As you can clearly see, I've rather lapsed on updating my recycling blog lately, and I do apologize to any new followers who were hoping I'd keep things a little more up to date. (I'm disappointed too, tho I did throw in the useful "Where to take what" links at the bottom still in green). This is mainly because I'm now unemployed again, and I confess all my time is now hyperfocused on re-obtaining either gainful employment, or selling my photos I've started printing and framing. (See http://photogroh.zenfolio.com for some). Neither of which is sufficiently lucrative yet, so that's where my time is going. But if it's any consolation, the good news is I haven't heard any major new recycling developments in the Portland area beyond what I've shared so far. (I do strongly recommend reading my last post of 8/7/09 for a great comprehensive writeup of all I know so far about what all we can recycle and where in Portland for those brand new to my blog).
I do hope and plan to return to updating this, but until and unless I am pulling in at least rent, I'm afraid I'm no longer able to volunteer the kind of time I have put in so far keeping this updated. Frankly, I was doing virtually the same job as a friend of mine who's actually paid by Metro - for free. So, until/unless someone wants to pay me (and I only want to work part-time by the way, so you don't even have to pay me much;), I'm afraid we're not going to see much new here, sorry.
I accordingly welcome your volunteer efforts at finding out if anyone is yet taking that funky pseudo-styrofoam stuff I shared a picture of in my last post. I know that Total Reclaim is not. (I actually did manage to drop by there with a chunk about 2 weeks ago while running another errand). But I never did manage to connect with the fast-traveling Jeff of Far West before I was completely consumed by job hunting and ran out of time/tracking energy to get the final answer from them on it. (I've gotten totally conflicting information from different sources within the same company). It's not styro-foam. But it's a puffed plastic (like stryo), but bendy. I think it's PVC or #5. Anyway, definitive answers most welcome.
Sorry to write such a lame post, but, well, it's the economy, right?;) Hope you're surviving it better than I for now. I promise my next post will have actual new useful recycling info in it. Hopefully soon. For all our sakes.
Jan(droid) the recycling android in SE Portland
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where to Take Stuff in Portland Area 12/01/09
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 IN CURBSIDE/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 Geek www.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
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Getting answers 8/7/09
Hi again after too long a time away, sorry to take so long getting back to the blog with updates. Been a busy spring/summer, with (for me) show stopping heat here in Portland recently.
For my newer readers and fans, a reminder that this blog was born of my burning desire to throw away as little as possible as a rather “normal” consumer in the Portland, OR area, and I always include the latest and greatest I know of on where to take as many things as possible at the bottom of each post (now in green type). (Hint: go there now, if that’s all you’re after today:). I also urge reducing, and reusing before recycling as much as possible, knowing this can be very challenging for modern households, especially with children. But there are ways;). (Buy in bulk, bring your own containers, grow your own food, buy whole items and parcel up yourself - yes, all of this involves a little more time and work than grabbing a pre-packaged item already neatly portioned out for you. Yes, a challenge in our busy lives). Why am I so rabid about this? Becaues almost nothing breaks down in a modern landfill. So we are truly, slowly running out of space. (Hawaii is already running out and may start shipping their garbage to us in fact: http://tinyurl.com/49pcfr) Burning is no better - adds to global warming pollution big time, even if still organic, so avoid that too, please.
And once again in general, 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, which is my primary goal – to keep stuff out of the garbage:). The good news, our options are steadily improving with time. (Hint: try coordinating with neighbors on periodic trips for things like styro-foam and hazardous wastes that you don't have all the time. I go about once per quarter, and ping about 5 people to net me a full car load each time since I don't generate much of these items on my own).
The Latest
And now for the latest and greatest findings since I last posted. KGW News just featured a young couple (Amy and Adam) in Dallas, OR last week (Aug 3, 2009) who have taken a vow to generate no more than one ( yes, just 1~!) small bag of garbage for the WHOLE YEAR!! My hat is totally off to them. They have a blog which I'll add to my links at the bottom, as well as here:
http://greengarbageproject.adammathiasdesign.com/
I thoroughly admire and applaud their efforts, which are far greater than mine at the moment. (I'm about half-way there;). I also love Amy's writing style, and problem solving philosophy. Like her, I don't have all the answers ju st now, but am constantly striving to find them as time/life allow. Please join me in applauding their noble effort in this modern disposable world of ours. They also have several excellent links to other very inspiring blogs/sites on reducing your waste stream.
