Sigh. I will NOT be discouraged. I will NOT be discouraged!
Okay, that's because, the last time I made it to the SE Portland Far West Fibers depot to recycle moving boxes this week, I found they take almost nothing now. waah.
Seriously. No plastic at all - not even stretchy film Just mixed paper, and metals. (Ferrous and non-ferrous).
This is a far cry from all the items they took at the height of operations a couple of years ago. (When I was disabled. I still am, but I did try working this last year briefly for a short run until my body protested too much again.)
So I'm stuck sneaking only small amounts of plastic bags into my local Fred Meyer's variety store bin (they take small amounts only). And throwing away all the rest except for curbside quality plastics in the curbside recycling.
What constitutes curbside quality in Portland, Oregon currently, you ask?
Well, now it's not even by the numbers, but by size and shape. I.e, all food grade 4 oz or bigger clean plastic containers (tubs, plant pots) or empty bottles with necks (NO LIDS!). Nothing else. Nothing smaller, or odd shaped. Or bigger than a gallon container.
So basically just yogurt and salsa tubs, and shampoo and laundry soap bottles e.g.
That leaves a LOT of plastic going into our waste stream. Which eventually goes... who knows where? Apparently somehow a LOT of it is going into the ocean, and killing loads of animals all up and down the food chain. And turning into sand on our shores. And infiltrating our sea salt. No kidding.
Way to foul our own nest. And we're supposed to be the smart ones...
Sorry for such a downer post you guys, but I find so much being made of and from plastic that it's really disheartening. I dearly hope the next generation finds a lot of alternatives. I know they're out there. Like mushroom packaging for one, and corn starch based bags and peanuts for another.
And biodegradable baby diapers. Please. If you're not going to re-use cloth, please don't use plastic!
But that's another post for another day. When I'm less grumpy and not in so much pain.
TTFN- Jandroid, the recycling android
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Tuesday, February 27, 2018
A glimmer of recycled light February 2018
While we've all been adjusting to the new, stricter recycling guidelines in the greater Portland metro area, I did stumble on two bits of potential good news on the recycling front since I last posted. Thanks to my coworker Elden, who got a wild hair and googled that infernal "ethafoam" or PE foam I've complained about for years, we may have found an outlet for it!
Alas, it's not local but... it's a far site better than just dumping it in the landfill. You just cut it up, pack it into a box and ship it to your nearest facility that takes it per this site:
http://www.recyclepefoam.com/
Update 3/1/18: however, I'm sad to report our first shipment to the nearest facility to us listed there apparently did not exist and it was returned to us undeliverable. (Boy is this some well-traveled ethafoam now - it should have frequent flyer miles.) I don't know if the site is a front or hoax, or just out of date and we got unlucky. But you might try googling to see if the facilities listed really exist where they say they do. Details...
But on the Styrofoam front I found out that Agylix also takes all other clean #6 polystyrene plastics such as food clamshells, and other containers at their facility in Tigard on SW Hunziker also, not just the Styrofoam itself. This is also great news for those in the Portland, Oregon metro area. I've been able to take two loads there recently on my way to my doctor's office nearby.
It still behooves us all to reduce and reuse FIRST as much as possible, always.
Alas, my body snatchers have reared their ugly heads again, causing me to flare and have to set my part-time job down again, sniff sniff. But... not before re-inspiring me to revive this blog again for the win! I will try to keep it up going forward still as able.
Again, reducing and reusing are always best, even before recycling.
Cheers,
Jandroid
Alas, it's not local but... it's a far site better than just dumping it in the landfill. You just cut it up, pack it into a box and ship it to your nearest facility that takes it per this site:
http://www.recyclepefoam.com/
Update 3/1/18: however, I'm sad to report our first shipment to the nearest facility to us listed there apparently did not exist and it was returned to us undeliverable. (Boy is this some well-traveled ethafoam now - it should have frequent flyer miles.) I don't know if the site is a front or hoax, or just out of date and we got unlucky. But you might try googling to see if the facilities listed really exist where they say they do. Details...
But on the Styrofoam front I found out that Agylix also takes all other clean #6 polystyrene plastics such as food clamshells, and other containers at their facility in Tigard on SW Hunziker also, not just the Styrofoam itself. This is also great news for those in the Portland, Oregon metro area. I've been able to take two loads there recently on my way to my doctor's office nearby.
It still behooves us all to reduce and reuse FIRST as much as possible, always.
Alas, my body snatchers have reared their ugly heads again, causing me to flare and have to set my part-time job down again, sniff sniff. But... not before re-inspiring me to revive this blog again for the win! I will try to keep it up going forward still as able.
Again, reducing and reusing are always best, even before recycling.
Cheers,
Jandroid
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Recycling landscape changing in Portland
Alas, it's been so long since I last posted in 2013 that not only did I have to find my old password to log in, but we're now in danger of not being able to recycle much besides cardboard now, boo.
Seriously. We apparently have done such a poor job of separating our garbage OUT of our recycling streams (including too many low-grade plastics and too much actual garbage) that China has recently refused to buy any more compressed plastic or paper from the Pacific Northwest, where I'm writing this in November 2017. (We've apparently been sending our recycling material to them for years.)
Indeed, a rare recent trip to Far West in SE Portland still down on SE 26th found them taking only bottles with necks and #4 and #5 tubs, just like the curbside recycling does. This is considered higher grade material worth collecting still. But they now ask a $5 minimum fee for any amount, and no longer take any other plastics, and just some metal and glass. Thankfully I didn't have much on me that trip, unlike some others who showed up with whole car loads only to learn the same thing~! And rumor has it even this may be refused after the new year - stay tuned. (That would be a huge bummer!)
It's also been so long that I have actually returned to part-time work in a tech-support firm who have also achieved status as a B corporation which includes being good environmental stewards. So I gladly took up the recycling reins upon arriving. Or trying to.
Sadly, our suppliers use a lot of that #4 LDPE block foam I posted about almost 4 years ago now, aka "ethafoam" per my past writing. So I am once again up to my eyeballs in block packaging material that cannot be recycled, but doesn't easily fit in the garbage at work either, sigh.
