Blog 8: Bags I Always Thought Were Recycled in Curbside Collection, and Alternatives for Dog Duty

               On Thursday, we went to Republic’s MRF located on 96^th street. This was my favorite place we went for our field trips. It was really neat and eye opening to see where my recyclables through such a detailed process. It is really cool how the machines work to help the picker workers be more efficient. There was one thing that caught my attention, and that was the fact that plastic bags weren’t recycled there. I saw the line go by as the workers picked off bag after bag. These would all go to the trash shoot/can, to later be sent to landfill or incinerator. This MRF used to collect bags when it had a vacuum machine, but they don’t do it anymore. Plastic bags are worth 2 cents a pound, which isn’t much value compared to the other recyclable materials. There is also not much of a market for these bags. They used to produce 1 bail of plastic bags a week. The bad thing about plastic bags is they are quickly polluting our earth. They are currently seen as the easiest option to carry items when going places like the grocery, but they are killing the environment.

            Before this class, my family would mostly recycle our plastic bags at places like Marsh. Though there was always the option to bring the bags to the grocery, I always thought I could recycle them in my curbside-recycling bin. I always knew that my local CGS took number 2 plastics. CGS in my area takes 1-7 plastics. But as I have been learning, just because a product has the same number, it doesn’t mean they have the same melting points and process of being recycled. Before this class, I would have just thrown my plastic bags in the curbside-recycling bin. But now I know that they aren’t recycled in the Republic MRF, I’m thinking that CGS is the same way. There is a reason that plastic bags have specific collection bins at the grocery stores. Plastic bags are generally not collected in curbside recycling collections. Most recycling facilities are mostly set up to handle hard materials, which are easier to separate from one another. Plastic bags require a different collection system and equipment that the average recycling facilities.  Plastic bags that are recycled can be made into plastic bags again, or backyard decking, fences, playground equipment, and pipes. But the best thing would be to eliminate plastic bags completely.

            After learning more about one of the most wasteful items in America and its pollutants, I’ve become greater opposed to using them. When I went to the bookstore to buy books, I didn’t grab a bag because I could just put my books in my book bag and carry the rest. They are so wasteful and take much of our non-renewable resources to produce. But as I’ve been thinking, there is one thing my family uses plastic bags for, and that is dog duty. Though we try to bring reusable bags when we go to the grocery, we always want enough bags for when we walk my dog around the neighborhood. When you think about how many dogs there are, and how many plastic bags are used for dog waste, it’s a little difficult to wrap your head around…

            I was looking into alternatives for picking up dog doo. I found bio-degradable bags, compostable bags, and flush away bags. I was surprised to see that the EPA recommends flushing pet waste in the toilet. It says it is the best disposal method. Pet waste has bacteria and can put excess nutrients into local water. It never crossed my mind to flush my dog’s poo. There are even bags that you can flush down the toilet. The only downside of such bags is that the prices are more expensive than just getting a bag for free at the grocery store. Plastic bags for dog duty can be prevented by buying more sustainable-friendly bags.

Overall, I was happy to see the efficiency and the cleanliness of the clean MRF. Republic shows how clean MRFs are the way to go. Dirty MRFs have contaminated products, the materials are not as high of quality, and in all honesty it is gross to think of recyclables mixed with waste like dirty diapers, rotten food, and other contaminants. The best way to go is to try and recycle as little as you can by reducing, reusing, then recycling. Though I’m glad companies like Republic have such MRFs to recycle goods, they still require energy, which results in pollution. I admire this Republic MRF because their efficiency is good, they provide healthcare to their workers, and they try to do the right thing. For example, they ship their glass to a manufacturer in Chicago and lose $15 a ton. Rick says they do this to do the right thing. I think his heart is there, and that he truly wants to help, but I question whether it is the best thing sustainability wise. You still have to ship the glass which requires a lot of gasoline for those trucks with bad gas mileage. This was a great way to end our field trips with seeing a plant that gives hope to where our recyclables go so they have a second life. This plant helped shift my views on plastic bags. I also want to educate people who put their plastic bags in the commingled recycling bins, to avoid these bags being thrown away. Perhaps curbside-recycling collectors should better inform local residents and customers of what all is included in curbside collection.  This information would inform others that such bags aren’t recyclable and it would make their jobs in the MRF a lot easier. 

Can’t I Put Plastic Bags in My Recycling Bin? (2015). American Chemistry Council. Retrieved January 17, 2015 from http://plasticsmakeitpossible.com/2013/06/cant-i-put-plastic-bags-in-my-recycling-bin-read-this-to-makeover-your-recycling/ 

After the Storm (2013). Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved January 17, 2014 from http://water.epa.gov/action/weatherchannel/stormwater.cfm