Update on #4 flexible styro-foam-like packing blocks
On other fronts, my quest to find out if that flexible styro-foam like puffed plastic blocking that comes in shipping boxes for things like computers continues. See picture (finally, yay:). Thing is, I've gotten conflicting information over the 
last 2 months, and more recently, even in the same visit to Far West Fibers last Friday August 7, 2009 in which one guy said "no, not at all", and another guy (across the street in the main depot) said "yes, Jeff (the head dude) says so". Thing is, former site- manager Jeff was no longer at the SE Depot site for me to verify this with, and the guy who told me "yes" has also been wrong in the past when I've checked on things with Jeff in person (namely, corn based plastics), so I hesitate to say with certainty that yes, Far West takes that stuff now. I'm betting they do, but I hesitate to say so with certainty without further confirmation from Jeff or another higher up. I'm still chasing this down. (By the way, if any of you ever comes up with answers/leads before I do, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!! Any additional research help is always welcome - it'll help me keep this updated more often;). (E mail j an d ro i d at gm a i l dot c om (spaces inserted to avoid spam bots - just squish it all back together, no spaces for correct address).
Further, when I inquired of Metro about it over a month ago, they said that Total Reclaim in N Portland was taking it. (Total Reclaim takes styro-foam, see links at bottom). But, my latest conversation with my partner in eco-saving "crime" there Patrick, said they no longer take it now. So, "recyclat emptor" I guess? (does that work?) I.e, Please know that things change RAPIDLY for us rabid recyclers, and it's always best to check. I always suggest phoning first to save a trip for just one (type of) item. Patrick said he's gonna look into it too, and we'll see who gets it pinned down first.
CD /DVD update
A reminder that CDs and DVD's need to go in their own special bin at Far West (not mixed in with all other rigid plastics) as they contain some metal which they try to recover. This is in the dark green building building in the right hand lot off SE 17th of Far West Fibers, vs the more visible left hand lot (when headed south on 17th off of Holgate). The right hand (west-side) lot is also where you can take applicances, electronics, and other larger items that Far West takes. They also separate out the jewel cases (if you're so mindful), and when I asked why, was told it's because those are known to be made of #6, and can go into a #6 product again - so good to keep separate as opposed to in the "all other rigid plastics" bin. (Tho it's not the end of the world if they end up there). Again, this is for "rabid" recyclers:).
Books
I also learned that the book drop off at Far West is only for books that might be able to be re-used/resold. Any that are totally trashed, or moldy/out of date just get dumped into the mixed paper bin in the end. Apparently someone actually goes through the books bin and sorts them out, and resells or donates those that can still be used, but recycles the rest. Just fyi.
Composting in Portland (hopefully coming soon to a curbside near you;).
I'm excited to share that the City of Portland is officially looking at implementing a curbside residential compost pickup sometime in the next year, hopefully. I learned this not only from Metro, but Twitter of all places, whenI saw @MayorSamAdams tweet about it a couple weeks ago. (I promptly applauded those efforts, natch). It's not a done deal yet, but it appears the City is in middle of securing a contractor and a site for them to process the stuff. (The pilot project underway currently sends stuff up to Cedar Grove Composting in Washington, our only current regional industrial composting facility. Word also has it the Portland Pilot Project is at capacity just now). What's the difference between compost and our current yard debris you ask? Yard debris currently is not supposed to include food waste. The compost can/will include food waste, and possibly those corn based plastics - but don't quote me on the latter. (Oh how happy I'll be if so, tho, natch:).
And happily my buddies on the board of balkanalia! (www.balkanalia.org) are letting me pursue composting as a possible option for camp this year. I'm currently in phone tag with Metro as I type this waiting to find out if we can. Keep your toes crossed - we're all quite for it, but the devil's always in the details as you know. But if not this year, for sure hopefully next. Otherwise, Maria and I will consider diligently trying to collect, clean and recycle all the #6 based plastic solo cups we use for Italian Sodas in the Kafana like we did last year. (A labor of love, I assure you;).
Rapid Refill Ink
As some of you know, I've taken up photography with a sort of vengeance, including printing my own fine art works now. So I've had a crash course in printing photos with an Epson color inkjet, including the infamous "OMG is ink expensive!" discovery. (Now I know why they offered the printer for free via rebate;). And while I've seen myriad ads for cheap/discount ink refills and refillers, my fellow fine art photography peeps have discouraged me from going down that path, in the interest of ensuring the archival quality of my prints. (And I wish to ensure the archival quality of my prints;). So... I was curious to hear what the proprietor of Rapid Refill Ink on SE 82nd in Clackamas might tell me when I happened upon his store one day. And I found Harry Kirkman III to be one of the most engaging, intelligent, humorous, kind and genuine business people I've ever met anywhere. He's been going strong for 5 years now, and getting stronger thanks to the recession driving business his way. And I believe he offers a very high quality product in the refill market that I don't hesitate to recommend to any normal, casual home or business printers needing inkjet refills. (And he knows his printers and cartridges, I assure you). FWIW, he guarantees his product against any harm to your printer 100%. (Seriously, talk to him - he'll fix or replace your printer if you can prove his cartridge harmed it. And says the ink will perform as well or better than original manufacturer's). But as he could not guarantee the same archival quality for my fine art prints that Epson does for the moment, I'm holding off for my own refills just now.