Upon chatting with Metro a month ago, they expressed sympathy, but warned me that things were looking bleak (the Chinese ban was pending then), and urged me to "push back" on our suppliers, in an effort to get them to change up their packaging. Yeah, good luck with that! Yes, I'm aware of alternative materials such as pressed paper board and even mushroom based packing, but I'm sure this would increase costs to the consume a fair amount, and few are willing to pay for it.
But, it got me thinking. While getting computer suppliers to change their packaging may be a heavy lift (though not impossible), I started to think about what else I could do on the personal front to reduce my waste stream now that we can't recycle nearly as much as before.
One small but not trivial item I noticed was all of the "disposable" containers used at New Seasons markets for deli items and bulk olives. I cleaned and dried the last two I had used, and put them in a pile to add to the grocery bags I re-use also. In other words, re-using these vs trying to recycle or worse, discarding them could certainly help.
But I admit this feels a bit like spitting into a strong wind up at Vista House on Crown Point. It's now my fervent hope that some enterprising American takes it upon themselves to create a market for this waste stream. But meanwhile I think we're all going to feel some pain at the garbage can as our recycling streams are cut, and the garbage builds up again faster. The plastics really do lend a lot of airy bulk to the stream.
I'm not done pursuing this. Not by a long shot. Nay, I'm just getting started. But for now, please know that only high grade rigid plastics in the form of bottles with necks (no lids) and #4 and 5 tubs (margarine, yogurt e.g.) with no lids are accepted now.
I'll try to keep this site updated more often again as I continue to pursue this, especially now that I have the password again!
Happy Holidays to you and yours,
Jan(droid) the still recycling android (or trying)
Seriously. We apparently have done such a poor job of separating our garbage OUT of our recycling streams (including too many low-grade plastics and too much actual garbage) that China has recently refused to buy any more compressed plastic or paper from the Pacific Northwest, where I'm writing this in November 2017. (We've apparently been sending our recycling material to them for years.)
Indeed, a rare recent trip to Far West in SE Portland still down on SE 26th found them taking only bottles with necks and #4 and #5 tubs, just like the curbside recycling does. This is considered higher grade material worth collecting still. But they now ask a $5 minimum fee for any amount, and no longer take any other plastics, and just some metal and glass. Thankfully I didn't have much on me that trip, unlike some others who showed up with whole car loads only to learn the same thing~! And rumor has it even this may be refused after the new year - stay tuned. (That would be a huge bummer!)
It's also been so long that I have actually returned to part-time work in a tech-support firm who have also achieved status as a B corporation which includes being good environmental stewards. So I gladly took up the recycling reins upon arriving. Or trying to.
Sadly, our suppliers use a lot of that #4 LDPE block foam I posted about almost 4 years ago now, aka "ethafoam" per my past writing. So I am once again up to my eyeballs in block packaging material that cannot be recycled, but doesn't easily fit in the garbage at work either, sigh.
Upon chatting with Metro a month ago, they expressed sympathy, but warned me that things were looking bleak (the Chinese ban was pending then), and urged me to "push back" on our suppliers, in an effort to get them to change up their packaging. Yeah, good luck with that! Yes, I'm aware of alternative materials such as pressed paper board and even mushroom based packing, but I'm sure this would increase costs to the consume a fair amount, and few are willing to pay for it.
But, it got me thinking. While getting computer suppliers to change their packaging may be a heavy lift (though not impossible), I started to think about what else I could do on the personal front to reduce my waste stream now that we can't recycle nearly as much as before.
One small but not trivial item I noticed was all of the "disposable" containers used at New Seasons markets for deli items and bulk olives. I cleaned and dried the last two I had used, and put them in a pile to add to the grocery bags I re-use also. In other words, re-using these vs trying to recycle or worse, discarding them could certainly help.
But I admit this feels a bit like spitting into a strong wind up at Vista House on Crown Point. It's now my fervent hope that some enterprising American takes it upon themselves to create a market for this waste stream. But meanwhile I think we're all going to feel some pain at the garbage can as our recycling streams are cut, and the garbage builds up again faster. The plastics really do lend a lot of airy bulk to the stream.
I'm not done pursuing this. Not by a long shot. Nay, I'm just getting started. But for now, please know that only high grade rigid plastics in the form of bottles with necks (no lids) and #4 and 5 tubs (margarine, yogurt e.g.) with no lids are accepted now.
I'll try to keep this site updated more often again as I continue to pursue this, especially now that I have the password again!
Happy Holidays to you and yours,
Jan(droid) the still recycling android (or trying)
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Returning Recycler 2013
Sorry for the long radio silence - I keep succumbing to these darn body snatchers of mine, and not being able to keep up. But I FINALLY made it back to FarWest Fibers on SE 26th in Portland on Friday May 31, 2013 again for the first time in months, and learned several juicy new things which you may already know. But for those that don't, or need a reminder, here they are:
a) China stopped buying their bulk low grade plastics recently, so they can no longer take ALL rigid plastics. Only better grade, known "species" and types as follows:
#1 & #2 bottles with screw top necks only, NO LIDS or caps. Also #1 CLEAR plastic items ONLY (e.g. fruit/cake trays/containers), must be #'d, and no colored items.
#4 & #5 bottles & tubs (no lids unless clearly marked with #4 or #5). Must have #4 or #5 on them.
Bulky rigid plastic items, e.g. garbage cans, lawn furniture, crates, buckets, play structures BUT...
No fiberglass, tool boxes, rubber garden hoses, flower or garden pots, coolers, 55 gallon drums.
b) They DO now take CLEAN styrofoam in 2 bins: white & all other colors. NO PEANUTS. This includes egg cartons and clean meat trays. (This was a nice surprise to me after saying no for years!)
c) They will STOP taking stretchy plastic film/bags as of June 10th, 2013. No idea why. But this is the same as what the grocery stores usually take back at their sites. Maybe that's why - they wish to handle less. I'll try to learn more unless someone beats me to it!
Obviously we all dearly hope and dream someone stateside will come up with a way to recycle all the other types of plastic they used to be able to take, especially #6 polystyrene clam shells. Toes crossed some smart American with ingenuity finds a way and creates a market for them. We can do this!
In the interest of getting this posted sooner than later that's all for now. But I'll try not to be such a stranger after this. The chances of my keeping this updated are slowly but steadily improving. To your health and mine (and Mother Earth's), keep recycling!
