cooking, taking a bath, washing our clothes and keeping our surroundings clean. It is hard to even imagine a day without water. Unfortunately, in some areas of the world, water shortage has become a serious issue. With more and more places around the world struggling for clean water, water conservation is now more important than ever. That is why we all need to do our part in water conservation. Here are some ways to conserve water at home.

1. Close the Tap When Not in Use

It sounds so simple and logical yet many people leave the tap running especially while brushing their teeth, washing their hands, washing dishes and taking a shower. By simply turning off the tap while not in use, you are already helping in the conservation of water.

2. Fix Leaks

Did you know that a single drop of water per second adds up to 5 gallons a day? That is approximately 3,000 gallons or 11,356 liters in a year. Imagine all that water and money wasted because of a faucet leaking! Stop the leaks! Check and fix all your broken faucets.

3. Plant Native Plants

Native plants are plants indigenous to a certain area. These plants adapt well to the specific climate and physical conditions of a particular place. Taking care of native plants requires less water.

If you live in a tropical place, use tropical plants for your garden such as ferns, bromeliads and orchids. If you live in the desert, use desert plants like cactus. For cold climates, use plants that can survive winter.

4. Re-use Towels or Clothes

A small act of reusing towels in your home can help conserve water. Practice this also even outside your home such as in hotels. Apply the same habit to your clothing especially if you have worn it only once and it is still clean. Jeans for example can be re-used a couple of times before washing. However, do this with caution. We also need to adjust to the new normal rules. Our safety should always be a priority.

5. Run your Washing Machine / Dishwasher Only on Full Load

If you have a washing machine or dishwasher at home, make sure that you run them only on full load. Even if you choose the small load settings, you are still using the same amount of water to run a full cycle. So, save water by running them only on full load. This is also one way to save on electricity in your home.

6. Take Shorter Showers

A good way to save water is to take shorter showers. It is also a good way to conserve energy. It adds a few more minutes to your sleep time and it also a way to prevent your skin from becoming dry.

7. Water Plants in the Morning

The best time to water the plants is in the morning. The cool weather will help the water reach the roots more efficiently without losing too much water due to evaporation. You may also opt to water the plants using the traditional watering pail instead of a hose.

8. Avoid Thawing Meat Using Water

Remember to plant your meals ahead. Remove the meat that you are going to cook from the freezer and defrost it in the refrigerator the night before. The meat remains safe and of good quality when you are ready to cook it the next day.

9. Convert your Toilet to a Dual Flush

A dual flush toilet uses two buttons to operate the flush, one for the solid waste and the other one for the urine. It helps save water because the flush for the urine uses less water compared to the other one. The Dual Flush toilet uses 45% less water compared to an ordinary toilet.

Also, flush toilets only when necessary. A toilet bowl cleaner tablet will help keep your toilet clean and helps prevent tough stains.

10. Recycle and Reuse Whenever Possible

Any item in your home from your clothes, paper, computers, furniture and appliances consumes water during the manufacturing process. If you can reuse and recycle items as much as you can then you are helping the global community save tons of water.

To be able to make a difference, it needs more than your solo effort. Ask your family, friends and co-workers to join you. Spread the word. Share this article. And together, let’s do our part in conserving water.

Image by Mystic Art Design from Pixabay

Oct

2020

Proper Disposal of e-Wastes

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Do you have any broken or obsolete batteries, charges, and other electronic devices in your home? If you do, did you know that by keeping them in your house you are putting your health at risk? As the world moves towards digitalization, eWastes had become a growing problem. Everyone on the planet should do their share. Knowing the importance of proper disposal of e-Wastes would help mankind.

In a study done in Australia, 1 out of 5 respondents admitted to being hoarders of outdated electronic devices. About 2/3 of them stated that the main reason why they don’t recycle is that they are scared that their personal data might get compromised. Although the study was done in Australia, for sure many people also have a pile of e-waste at home. If left undisposed, this might eventually grow over time. Whatever your reasons are for keeping them, it is best to discard them as soon you are no longer using them.