But... I truly felt like this was one of the few "old-school" do it right kind of businesses, where he truly cares about the customer, and wants to do right by you. Not just make a quick buck. And I think that's an increasingly rare quality. Besides he's keeping tons of expired cartridges out of the landfill. (I need to check if we can recycle them at Far West too, but don't think so). You can also ust bring empty inkjet cartridges to him, even if you don't refill there. He is very environmentally pro-active, including using "green" building materials in the store. (Ever seen a desktop made of sunflower seed hulls? Check it out:). So, there's my shout out to Harry in lieu of my personal purchasing power to him. Address is: 11354 SE 82nd, in the Winco Foods complex: www.rapidrefillink.com. 503-653-3929
Misc other new cool links/finds:
A few other neat sites/products I've stumbled on since I posted last that I'll also start including in the main links collection at the bottom of every post now:
http://freecycle.org (great source for re-using/re-purposing your stuff, before even recycling). Kind of like Craig's list for rabid recyclers;).
http://www.terracycle.net - currently under re-construction - dealt with upcycling if memory serves
http://www.recycline.com - the website of Preserve products, made of recycled plastic, who takes back ALL their products for full product cycling - how awesome is that?:) Makers of the recyclable toothbrush you can find at Trader Joes, New Seasons, and online, among other things.
I welcome additional links/tips - bear in mind several of the blogs/links I have already point to many other great links. (E.g. www.enviromom.com and the Green Garbage Project). Thanks for reading this far if you have, and thanks for any/all efforts to help reduce our waste stream here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Until next time:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where to Take Stuff in Portland Area 08/07/09
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 IN CURBSIDE/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 Geek www.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
For my newer readers and fans, a reminder that this blog was born of my burning desire to throw away as little as possible as a rather “normal” consumer in the Portland, OR area, and I always include the latest and greatest I know of on where to take as many things as possible at the bottom of each post (now in green type). (Hint: go there now, if that’s all you’re after today:). I also urge reducing, and reusing before recycling as much as possible, knowing this can be very challenging for modern households, especially with children. But there are ways;). (Buy in bulk, bring your own containers, grow your own food, buy whole items and parcel up yourself - yes, all of this involves a little more time and work than grabbing a pre-packaged item already neatly portioned out for you. Yes, a challenge in our busy lives). Why am I so rabid about this? Becaues almost nothing breaks down in a modern landfill. So we are truly, slowly running out of space. (Hawaii is already running out and may start shipping their garbage to us in fact: http://tinyurl.com/49pcfr) Burning is no better - adds to global warming pollution big time, even if still organic, so avoid that too, please.
And once again in general, 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, which is my primary goal – to keep stuff out of the garbage:). The good news, our options are steadily improving with time. (Hint: try coordinating with neighbors on periodic trips for things like styro-foam and hazardous wastes that you don't have all the time. I go about once per quarter, and ping about 5 people to net me a full car load each time since I don't generate much of these items on my own).
The Latest
Update on #4 flexible styro-foam-like packing blocks
On other fronts, my quest to find out if that flexible styro-foam like puffed plastic blocking that comes in shipping boxes for things like computers continues.
Further, when I inquired of Metro about it over a month ago, they said that Total Reclaim in N Portland was taking it. (Total Reclaim takes styro-foam, see links at bottom). But, my latest conversation with my partner in eco-saving "crime" there Patrick, said they no longer take it now. So, "recyclat emptor" I guess? (does that work?) I.e, Please know that things change RAPIDLY for us rabid recyclers, and it's always best to check. I always suggest phoning first to save a trip for just one (type of) item. Patrick said he's gonna look into it too, and we'll see who gets it pinned down first.
CD /DVD update
A reminder that CDs and DVD's need to go in their own special bin at Far West (not mixed in with all other rigid plastics) as they contain some metal which they try to recover. This is in the dark green building building in the right hand lot off SE 17th of Far West Fibers, vs the more visible left hand lot (when headed south on 17th off of Holgate). The right hand (west-side) lot is also where you can take applicances, electronics, and other larger items that Far West takes. They also separate out the jewel cases (if you're so mindful), and when I asked why, was told it's because those are known to be made of #6, and can go into a #6 product again - so good to keep separate as opposed to in the "all other rigid plastics" bin. (Tho it's not the end of the world if they end up there). Again, this is for "rabid" recyclers:).
Books
I also learned that the book drop off at Far West is only for books that might be able to be re-used/resold. Any that are totally trashed, or moldy/out of date just get dumped into the mixed paper bin in the end. Apparently someone actually goes through the books bin and sorts them out, and resells or donates those that can still be used, but recycles the rest. Just fyi.
Composting in Portland (hopefully coming soon to a curbside near you;).