Jandroid June 1, 2013
a) China stopped buying their bulk low grade plastics recently, so they can no longer take ALL rigid plastics. Only better grade, known "species" and types as follows:
#1 & #2 bottles with screw top necks only, NO LIDS or caps. Also #1 CLEAR plastic items ONLY (e.g. fruit/cake trays/containers), must be #'d, and no colored items.
#4 & #5 bottles & tubs (no lids unless clearly marked with #4 or #5). Must have #4 or #5 on them.
Bulky rigid plastic items, e.g. garbage cans, lawn furniture, crates, buckets, play structures BUT...
No fiberglass, tool boxes, rubber garden hoses, flower or garden pots, coolers, 55 gallon drums.
b) They DO now take CLEAN styrofoam in 2 bins: white & all other colors. NO PEANUTS. This includes egg cartons and clean meat trays. (This was a nice surprise to me after saying no for years!)
c) They will STOP taking stretchy plastic film/bags as of June 10th, 2013. No idea why. But this is the same as what the grocery stores usually take back at their sites. Maybe that's why - they wish to handle less. I'll try to learn more unless someone beats me to it!
Obviously we all dearly hope and dream someone stateside will come up with a way to recycle all the other types of plastic they used to be able to take, especially #6 polystyrene clam shells. Toes crossed some smart American with ingenuity finds a way and creates a market for them. We can do this!
In the interest of getting this posted sooner than later that's all for now. But I'll try not to be such a stranger after this. The chances of my keeping this updated are slowly but steadily improving. To your health and mine (and Mother Earth's), keep recycling!
Jandroid June 1, 2013
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Far West Fibers SE Depot MOVED January 2012
Hey all, it's been so long since I last updated this blog that Far West Fiber's has moved their SE Public Drop Off Recycling Depot again! It's no longer on SE 17th just S of Holgate (in Portland, OR) across from their scale for weighing scrap metal, etc. (That is still there, btw). It is now back on the east side of the rail road tracks on SE *26th* (NOT 28th in old loc!) just south of Holgate. (Same road that you would take to start finding Hip Chicks Wine, which you may want after you get done;). Address: 4930 SE 26th Portland, OR (approximately SE 26th & Raymond).
The irony is this is probably more confusing to us "older" recyclers who have been with them since their location on SE 28th (not far away;), as it's close to that, and old habits die hard;). But we'll catch on. I haven't actually gotten to see this new location just yet - I've been blessedly swamped with work (whence the delay in updating this blog) the past year. And I've been consuming enough less plastic/materials that I haven't needed to go very often;).
I can't speak to their other locations either, perhaps some of them have moved. So if you want to be sure, just check their website: http://www.farwestfibers.com or call them first.
As far as I know all other info below is correct, but please do alert me if you learn otherwise. (Email jandroidatg maildotcom). I dearly hope to get back to this again, but meanwhile, that's the latest. Hope this finds you all well and reducing your garbage volumes with the City's new garbage pick up schedule. (They've added weekly residential food scrap pickup and reduced garbage to every 2 weeks). I'm sorta jealous, cuz I live in an apartment that doesn't have the food scrap pick up nor a place for compost, sigh. Back at it, hopefully more soon! Cheers - J:^
Where to Take Stuff in Portland Area 01/19/12
Per the good people at Metro (www.metro-region.org) and Far West Fibers, who know what's up!)
You have 2 main recycling options in Portland: a) the cubside/apartment bin system which is somewhat limited, and b) taking things to Far West Fibers (www.farwestfibers.com) and other places yourself (which covers a LOT more than the curbside system).
ALL recycling systems require bottles, tubs and cans to be clean, empty, with no lids attached.
(Lids can be taken separately to Far West public depots below). NO PLASTIC BAGS INCURBSIDE/APARTMENT RECYCLING AT ALL . (Do not drop off bags of bottles or other objects in any recycling system. The bags gum up the works and cause loads to be tossed. Nor leave plastic bags or film or #7PLA corn-based plastics mixed in a load, same problem). Other #7's are okay, just not those NO CORN BASED PLASTICSlabeled PLA or "made from corn". (#7 just means "misc", that is not a 1-6). You can take clean stretchy plastic bags to your local grocery store, or to the Far West Fibers depots below. (Remove the zipper from ziploc bags tho).
In general our Portland Metro curbside/apartment recycling is rather limited due to handling issues. But Far West Fibers takes much more than the curbside system allows - you just have to drop it off at their depots yourself. That's why I've researched and listed the other great outlets for recycling many more items than curbside can take. (Some items in curbside loads will cause whole load to just get dumped in landfill - ouch). So, if in doubt, leave it out of your curbside system, and take it yourself to one of the many facilities listed below (e.g. Far West Fibers, Portland Recycling, Total Reclaim, etc.) I've tried to make it as simple as possible.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Current Portland 2 bin Curbside/apartment Recycling CAN take:
(NO LIDS ON ANY CONTAINERS PLEASE, MUST ALL BE EMPTY AND CLEAN)
A) In separate glass bin only:
Only glass bottles and jars: must keep in separate bin from all other recyclables. Empty, clean, no lids. Also, no light bulbs, lamps, etc. Just clean empty unbroken jars and bottles from the kitchen.
(Take fluorescent and high intensity flood light bulbs to Metro hazardous waste recycling centers
listed below).
B) In 2nd co-mingled rollout recycling bins you can combine:
Plastic bottles and tubs (no lids): bottles with a screw neck top, empty (clean) margarine or yogurt type tubs (No’s 1, 2 and 5 only). NO clamshell food containers (#6). AND NO OTHER PLASTICS (e.g. toys, hangers, lids). (See below for where to take those!) All bottles and tubs must be clean, empty, NO LIDS. NO BAGS. You can recycle empty (rinsed) laundry detergent bottles in curbside bin (lid off).
Paper: Newspaper, magazines, and office paper and junk mail. (Envelopes with glassine windows are okay). NO NAPKINS OR TISSUES (this belongs in garbage or better- compost:). No wax paper or wax coated frozen food cartons. Please enclose shredded paper in a paper bag for ease of handling. (This is the only time you may contain something in any bag, and it must be paper). No foil-lined paper. (e.g. metallic gift wrap).Staples okay. No paper clips. No food-contaminated or waxed containers either. (E.g. no frozen food boxes, or paper coffee cups with waxy insides.