What is an Electronic Waste?

So, what are electronic wastes? Electronic waste or e-waste for short are that have no longer value. They are either broken or outdated. Examples include old cellphones and charges. So are lamps, microwaves and all other appliances. In short, anything that has batteries and cords fall under this category. Yes, even your AAA and AA batteries are e-wastes.

Why is it Harmful?

E-wastes contain toxic substances such as lead and mercury. If inhaled or exposed to; these substances can cause severe illnesses, organ damage or even death. Thus, their proper disposal is very important.

Effect on the Environment

Improper disposal of poses a great threat not only to our health but to the environment as well. According to statistics, only about 20% of global e-wastes are recycled. The rests are either destroyed through burning or dumped into landfills.

Air Pollution

When e-waste is warmed up much more if burned, toxic chemicals are released in the air. Not only will it damage the atmosphere, it could also lead to severe respiratory problems if inhaled.

Land Pollution

The toxins found on e-wastes are non-biodegradable. They will remain in the land for a very long period of time and will contaminate our food crops.

Water Pollution

If the heavy metals found on e-wastes found their way to groundwater channels, they will run to the surface of streams, rivers or ponds. This in turn will result to the death of living things, both animals and plants living on these bodies of water. It will also lead to contaminated water which in turn will cause poisoning to both humans and animals.

Proper Disposal of E-wastes

Before anything else, there is one thing that you should remember, that is to NEVER, EVER THROW YOUR E-WASTE IN THE TRASH!!!

Do any of the following instead:

1. Prolong Use Life

The best thing to do is to prolong the use life of your electronic devices. If it is broken, have it fixed first before buying a new one.

If your phone, computer, television or any electronic gadget is still functioning properly; ask yourself if you really need an upgrade? If you do, ask yourself why do you need an upgrade? If your purpose is just so you can keep up with the trend or you want to impress others, forget it! You might as well put your money on investments.

2. Sell

Why keep unwanted trash when you can make money out of it? However, don’t expect to recover the original cost of your device. After all, electronics are depreciating assets. Selling is just one way of disposing your devices and earn money at the same time.

One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
– English Proverb

Just a reminder, before you sell your cellphones and computers, make sure that you have backed up all your data and deleted them from your old device. It is best to reformat first before selling and restore to factory settings.

3. Donate

If the device is still working and you don’t want to be bothered by the hassle of selling your old electronic devices, why not donate them instead? By donating, you are doing three things at the same time. One, you are getting rid of your trash. Two, you are helping the environment because donating is a form of recycling. And lastly, you are helping other people in need.

4. Recycle

Aside from selling and donating, you can also recycle your e-waste by giving them to an e-waste recycler that is certified by the Basel Action Network (BAN), a non-profit organization dedicated in the pursuit of responsible recycle of e-waste. Find a certified recycler near you.

You can also contact your local government, civic institutions or the manufacturer of your e-waste for their recycling programs. Sometimes, you can find drop off points in malls, schools and offices for your e-wastes.

If you are in the Philippines, you can also contact eWaste Management (Philippines) to schedule a pick-up for your e-waste. You can also contact the E-Waste Project of the University of the Philippines.

Updated version. First Published in Pinoy Smart Living on 02.18.2019.

Feature Image by Skitterphoto from Pexels.

Jan

2020

Why Taking Care of the Environment is Important

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Your physical body is important. Your surroundings are equally important for your overall well-being. That is why taking care of the environment is important as well.

Part of our regular routine before we go about the day’s work is to brush our teeth and clean our body from head to toe. We also put on fresh clothes, comb our hair and wear comfy footwear before we walk out the door. We take the effort to look pleasing to other people as well as to look pleasing to ourselves when we look at the mirror. However, most of us are in such a hurry to go about our day that we often neglect our surroundings. Taking care of the places in which we move our physical selves is equally important. It is the same as how we regularly take care of our bodies.