I'm excited to share that the City of Portland is officially looking at implementing a curbside residential compost pickup sometime in the next year, hopefully. I learned this not only from Metro, but Twitter of all places, whenI saw @MayorSamAdams tweet about it a couple weeks ago. (I promptly applauded those efforts, natch). It's not a done deal yet, but it appears the City is in middle of securing a contractor and a site for them to process the stuff. (The pilot project underway currently sends stuff up to Cedar Grove Composting in Washington, our only current regional industrial composting facility. Word also has it the Portland Pilot Project is at capacity just now). What's the difference between compost and our current yard debris you ask? Yard debris currently is not supposed to include food waste. The compost can/will include food waste, and possibly those corn based plastics - but don't quote me on the latter. (Oh how happy I'll be if so, tho, natch:).
And happily my buddies on the board of balkanalia! (www.balkanalia.org) are letting me pursue composting as a possible option for camp this year. I'm currently in phone tag with Metro as I type this waiting to find out if we can. Keep your toes crossed - we're all quite for it, but the devil's always in the details as you know. But if not this year, for sure hopefully next. Otherwise, Maria and I will consider diligently trying to collect, clean and recycle all the #6 based plastic solo cups we use for Italian Sodas in the Kafana like we did last year. (A labor of love, I assure you;).
Rapid Refill Ink
As some of you know, I've taken up photography with a sort of vengeance, including printing my own fine art works now. So I've had a crash course in printing photos with an Epson color inkjet, including the infamous "OMG is ink expensive!" discovery. (Now I know why they offered the printer for free via rebate;). And while I've seen myriad ads for cheap/discount ink refills and refillers, my fellow fine art photography peeps have discouraged me from going down that path, in the interest of ensuring the archival quality of my prints. (And I wish to ensure the archival quality of my prints;). So... I was curious to hear what the proprietor of Rapid Refill Ink on SE 82nd in Clackamas might tell me when I happened upon his store one day. And I found Harry Kirkman III to be one of the most engaging, intelligent, humorous, kind and genuine business people I've ever met anywhere. He's been going strong for 5 years now, and getting stronger thanks to the recession driving business his way. And I believe he offers a very high quality product in the refill market that I don't hesitate to recommend to any normal, casual home or business printers needing inkjet refills. (And he knows his printers and cartridges, I assure you). FWIW, he guarantees his product against any harm to your printer 100%. (Seriously, talk to him - he'll fix or replace your printer if you can prove his cartridge harmed it. And says the ink will perform as well or better than original manufacturer's). But as he could not guarantee the same archival quality for my fine art prints that Epson does for the moment, I'm holding off for my own refills just now.
But... I truly felt like this was one of the few "old-school" do it right kind of businesses, where he truly cares about the customer, and wants to do right by you. Not just make a quick buck. And I think that's an increasingly rare quality. Besides he's keeping tons of expired cartridges out of the landfill. (I need to check if we can recycle them at Far West too, but don't think so). You can also ust bring empty inkjet cartridges to him, even if you don't refill there. He is very environmentally pro-active, including using "green" building materials in the store. (Ever seen a desktop made of sunflower seed hulls? Check it out:). So, there's my shout out to Harry in lieu of my personal purchasing power to him. Address is: 11354 SE 82nd, in the Winco Foods complex: www.rapidrefillink.com. 503-653-3929
Misc other new cool links/finds:
A few other neat sites/products I've stumbled on since I posted last that I'll also start including in the main links collection at the bottom of every post now:
http://freecycle.org (great source for re-using/re-purposing your stuff, before even recycling). Kind of like Craig's list for rabid recyclers;).
http://www.terracycle.net - currently under re-construction - dealt with upcycling if memory serves
http://www.recycline.com - the website of Preserve products, made of recycled plastic, who takes back ALL their products for full product cycling - how awesome is that?:) Makers of the recyclable toothbrush you can find at Trader Joes, New Seasons, and online, among other things.
I welcome additional links/tips - bear in mind several of the blogs/links I have already point to many other great links. (E.g. www.enviromom.com and the Green Garbage Project). Thanks for reading this far if you have, and thanks for any/all efforts to help reduce our waste stream here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Until next time:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where to Take Stuff in Portland Area 08/07/09
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 IN CURBSIDE/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 Geek www.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
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Getting some answers 4/30/09
Hi again all. I’m thrilled to have finally had a chance to get a few long outstanding (for me:) recycling questions answered in the past week, and stumble upon several public houses (bars/cafes) that are now composting (yes, actually composting!) their food and corn plastics waste properly now through a pilot project of the City of Portland. More on that in a bit.
For my newer readers and fans, a reminder that this blog was born of my burning desire to throw away as little as possible as a rather “normal” consumer in the Portland area, and I always include the latest and greatest I know of on where to take as many things as possible at the bottom of each post. (Hint: go there now, if that’s all you’re after today:). I also urge reducing, and reusing before recycling as much as possible, knowing this can be very challenging for modern households, especially with children.