Steel and tin cans: (e.g. soup cans) clean, no labels, flatten as able, and tuck clean lids inside
for safety. (I find squishing the top end of the cans with rounded bottoms to help in removing the
label, and saving a little space). Clean aluminum foil also okay. (Don't tuck small aluminum objects inside steel/tin cans tho, thanks - gotta keep non-ferrous separate from ferrous metals:).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
ALL OTHER RECYCLING:
Call Metro at 503-234-3000 or see www.metro-region.org to keep up on latest recycling outlets for MANY other items including STYROFOAM, ELECTRONICS, batteries and hazardous wastes (old paint, cleaners, fluorescent light bulbs).
Far West Fibers (www.farwestfibers.com): takes virtually everything except styrofoam and hazardous wastes, and are one of the cheapest and easiest to get to. (Depot at SE 17th and Holgate). This includes electronics, appliances, and ALL RIGID PLASTICS except styrofoam and now PLA #7 (corn-based plastics). (Other #7's okay). I.e, they can take all the plastic lids, toys, hangers, clean clamshell food containers, other tubs, etc. that the curbside/apartment system does not take (except PLA:). Must be clean and empty still. $2 donation.
Styorfoam: Total Reclaim on NE 60th and Columbia - $5/car or truck load. Must be clean. Can take clean styro meat packaging trays (even colored ones). www.totalreclaim.com
Computers and all pc related items (printers, scanners, mice, keyboards): Free Geekwww.freegeek.org (SE 10th and Mill, just south of Hawthorne). Reasonable fees apply, although technically pc bodies and monitors can now be donated for free per new Oregon eCycles law starting January 1, 2009. (Free Geek could still use your $ donations. Every dollar helps).
Computer bodies, monitors and Televisions only: Up to 7 of these items at a time can now be dropped off for free at most Goodwill donations stations apparently (along with some other recyclers), per our new (2009) Oregon eCycles law. But not their peripherals. That is, no mice, keyboards, printers, cables, etc. Just the computer and laptop bodies and monitors and television sets are covered under this program. (You can drop off the other stuff as a donation, or take to Free Geek, above). A fee charged for more. Some recyclers may still request a donation or fee to defray their continued costs in processing more than 7, or for additional separate items. See www.oregonecycles.org for more on this per the new law in effect January 1, 2009.
Links to additional recycling outlets and info:
www.metro-region.org (see “Find a Recycler” under Garbage and Recycling links on left side)
www.oregonecycles.org for info on the new e-Cycling law in effect 1/1/09 to keep e-waste out of landfills. (So far just covers pc's, monitors and tv's).
www.farwestfibers.com (take all rigid plastics besides styrofoam, plus much more including books, DVD's and crayons. Separate curbside "quality" recycling from all else however for handling reasons.)
www.portlandrecyclingcenters.com (takes same as Far West Fibers, tho still best to take smaller plastic items (e.g. bottle tops/lids) that curbside doesn't currently take to the SE Far West Fibers depot to put in their bin allotted for same, vs the co-mingled baler at the N Portland recycling center where they fall out. And, they're probably going to shut down their NW and Lake Oswego sites soon, when Far West takes them over, and may use them for storage vs drop off. Check website first)
www.enviromom.com (has updates on many ways to reduce, reuse, recycle in Portland)
www.masterrecycler.org (has updates on periodic local Plastics Roundups in Portland area that take all but styro) 2/14/09 - these may be on hold just now due to recession. Check first.
www.totalreclaim.com (takes styrofoam in NE Portland - yay:) $5/load
www.buyworms.com for a good local Portland source of red worms for vermicomposting (you can get them for free in any good compost or manure pile too;).
http://greengarbageproject.adammathiasdesign.com An Oregon couple on a no garbage diet for one year (2009-2010). Updated often, loaded with great reducing tips.
http://freecycle.org ("Craig's List" for recyclers to try to reuse/repurpose stuff first)
http://www.terracycle.net - under construction, but normally upcyclers of some packaging
http://www.recycline.com - the Preserve Products line of fully recycled/recyclable items
The irony is this is probably more confusing to us "older" recyclers who have been with them since their location on SE 28th (not far away;), as it's close to that, and old habits die hard;). But we'll catch on. I haven't actually gotten to see this new location just yet - I've been blessedly swamped with work (whence the delay in updating this blog) the past year. And I've been consuming enough less plastic/materials that I haven't needed to go very often;).
I can't speak to their other locations either, perhaps some of them have moved. So if you want to be sure, just check their website: http://www.farwestfibers.com or call them first.
As far as I know all other info below is correct, but please do alert me if you learn otherwise. (Email jandroidatg maildotcom). I dearly hope to get back to this again, but meanwhile, that's the latest. Hope this finds you all well and reducing your garbage volumes with the City's new garbage pick up schedule. (They've added weekly residential food scrap pickup and reduced garbage to every 2 weeks). I'm sorta jealous, cuz I live in an apartment that doesn't have the food scrap pick up nor a place for compost, sigh. Back at it, hopefully more soon! Cheers - J:^
Where to Take Stuff in Portland Area 01/19/12
Per the good people at Metro (www.metro-region.org) and Far West Fibers, who know what's up!)
You have 2 main recycling options in Portland: a) the cubside/apartment bin system which is somewhat limited, and b) taking things to Far West Fibers (www.farwestfibers.com) and other places yourself (which covers a LOT more than the curbside system).
ALL recycling systems require bottles, tubs and cans to be clean, empty, with no lids attached.
(Lids can be taken separately to Far West public depots below). NO PLASTIC BAGS INCURBSIDE/APARTMENT RECYCLING AT ALL . (Do not drop off bags of bottles or other objects in any recycling system. The bags gum up the works and cause loads to be tossed. Nor leave plastic bags or film or #7PLA corn-based plastics mixed in a load, same problem). Other #7's are okay, just not those NO CORN BASED PLASTICSlabeled PLA or "made from corn". (#7 just means "misc", that is not a 1-6). You can take clean stretchy plastic bags to your local grocery store, or to the Far West Fibers depots below. (Remove the zipper from ziploc bags tho).