Your Home

When you wake up, do you tidy up your bed? Do you put your laundry neatly away? How about your dishes, do they pile up in the sink? Do you clean, organize and declutter your home often?

A clean and organized home is an important factor in keeping yourself healthy. Sure, a little mess here and there is acceptable. But if everything is disorganized, you cannot go about your daily life in a good mood. Remember that the state of your bed, is the state of your head. The state of your home is the state of your mind.

You start the day getting frustrated because you can’t find your shoes because of all the mess in your room. Then you end it with more frustration when you can’t find the remote to your TV at night. How do you think this will affect your mental state throughout the week, months and years?

TIP

Start as soon as you wake up by tidying up your bed. Try to declutter and organizing the rooms in your house each day until the clutter is gone. Your goal is to have a more spacious, clean and comfortable home.

Your Work Place

Whether you work at home or in an office, a clean and organized work environment is essential for productivity. It is also needed to boost creativity. You may not be a able to control your whole office’s cleanliness and organization. However, your own desk should be a good example to your co-employees.

TIP

Make sure to include tidying up your desk in your routine. In fact, make it the start and end or your work day. Before you work on anything, organize the materials on your desk, even your drawer. You can also organize the files on your computer. Organizing your files will prevent a cluttered desktop when you start your work and it’s easier to find your files.

Your Community

Your community is not just your immediate neighborhood but also the places that you go through as you travel to work or your destination for a vacation. Even in these places away from where you live and work, taking care of the environment is also important as it will impact your own home as well if you don’t keep it clean and healthy.

Think of a flood or a typhoon bringing back all the trash that were thrown into the river or ocean or a fire started by one uncaring camper who threw away a lit cigarette that burned a whole forest. These disastrous events could be prevented by just caring enough to keep the places we travel through and visit cleaner instead of dirtier.

TIP

Take only memories and leave nothing but footprints. Adopt the policy of taking nothing and leaving nothing behind in the places you visit for your vacation, team building, or other travel adventures. Take as many photos as you can’t but leave the animals and plants alone. Don’t leave any of your trash or camping or swimming gear either. Take them with you when you leave and dispose of them properly when you get back home.

Your Planet

There is only one planet Earth and we should be taking care of it not only for our own sake but for the sake of our future children. The climate change is an important issue and everyone should do their part in being a solution to this problem.

When the earth is sick and polluted, human health is impossible… To heal ourselves we must heal our planet, and to heal our planet we must heal ourselves.
– Bobby McLeod (Aboriginal activist and poet)

Nature has its own way of cleaning up the planet and we should let it take its own course instead of exacerbating it by our careless habits. For example, wildfires are part of Australia’s natural environment but the recent forest fires have become worse and are happening at unexpected times so that even the animals in the forest were unprepared. Many animals have died and those living are now left homeless which also means that it will be harder for the animal population and the forest to recover. At the same time, it has raised temperatures in the residential areas up to 42 degrees Celsius.

What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.
– Mahatma Gandhi (Indian and civil rights activist)

We can consider the drastic changes in weather patterns as the planet’s response to how we are not taking care of it properly. Plastics are polluting are oceans and killing marine life and unrecyclable (non-biodegradable) trash is multiplying with nowhere to go with landfills all filled to the brim. The summer heatwaves and delayed rainy season are just a manifestation of the worsening state of our global environment and we should do something about it before it’s too late.

TIP

There are many ways to start helping the environment. The policy to REDUCE, REUSE and RECYCLE is good habit to practise especially in these times. However, you can add one more to that – REFUSE.

Refuse to contribute to anymore pollution in our environment and refuse to be just an onlooker from the sidelines. Instead, be a mindful resident of this planet.

Be mindful of the ways you can help in reducing the problems and be an active part of finding and advocating for sustainable solutions to keep our homes, community and our planet healthy and safe.

Photo by Evan Krause on Unsplash.