And once again in general, you have 2 main recycling options in Portland: the cubside/apartment bin system which is somewhat limited , and taking things to Far West Fibers (www.farwestfibers.com) and other places yourself (which covers a LOT more than the curbside system, which is my primary goal – to keep stuff out of the garbage:). The good news, our options are steadily improving with time.
So, my burning q’s this time were:
a) Can we recycle plastic toothbrushes? Per Metro, the answer was yes, but please snap off/remove the bristle part, for sanitary reasons. You can then recycle the remaining plastic handle in the rigid plastics bin down at www.farwestfibers.com. (Not in the curbside system). There’s also a new brand of toothbrush available at some New Seasons stores called “Preserve” that comes in its very own special plastic case designed for you to return the whole toothbrush in to the manufacturer, who has designed them to be fully recyclable, bristles and all. I’m using one now, and it’s working fine for me, but admit both the shape, and bristle “hardness” may not work for everyone, so was glad to learn the former.
b) What do we do with those mixed material Tree Top apple sauce jar caps? For those who don’t buy TT apple sauce, or haven’t lately, this arose when I did last Feb, and found they now use a cap that’s comprised of BOTH metal and plastic, in almost equal parts. So I was stymied as to which bin to put it in at Far West - plastic, or metal? I finally got to ask one of the scale attendants this week, and the answer was “put in the metal bin”. Yay. I was sweating being told to pry it apart (the metal disk rattles loosely inside the plastic screw band, but it was still gonna be tricky). Or worse, do nothing at all.
c) Does size of recycled item matter ? Yes, in our curbside system – please stick to just what their labels say on those bins, and do not include bottle tops/caps. (And always, NO plastic bags in curbside systems, ever!) The hauling and sorting systems involved in our curbside recycling aren’t designed to handle all these other smaller/odd items. But no, size does not matter IFF you take them to the proper bins at Far West Fiber’s SE public depot . You do need to keep ferrous or “magnetic” metal items separate from non-ferrous or “non-magnetic” (e.g. aluminum) items there. (Plastic caps/tops can just go in the rigid plastics bins that is not for bottles there). They have a big magnet on their ferrous bin to help you decipher this. Your common fridge magnet will also do the trick before hand:). I’ve taken to using 2 of those skinny plastic bags newspapers come in to collect up all my tiny metal bottle caps and bits – 1 for ferrous, the other or none, natch. (Mine are primarily from some wine bottles, and the occasional Starbucks drink I get when desperate).
Now, as for this composting I’ve just discovered, well, it turns out to be a pilot project run by the City of Portland for a select handful of food and drink establishments so far. (Separate from Burgerville’s efforts, which are entirely their own, and equally exciting. They just added compost receptacles to their SE Hawthorne store, yeah:). I first discovered this was happening when I went to Mississippi Studios for my first time for a concert there last Friday night (loved the Andrew Oliver Kora band) and found they not only served their water in corn based plastic solo cups, but better yet – they were composting them! They had a clearly labeled bin for same, prompting me to inquire about it. Of course I was terribly curious how this could be (newer readers, see my prior post on corn based plastics for why), and learned there is a company called “Cloudburst Recycling” that has actually been around since the ‘70’s that is handling (some of?) this for now. (I've since seen this happening at a couple other cafes around town). However, I’m still stuck in a phone tag loop with them and the City to get more details on just who is able to participate, and how it’s going. But the rabid recycler in me is jumping for joy to see efforts toward this end finally. Reminder: we cannot put any corn based (labeled “PLA” or “corn based”) plastics in any other recycling systems here for now. (Curbside or Far West’s bins). They simply melt and gum up the works, so please don’t! (I’m so grateful for what all Far West is doing for our fair city and planet, if you can’t tell. So I’m eager to make their lives as trouble free as possible too).
Okay, that’s enough blathering for now. Back to trying to will the Blazers to win. (You can follow my efforts on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/jandroid). And now for your summary of recycling sources:
Latest Recycling Sources 04/30/09
Per the good people at Metro and Far West Fibers, who know what's up!)
You have 2 main recycling options in Portland: the cubside/apartment bin system which is somewhat limited , and 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 rinsed, empty, with no lids attached. (Lids can be taken separately to Far West public depots below). NO PLASTIC BAGS IN CURBSIDE/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 mixed in, same problem). And, NO CORN BASED PLASTICS anywhere, either (#7 PLA). Other #7's are okay, just not those labeled 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.
In general our Portland Metro curbside/apartment recycling is rather limited due to handling issues. Tho 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. Normal light bulbs can apparently go to Total Reclaim in NE Portland according to Metro Oct 29, 2008. Call first to be sure).
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 WHATSOEVER. (E.g. toys, hangers, lids). All bottles and tubs must be clean, empty, NO LIDS. NO BAGS. (See below for where to take lids and other plastics). You can recycle empty laundry detergent bottles here.