In general our Portland Metro curbside/apartment recycling is rather limited due to handling issues. But Far West Fibers takes much more than the curbside system allows - you just have to drop it off at their depots yourself. That's why I've researched and listed the other great outlets for recycling many more items than curbside can take. (Some items in curbside loads will cause whole load to just get dumped in landfill - ouch). So, if in doubt, leave it out of your curbside system, and take it yourself to one of the many facilities listed below (e.g. Far West Fibers, Portland Recycling, Total Reclaim, etc.) I've tried to make it as simple as possible.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Current Portland 2 bin Curbside/apartment Recycling CAN take:
(NO LIDS ON ANY CONTAINERS PLEASE, MUST ALL BE EMPTY AND CLEAN)
A) In separate glass bin only:
Only glass bottles and jars: must keep in separate bin from all other recyclables. Empty, clean, no lids. Also, no light bulbs, lamps, etc. Just clean empty unbroken jars and bottles from the kitchen.
(Take fluorescent and high intensity flood light bulbs to Metro hazardous waste recycling centers
listed below).
B) In 2nd co-mingled rollout recycling bins you can combine:
Plastic bottles and tubs (no lids): bottles with a screw neck top, empty (clean) margarine or yogurt type tubs (No’s 1, 2 and 5 only). NO clamshell food containers (#6). AND NO OTHER PLASTICS (e.g. toys, hangers, lids). (See below for where to take those!) All bottles and tubs must be clean, empty, NO LIDS. NO BAGS. You can recycle empty (rinsed) laundry detergent bottles in curbside bin (lid off).
Paper: Newspaper, magazines, and office paper and junk mail. (Envelopes with glassine windows are okay). NO NAPKINS OR TISSUES (this belongs in garbage or better- compost:). No wax paper or wax coated frozen food cartons. Please enclose shredded paper in a paper bag for ease of handling. (This is the only time you may contain something in any bag, and it must be paper). No foil-lined paper. (e.g. metallic gift wrap).Staples okay. No paper clips. No food-contaminated or waxed containers either. (E.g. no frozen food boxes, or paper coffee cups with waxy insides.
Steel and tin cans: (e.g. soup cans) clean, no labels, flatten as able, and tuck clean lids inside
for safety. (I find squishing the top end of the cans with rounded bottoms to help in removing the
label, and saving a little space). Clean aluminum foil also okay. (Don't tuck small aluminum objects inside steel/tin cans tho, thanks - gotta keep non-ferrous separate from ferrous metals:).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
ALL OTHER RECYCLING:
Call Metro at 503-234-3000 or see www.metro-region.org to keep up on latest recycling outlets for MANY other items including STYROFOAM, ELECTRONICS, batteries and hazardous wastes (old paint, cleaners, fluorescent light bulbs).
Far West Fibers (www.farwestfibers.com): takes virtually everything except styrofoam and hazardous wastes, and are one of the cheapest and easiest to get to. (Depot at SE 17th and Holgate). This includes electronics, appliances, and ALL RIGID PLASTICS except styrofoam and now PLA #7 (corn-based plastics). (Other #7's okay). I.e, they can take all the plastic lids, toys, hangers, clean clamshell food containers, other tubs, etc. that the curbside/apartment system does not take (except PLA:). Must be clean and empty still. $2 donation.
Styorfoam: Total Reclaim on NE 60th and Columbia - $5/car or truck load. Must be clean. Can take clean styro meat packaging trays (even colored ones). www.totalreclaim.com
Computers and all pc related items (printers, scanners, mice, keyboards): Free Geekwww.freegeek.org (SE 10th and Mill, just south of Hawthorne). Reasonable fees apply, although technically pc bodies and monitors can now be donated for free per new Oregon eCycles law starting January 1, 2009. (Free Geek could still use your $ donations. Every dollar helps).
Computer bodies, monitors and Televisions only: Up to 7 of these items at a time can now be dropped off for free at most Goodwill donations stations apparently (along with some other recyclers), per our new (2009) Oregon eCycles law. But not their peripherals. That is, no mice, keyboards, printers, cables, etc. Just the computer and laptop bodies and monitors and television sets are covered under this program. (You can drop off the other stuff as a donation, or take to Free Geek, above). A fee charged for more. Some recyclers may still request a donation or fee to defray their continued costs in processing more than 7, or for additional separate items. See www.oregonecycles.org for more on this per the new law in effect January 1, 2009.
Links to additional recycling outlets and info:
www.metro-region.org (see “Find a Recycler” under Garbage and Recycling links on left side)
www.oregonecycles.org for info on the new e-Cycling law in effect 1/1/09 to keep e-waste out of landfills. (So far just covers pc's, monitors and tv's).
www.farwestfibers.com (take all rigid plastics besides styrofoam, plus much more including books, DVD's and crayons. Separate curbside "quality" recycling from all else however for handling reasons.)
www.portlandrecyclingcenters.com (takes same as Far West Fibers, tho still best to take smaller plastic items (e.g. bottle tops/lids) that curbside doesn't currently take to the SE Far West Fibers depot to put in their bin allotted for same, vs the co-mingled baler at the N Portland recycling center where they fall out. And, they're probably going to shut down their NW and Lake Oswego sites soon, when Far West takes them over, and may use them for storage vs drop off. Check website first)
www.enviromom.com (has updates on many ways to reduce, reuse, recycle in Portland)
www.masterrecycler.org (has updates on periodic local Plastics Roundups in Portland area that take all but styro) 2/14/09 - these may be on hold just now due to recession. Check first.
www.totalreclaim.com (takes styrofoam in NE Portland - yay:) $5/load
www.buyworms.com for a good local Portland source of red worms for vermicomposting (you can get them for free in any good compost or manure pile too;).
http://greengarbageproject.adammathiasdesign.com An Oregon couple on a no garbage diet for one year (2009-2010). Updated often, loaded with great reducing tips.