Paper: Newspaper, magazines, and office paper and junk mail. (Envelopes with glassine windows are okay). NO NAPKINS OR TISSUES (this belongs in garbage or compost). No wax paper. Please enclose shredded paper in a paper bag for ease of handling at facilities. (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. These can be composted under proper conditions but are too contaminated for normal paper recycling), else garbage.
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 out of 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 (link below) 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, 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+.
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 Geek www.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: 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. You can take up to 7 for free. 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 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. 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
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Happy Earth Day 2009
Hi all, I haven't dropped off the planet (or ditched you all for another one I secretly found;), I've just been blessedly busy working a lot (even too much, almost), as I got a temp job with the US Census as an "enumerator" - or person who goes door to door canvassing to update their address list for next year. That's on top of my normal part time job fundraising for environmental and public interest groups I still have. But enough about me. How about recycling in Portland?
Well, I'm very happy to say not a lot has changed - Far West is still taking everything they took before despite this recession, including stretchy plastic film (bags, bubble wrap, etc.). I've been trying to find time to verify if they'll take some other items that can't go in curbside, for the most "rabid" among us. I did verify on my last drop off that they'll take the smallest of rigid plastic objects at the SE Public Depot. (E.g. soda bottle lids). I cannot speak for the No Portland depot but suspect this is not best practice there, where they need to bail everything that's brought in. (Small caps would slip out, which is probably why it can't go in the curbside system which effectively does the same - size matters in the handling of it). I'm waiting to find out if same is true for metals - e.g., aluminum screw top caps from wine bottles, Starbucks coffee drinks, etc. (I have a growing collection as I speak). I'm stuck waiting until I can get down there with a little extra time during open hours to ask in person vs on the phone, where they're harder to reach, and things are harder to describe. So, I'm still pursuing this, sorry to not be more definitive.
I did ask and learned that you can recycle the handle part of your plastic toothbrush at Far West too, in the plastics bins at the depots. I.e, remove the part with the bristles, so there are no sanitation/health issues, throw that away, and recycle just the plastic handle. If that bugs you, you might try the new toothbrush from "Preserve" that provides a case for you to return the entire toothbrush when you're done for recycling at their company. I found these at New Seasons, myself. I'm still wearing out my first one.
My other issue is with all those new electronic music-cards Hallmark now sells in their stationery line - you know, the one that plays "Shake your Groove Thing" to wish you Happy Birthday? Yeah. Those kind. Great for bringing smiles. Not great for the planet. I haven't verified this, but I would bet dark chocolate you need to remove the electronics before tossing it in the paper recycling bin anywhere. I will try to get final word on this.
And, I just learned about a guy in Portland who has me beat hands down in my quest to reduce my garbage (I'm on a "garbage diet":) to zero - he throws away virtually nothing. I learned about him on Twitter from KGW's @TheSquare, but alas, I can't find the link just at the moment! I'll certainly try to provide it here if I can - he has some really awesome suggestions to REDUCE, REUSE, and then recycle what's left, producing virtually no garbage at all. And it wasn't radical. They just take planning. (Like buying more stuff in bulk, and bringing your own container for that, plus bringing own container for fast food leftovers or take out, using washable hankies, etc.). I do know you need heat resistant containers for that. Feel free to ping me at http://www.twitter.com/jandroid if you know what I'm talking about/have that link!!
Meanwhile, I gotta get back to work, but I wanted to at least update this here blog for once, especially since it's Earth Day, to honor our beautiful planet. Thanks for all you do to help save it. Good planets are hard to find:).
Well, I'm very happy to say not a lot has changed - Far West is still taking everything they took before despite this recession, including stretchy plastic film (bags, bubble wrap, etc.). I've been trying to find time to verify if they'll take some other items that can't go in curbside, for the most "rabid" among us. I did verify on my last drop off that they'll take the smallest of rigid plastic objects at the SE Public Depot. (E.g. soda bottle lids). I cannot speak for the No Portland depot but suspect this is not best practice there, where they need to bail everything that's brought in. (Small caps would slip out, which is probably why it can't go in the curbside system which effectively does the same - size matters in the handling of it). I'm waiting to find out if same is true for metals - e.g., aluminum screw top caps from wine bottles, Starbucks coffee drinks, etc. (I have a growing collection as I speak). I'm stuck waiting until I can get down there with a little extra time during open hours to ask in person vs on the phone, where they're harder to reach, and things are harder to describe. So, I'm still pursuing this, sorry to not be more definitive.
I did ask and learned that you can recycle the handle part of your plastic toothbrush at Far West too, in the plastics bins at the depots. I.e, remove the part with the bristles, so there are no sanitation/health issues, throw that away, and recycle just the plastic handle. If that bugs you, you might try the new toothbrush from "Preserve" that provides a case for you to return the entire toothbrush when you're done for recycling at their company. I found these at New Seasons, myself. I'm still wearing out my first one.