http://freecycle.org ("Craig's List" for recyclers to try to reuse/repurpose stuff first)
http://www.terracycle.net - under construction, but normally upcyclers of some packaging
http://www.recycline.com - the Preserve Products line of fully recycled/recyclable items
Sunday, July 4, 2010
No Home for (LDPE) Foam 7/4/10
For new followers, this is a blog about where to take as many items to be recycled as possible in the Portland, OR Metro area, where we hug trees, and tree-huggers;). This sprang from my burning desire to throw away as little as possible as a (semi-) "normal" consumer in today's modern American world. Of course, one could do best by reducing & re-using and avoiding packaging as much as possible. But I am speaking to the majority of Americans (most with children) who don't have the time or energy to pursue such avenues. (For those that have and do: kudos!) But for those who, like several of my friends, want to at least recycle as much as possible, this blog's for you. I've discovered you can recycle much more than the current Portland curbside system takes - you just have to take it to one of the places outlined below (in green at bottom of post) yourself is all. And now for the matter of current interest - #4 LDPE foam blocks:Sigh, I did finally hear back from TJ Millbrooke from Far West Fibers about a week ago, and sad to say, they do NOT have a market for that #4 LDPE styro - foam substitute I've been wondering about for so long after all (shown here), and so can not take it. (He did check - thanks TJ!) He called it "ethafoam". It's used in a lot of computer & applicance packaging now as it works as such a good shock absorber. I know, because we get tons of it at work, as do some of my friends.
Here's some more(!):
So I'm now on a new mission to see if you all can't help to find/create a market for it, or help me eliminate it from our waste stream. TJ thought it might be able to be processed in the same kind of machines that handle Styro-Foam (tm), but currently Total Reclaim will not take this stuff. (We've checked a couple times). I'm not sure if it's because there was no market for the resulting product, or it was too hard to handle or work with in reality in their machines. I'd love to find out.On the other side of this equation, I know that some computer companies are shipping things with great, recycled kraft paper based formed holders, that can then just be recycled like cardboard. I don't think this would work for heavier objects, but I know my flat panel Sony monitor came this way a few years ago. So we could all also pressure all the manufacturers to please find eco-friendly alternatives. Until we succeed in either of the above, I'm afraid we're going to be sending a ton of non-biodegradable bulky LDPE foam to the landfill as we are now. I hope you'll join me in this pursuit. If you come up with any leads, ping me at j an dr oid *at* gm ail *dot* c om. (Squish that all back together for my proper email address, I'm just trying to dodge spam bots, thanks).
Meanwhile I'm going to consider updating this post with more ideas on how to reduce your non-recyclable packaging "intake" in the first place. Things like finding recyclable toothbrushes (New Seasons is a great source), buying in bulk (remember to carry containers!) No promises, however. And once again, here's where to take what at this time in the Portland, OR Metro area:
Where to Take Stuff in Portland Area 07/04/10
Per the good people at Metro (www.metro-region.org) and Far West Fibers, who know what's up!)
You have 2 main recycling options in Portland: a) the cubside/apartment bin system which is somewhat limited, and b) taking things to Far West Fibers (www.farwestfibers.com) and other places yourself (which covers a LOT more than the curbside system).
ALL recycling systems require bottles, tubs and cans to be clean, empty, with no lids attached.
(Lids can be taken separately to Far West public depots below). NO PLASTIC BAGS INCURBSIDE/APARTMENT RECYCLING AT ALL . (Do not drop off bags of bottles or other objects in any recycling system. The bags gum up the works and cause loads to be tossed. Nor leave plastic bags or film or #7PLA corn-based plastics mixed in a load, same problem). Other #7's are okay, just not those NO CORN BASED PLASTICSlabeled PLA or "made from corn". (#7 just means "misc", that is not a 1-6). You can take clean stretchy plastic bags to your local grocery store, or to the Far West Fibers depots below. (Remove the zipper from ziploc bags tho).
In general our Portland Metro curbside/apartment recycling is rather limited due to handling issues. But Far West Fibers takes much more than the curbside system allows - you just have to drop it off at their depots yourself. That's why I've researched and listed the other great outlets for recycling many more items than curbside can take. (Some items in curbside loads will cause whole load to just get dumped in landfill - ouch). So, if in doubt, leave it out of your curbside system, and take it yourself to one of the many facilities listed below (e.g. Far West Fibers, Portland Recycling, Total Reclaim, etc.) I've tried to make it as simple as possible.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Current Portland 2 bin Curbside/apartment Recycling CAN take:
(NO LIDS ON ANY CONTAINERS PLEASE, MUST ALL BE EMPTY AND CLEAN)
A) In separate glass bin only:
Only glass bottles and jars: must keep in separate bin from all other recyclables. Empty, clean, no lids. Also, no light bulbs, lamps, etc. Just clean empty unbroken jars and bottles from the kitchen.
(Take fluorescent and high intensity flood light bulbs to Metro hazardous waste recycling centers
listed below).
B) In 2nd co-mingled rollout recycling bins you can combine:
Plastic bottles and tubs (no lids): bottles with a screw neck top, empty (clean) margarine or yogurt type tubs (No’s 1, 2 and 5 only). NO clamshell food containers (#6). AND NO OTHER PLASTICS (e.g. toys, hangers, lids). (See below for where to take those!) All bottles and tubs must be clean, empty, NO LIDS. NO BAGS. You can recycle empty (rinsed) laundry detergent bottles in curbside bin (lid off).
Paper: Newspaper, magazines, and office paper and junk mail. (Envelopes with glassine windows are okay). NO NAPKINS OR TISSUES (this belongs in garbage or better- compost:). No wax paper or wax coated frozen food cartons. Please enclose shredded paper in a paper bag for ease of handling. (This is the only time you may contain something in any bag, and it must be paper). No foil-lined paper. (e.g. metallic gift wrap).Staples okay. No paper clips. No food-contaminated or waxed containers either. (E.g. no frozen food boxes, or paper coffee cups with waxy insides.
Steel and tin cans: (e.g. soup cans) clean, no labels, flatten as able, and tuck clean lids inside
for safety. (I find squishing the top end of the cans with rounded bottoms to help in removing the
label, and saving a little space). Clean aluminum foil also okay. (Don't tuck small aluminum objects inside steel/tin cans tho, thanks - gotta keep non-ferrous separate from ferrous metals:).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
ALL OTHER RECYCLING:
Call Metro at 503-234-3000 or see www.metro-region.org to keep up on latest recycling outlets for MANY other items including STYROFOAM, ELECTRONICS, batteries and hazardous wastes (old paint, cleaners, fluorescent light bulbs).
Far West Fibers (www.farwestfibers.com): takes virtually everything except styrofoam and hazardous wastes, and are one of the cheapest and easiest to get to. (Depot at SE 17th and Holgate). This includes electronics, appliances, and ALL RIGID PLASTICS except styrofoam and now PLA #7 (corn-based plastics). (Other #7's okay). I.e, they can take all the plastic lids, toys, hangers, clean clamshell food containers, other tubs, etc. that the curbside/apartment system does not take (except PLA:). Must be clean and empty still. $2 donation.
Styorfoam: Total Reclaim on NE 60th and Columbia - $5/car or truck load. Must be clean. Can take clean styro meat packaging trays (even colored ones). www.totalreclaim.com
Computers and all pc related items (printers, scanners, mice, keyboards): Free Geekwww.freegeek.org (SE 10th and Mill, just south of Hawthorne). Reasonable fees apply, although technically pc bodies and monitors can now be donated for free per new Oregon eCycles law starting January 1, 2009. (Free Geek could still use your $ donations. Every dollar helps).
Computer bodies, monitors and Televisions only: Up to 7 of these items at a time can now be dropped off for free at most Goodwill donations stations apparently (along with some other recyclers), per our new (2009) Oregon eCycles law. But not their peripherals. That is, no mice, keyboards, printers, cables, etc. Just the computer and laptop bodies and monitors and television sets are covered under this program. (You can drop off the other stuff as a donation, or take to Free Geek, above). A fee charged for more. Some recyclers may still request a donation or fee to defray their continued costs in processing more than 7, or for additional separate items. See www.oregonecycles.org for more on this per the new law in effect January 1, 2009.
Links to additional recycling outlets and info:
www.metro-region.org (see “Find a Recycler” under Garbage and Recycling links on left side)
www.oregonecycles.org for info on the new e-Cycling law in effect 1/1/09 to keep e-waste out of landfills. (So far just covers pc's, monitors and tv's).
www.farwestfibers.com (take all rigid plastics besides styrofoam, plus much more including books, DVD's and crayons. Separate curbside "quality" recycling from all else however for handling reasons.)
www.portlandrecyclingcenters.com (takes same as Far West Fibers, tho still best to take smaller plastic items (e.g. bottle tops/lids) that curbside doesn't currently take to the SE Far West Fibers depot to put in their bin allotted for same, vs the co-mingled baler at the N Portland recycling center where they fall out. And, they're probably going to shut down their NW and Lake Oswego sites soon, when Far West takes them over, and may use them for storage vs drop off. Check website first)
www.enviromom.com (has updates on many ways to reduce, reuse, recycle in Portland)
www.masterrecycler.org (has updates on periodic local Plastics Roundups in Portland area that take all but styro) 2/14/09 - these may be on hold just now due to recession. Check first.
www.totalreclaim.com (takes styrofoam in NE Portland - yay:) $5/load
www.buyworms.com for a good local Portland source of red worms for vermicomposting (you can get them for free in any good compost or manure pile too;).
http://greengarbageproject.adammathiasdesign.com An Oregon couple on a no garbage diet for one year (2009-2010). Updated often, loaded with great reducing tips.
http://freecycle.org ("Craig's List" for recyclers to try to reuse/repurpose stuff first)
http://www.terracycle.net - under construction, but normally upcyclers of some packaging
http://www.recycline.com - the Preserve Products line of fully recycled/recyclable items
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Getting back in the recycling swing...
So, tho the employment situation has changed for the better, and I don't actually have any more time to spend on this than I did before, I find my passion for revisiting the pursuit returning. (Something about Maszlo's hierarchy of needs being satisfied and opening the brain space to deal with it again comes to mind). As well as working somewhere that generates a lot of plastics to recycle. Including that problematic puffed foam packaging that is not Styro-Foam (tm). Leading me to pursue the ability to recycle it with Far West Fibers once again. As always, my links to "Where to take what currently" are at the bottom in green, if that's all you're looking for just now.
A call last Friday to Metro yielded a quick and decisive "nope, no one takes it currently". And a 2nd call to Far West Fibers yielded a "well, maybe, in small quantities to the right facility, but you should really talk to TJ to be sure". So, I am now in communication with TJ who agreed to look at a sample of the stuff as soon as I can drop some off. I've been a little tight for time, between both working, and running my photography business on the side. But I hope to get some down to the SE scale house tomorrow (Sun 6/20/10) for him to check out on Monday. And we'll see what comes of that. It's a shame to not recycle it - a lot of businesses are swimming in it from computer packaging now, making it not much better than Styro-Foam. Meanwhile, I was delighted to see Carrie Sturrock of The Oregonian address the issue of excess contaminants (especially plastic bags) in recycling bins, and how they simply gum up the works. So once again: NO PLASTIC BAGS IN CURBSIDE RECYCLING BINS EVER, please. Take them back to the grocery store. Period. Thank you.
With that, I return you to your normal recycling programming for now. I'll try to update with an answer on the LDPE foam blocks (see 2nd to last posting of 8/7/09 for a photo) asap. Bee good.
Where to Take Stuff in Portland Area 06/18/10
Per the good people at Metro (www.metro-region.org) and Far West Fibers, who know what's up!)
You have 2 main recycling options in Portland: a) the cubside/apartment bin system which is somewhat limited, and b) taking things to Far West Fibers (www.farwestfibers.com) and other places yourself (which covers a LOT more than the curbside system).
ALL recycling systems require bottles, tubs and cans to be clean, empty, with no lids attached.
(Lids can be taken separately to Far West public depots below). NO PLASTIC BAGS INCURBSIDE/APARTMENT RECYCLING AT ALL . (Do not drop off bags of bottles or other objects in any recycling system. The bags gum up the works and cause loads to be tossed. Nor leave plastic bags or film or #7PLA corn-based plastics mixed in a load, same problem). Other #7's are okay, just not those NO CORN BASED PLASTICSlabeled PLA or "made from corn". (#7 just means "misc", that is not a 1-6). You can take clean stretchy plastic bags to your local grocery store, or to the Far West Fibers depots below. (Remove the zipper from ziploc bags tho).