My other issue is with all those new electronic music-cards Hallmark now sells in their stationery line - you know, the one that plays "Shake your Groove Thing" to wish you Happy Birthday? Yeah. Those kind. Great for bringing smiles. Not great for the planet. I haven't verified this, but I would bet dark chocolate you need to remove the electronics before tossing it in the paper recycling bin anywhere. I will try to get final word on this.
And, I just learned about a guy in Portland who has me beat hands down in my quest to reduce my garbage (I'm on a "garbage diet":) to zero - he throws away virtually nothing. I learned about him on Twitter from KGW's @TheSquare, but alas, I can't find the link just at the moment! I'll certainly try to provide it here if I can - he has some really awesome suggestions to REDUCE, REUSE, and then recycle what's left, producing virtually no garbage at all. And it wasn't radical. They just take planning. (Like buying more stuff in bulk, and bringing your own container for that, plus bringing own container for fast food leftovers or take out, using washable hankies, etc.). I do know you need heat resistant containers for that. Feel free to ping me at http://www.twitter.com/jandroid if you know what I'm talking about/have that link!!
Meanwhile, I gotta get back to work, but I wanted to at least update this here blog for once, especially since it's Earth Day, to honor our beautiful planet. Thanks for all you do to help save it. Good planets are hard to find:).
The latest on
Recycling Outlets in Portland
04/22/09
(Per the good people at Metro and Far West Fibers, who know what's up!)
ALL recycling systems require bottles, tubs and cans to be rinsed, empty, with no lids attached. (Lids can be taken separately to Far West public depots below). NO PLASTIC BAGS IN CURBSIDE/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 mixed in, same problem). And, NO CORN BASED PLASTICS anywhere either (#7 PLA). Other #7's are okay, just not PLA or "made from corn". #7 just means "misc", that is not a 1-6. (You can take stretchy clean plastic bags and related film to your local grocery store, or to the Far West Fibers depots below).
In general our Portland Metro curbside/apartment recycling is rather limited due to handling issues. Tho 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. I.e, if in doubt, leave it out of your curbside system, and take it 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. Normal light bulbs can apparently go to Total Reclaim in NE Portland according to Metro Oct 29, 2008. Call first to be sure).
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 WHATSOEVER. (E.g. toys, hangers, lids). All bottles and tubs must be clean, empty, NO LIDS. NO BAGS. (See below for where to take lids and other plastics). You can recycle empty laundry detergent bottles here.
Paper: Newspaper, magazines, and office paper and junk mail. (Envelopes with glassine windows are okay). NO NAPKINS OR TISSUES (this belongs in garbage, or compost). No wax paper. Please enclose shredded paper in a paper bag for ease of handling at facilities. (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. These can be composted under proper conditions but are too contaminated for normal paper recycling), else garbage.
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:).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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 (link below) 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 ALL RIGID PLASTICS except styrofoam and now PLA #7 (corn-based plastics). (Other #7's okay). I.e, 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+.
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 Geek www.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: Can now be dropped off for free at most Goodwill donations stations apparently (along with some other recyclers), per this new 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. You can take up to 7 for free. 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 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. 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 source of red worms for vermicomposting
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Happy New Year Rabid Recyclers (Feb 2009)
Hi and Happy New Year everyone, I hope you're all off to a roaring start in 2009 after all the storms and rhino-viruses we've been besieged with. I'm battling yet another one of the latter myself (2nd in 2 months, grumble) and that's why I've been a bit behind on the updates here lately, sorry. I will prevail, but apparently not as quickly as I might like;).
Oregon eCycles Now as of 1/1/09 - Yay- sortof:
In case you haven't heard, we passed a new law in Oregon that requires various recycling sites to accept computers, monitors and TVs for free now to help keep e-waste out of our landfills. (See www.oregonecycles.org for details). Technically the costs are covered by manufacturers. And apparently most Goodwill stores are participating in this, which is easy to remember and sounds pretty cool, right. Well, it is, except that it only covers televisions, laptops and pc bodies and monitors. It does NOT cover any other pc items, including mice, keyboards, speakers, etc., so check with each location before bringing these, or just take all computers and their related items to Free Geek who can and does take all the peripherals still anyway. (And yes, they now take TV's too per the above). I would kindly ask on behalf of my buddies at the Geek that you graciously consider still donating a processing fee to help cover their costs - they're being hit by this recession too. (We've already lost the hard working Bear eCycling center last December, run by Free Geek's founder, Oso Martin). But hopefully we'll keep a few of the soon to be defunct or unwanted analog TV's out of the landfill as the new digital conversion occurs - apparently in June now. (It was scheduled for Feb 17th, but Congress pushed it back due to lack of public prep). Far West Fibers also takes these items. (See below for more details on the above named outlets).