In general our Portland Metro curbside/apartment recycling is rather limited due to handling issues. But Far West Fibers takes much more than the curbside system allows - you just have to drop it off at their depots yourself. That's why I've researched and listed the other great outlets for recycling many more items than curbside can take. (Some items in curbside loads will cause whole load to just get dumped in landfill - ouch). So, if in doubt, leave it out of your curbside system, and take it yourself to one of the many facilities listed below (e.g. Far West Fibers, Portland Recycling, Total Reclaim, etc.) I've tried to make it as simple as possible.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Current Portland 2 bin Curbside/apartment Recycling CAN take:
(NO LIDS ON ANY CONTAINERS PLEASE, MUST ALL BE EMPTY AND CLEAN)
A) In separate glass bin only:
Only glass bottles and jars: must keep in separate bin from all other recyclables. Empty, clean, no lids. Also, no light bulbs, lamps, etc. Just clean empty unbroken jars and bottles from the kitchen.
(Take fluorescent and high intensity flood light bulbs to Metro hazardous waste recycling centers
listed below).
B) In 2nd co-mingled rollout recycling bins you can combine:
Plastic bottles and tubs (no lids): bottles with a screw neck top, empty (clean) margarine or yogurt type tubs (No’s 1, 2 and 5 only). NO clamshell food containers (#6). AND NO OTHER PLASTICS (e.g. toys, hangers, lids). (See below for where to take those!) All bottles and tubs must be clean, empty, NO LIDS. NO BAGS. You can recycle empty (rinsed) laundry detergent bottles in curbside bin (lid off).
Paper: Newspaper, magazines, and office paper and junk mail. (Envelopes with glassine windows are okay). NO NAPKINS OR TISSUES (this belongs in garbage or better- compost:). No wax paper or wax coated frozen food cartons. Please enclose shredded paper in a paper bag for ease of handling. (This is the only time you may contain something in any bag, and it must be paper). No foil-lined paper. (e.g. metallic gift wrap).Staples okay. No paper clips. No food-contaminated or waxed containers either. (E.g. no frozen food boxes, or paper coffee cups with waxy insides.
Steel and tin cans: (e.g. soup cans) clean, no labels, flatten as able, and tuck clean lids inside
for safety. (I find squishing the top end of the cans with rounded bottoms to help in removing the
label, and saving a little space). Clean aluminum foil also okay. (Don't tuck small aluminum objects inside steel/tin cans tho, thanks - gotta keep non-ferrous separate from ferrous metals:).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
ALL OTHER RECYCLING:
Call Metro at 503-234-3000 or see www.metro-region.org to keep up on latest recycling outlets for MANY other items including STYROFOAM, ELECTRONICS, batteries and hazardous wastes (old paint, cleaners, fluorescent light bulbs).
Far West Fibers (www.farwestfibers.com): takes virtually everything except styrofoam and hazardous wastes, and are one of the cheapest and easiest to get to. (Depot at SE 17th and Holgate). This includes electronics, appliances, and ALL RIGID PLASTICS except styrofoam and now PLA #7 (corn-based plastics). (Other #7's okay). I.e, they can take all the plastic lids, toys, hangers, clean clamshell food containers, other tubs, etc. that the curbside/apartment system does not take (except PLA:). Must be clean and empty still. $2 donation.
Styorfoam: Total Reclaim on NE 60th and Columbia - $5/car or truck load. Must be clean. Can take clean styro meat packaging trays (even colored ones). www.totalreclaim.com
Computers and all pc related items (printers, scanners, mice, keyboards): Free Geekwww.freegeek.org (SE 10th and Mill, just south of Hawthorne). Reasonable fees apply, although technically pc bodies and monitors can now be donated for free per new Oregon eCycles law starting January 1, 2009. (Free Geek could still use your $ donations. Every dollar helps).
Computer bodies, monitors and Televisions only: Up to 7 of these items at a time can now be dropped off for free at most Goodwill donations stations apparently (along with some other recyclers), per our new (2009) Oregon eCycles law. But not their peripherals. That is, no mice, keyboards, printers, cables, etc. Just the computer and laptop bodies and monitors and television sets are covered under this program. (You can drop off the other stuff as a donation, or take to Free Geek, above). A fee charged for more. Some recyclers may still request a donation or fee to defray their continued costs in processing more than 7, or for additional separate items. See www.oregonecycles.org for more on this per the new law in effect January 1, 2009.
Links to additional recycling outlets and info:
www.metro-region.org (see “Find a Recycler” under Garbage and Recycling links on left side)
www.oregonecycles.org for info on the new e-Cycling law in effect 1/1/09 to keep e-waste out of landfills. (So far just covers pc's, monitors and tv's).
www.farwestfibers.com (take all rigid plastics besides styrofoam, plus much more including books, DVD's and crayons. Separate curbside "quality" recycling from all else however for handling reasons.)
www.portlandrecyclingcenters.com (takes same as Far West Fibers, tho still best to take smaller plastic items (e.g. bottle tops/lids) that curbside doesn't currently take to the SE Far West Fibers depot to put in their bin allotted for same, vs the co-mingled baler at the N Portland recycling center where they fall out. And, they're probably going to shut down their NW and Lake Oswego sites soon, when Far West takes them over, and may use them for storage vs drop off. Check website first)
www.enviromom.com (has updates on many ways to reduce, reuse, recycle in Portland)
www.masterrecycler.org (has updates on periodic local Plastics Roundups in Portland area that take all but styro) 2/14/09 - these may be on hold just now due to recession. Check first.
www.totalreclaim.com (takes styrofoam in NE Portland - yay:) $5/load
www.buyworms.com for a good local Portland source of red worms for vermicomposting (you can get them for free in any good compost or manure pile too;).
http://greengarbageproject.adammathiasdesign.com An Oregon couple on a no garbage diet for one year (2009-2010). Updated often, loaded with great reducing tips.
http://freecycle.org ("Craig's List" for recyclers to try to reuse/repurpose stuff first)
http://www.terracycle.net - under construction, but normally upcyclers of some packaging
http://www.recycline.com - the Preserve Products line of fully recycled/recyclable items
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