Misc Small Items Recycling
In other news, I've been trying to research just what to do with those new style of lids that come on TreeTop (and other brands) applesauce jars since late 2008. They are almost equal parts rigid plastic and metal. (There's a rigid plastic outer ring that screws onto the bottle, and the center is a metal disk). They really should be separated into their respective components and recycled accordingly, but if you are desperate or lazy, I would say toss them in the appropriate metals bin, as the plastic can be burned off, vs getting metal out of a plastic recycling process. I'm going to try to ask Far West about these as well as all other small metal caps and lids, since seeing an article by Shelby Wood in the Oregonian recently mentioned their size being a handling problem. (I'd been wondering the same myself). She was suggesting tucking such things inside other larger cans. But my concern here is mixing your metal types - e.g., an aluminum screw off cap from a bottle of wine being tucked in a tin can. (They really don't go together).
Sorry I don't have more definitive answers than this. But, the good news is, apparently Far West is still managing to store and or succesfully process and recycle everything they have been taking before, despite the market downturn, as I've seen absolutely no change in the bins or their labels since dropping stuff off in the new year. So, continue to operate accordingly. And, if ever in doubt, call Metro at 503-234-3000 or check www.metro-rergion.org to be sure:). And, I've once again managed to include my "sources" info at the bottom of this post as originally promised - yay:). (I've only missed on one post).
Oregon eCycles Now as of 1/1/09 - Yay- sortof:
In case you haven't heard, we passed a new law in Oregon that requires various recycling sites to accept computers, monitors and TVs for free now to help keep e-waste out of our landfills. (See www.oregonecycles.org for details). Technically the costs are covered by manufacturers. And apparently most Goodwill stores are participating in this, which is easy to remember and sounds pretty cool, right. Well, it is, except that it only covers televisions, laptops and pc bodies and monitors. It does NOT cover any other pc items, including mice, keyboards, speakers, etc., so check with each location before bringing these, or just take all computers and their related items to Free Geek who can and does take all the peripherals still anyway. (And yes, they now take TV's too per the above). I would kindly ask on behalf of my buddies at the Geek that you graciously consider still donating a processing fee to help cover their costs - they're being hit by this recession too. (We've already lost the hard working Bear eCycling center last December, run by Free Geek's founder, Oso Martin). But hopefully we'll keep a few of the soon to be defunct or unwanted analog TV's out of the landfill as the new digital conversion occurs - apparently in June now. (It was scheduled for Feb 17th, but Congress pushed it back due to lack of public prep). Far West Fibers also takes these items. (See below for more details on the above named outlets).
Misc Small Items Recycling
In other news, I've been trying to research just what to do with those new style of lids that come on TreeTop (and other brands) applesauce jars since late 2008. They are almost equal parts rigid plastic and metal. (There's a rigid plastic outer ring that screws onto the bottle, and the center is a metal disk). They really should be separated into their respective components and recycled accordingly, but if you are desperate or lazy, I would say toss them in the appropriate metals bin, as the plastic can be burned off, vs getting metal out of a plastic recycling process. I'm going to try to ask Far West about these as well as all other small metal caps and lids, since seeing an article by Shelby Wood in the Oregonian recently mentioned their size being a handling problem. (I'd been wondering the same myself). She was suggesting tucking such things inside other larger cans. But my concern here is mixing your metal types - e.g., an aluminum screw off cap from a bottle of wine being tucked in a tin can. (They really don't go together).
Sorry I don't have more definitive answers than this. But, the good news is, apparently Far West is still managing to store and or succesfully process and recycle everything they have been taking before, despite the market downturn, as I've seen absolutely no change in the bins or their labels since dropping stuff off in the new year. So, continue to operate accordingly. And, if ever in doubt, call Metro at 503-234-3000 or check www.metro-rergion.org to be sure:). And, I've once again managed to include my "sources" info at the bottom of this post as originally promised - yay:). (I've only missed on one post).
The latest on
Recycling Outlets in Portland
02/14/09
(Per the good people at Metro and Far West Fibers, who know what's up!)
ALL recycling systems require bottles, tubs and cans to be rinsed, empty, with no lids attached. (Lids can be taken separately to Far West public depots below). NO PLASTIC BAGS IN CURBSIDE/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 mixed in, same problem). And, NO CORN BASED PLASTICS anywhere either (#7 PLA). Other #7's are okay, just not PLA or "made from corn". #7 just means "misc", that is not a 1-6. (You can take stretchy clean plastic bags and related film to your local grocery store, or to the Far West Fibers depots below).
In general our Portland Metro curbside/apartment recycling is rather limited due to handling issues. Tho 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. I.e, if in doubt, leave it out of your curbside system, and take it 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. Normal light bulbs can apparently go to Total Reclaim in NE Portland according to Metro Oct 29, 2008. Call first to be sure).
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 WHATSOEVER. (E.g. toys, hangers, lids). All bottles and tubs must be clean, empty, NO LIDS. NO BAGS. (See below for where to take lids and other plastics). You can recycle empty laundry detergent bottles here.
Paper: Newspaper, magazines, and office paper and junk mail. (Envelopes with glassine windows are okay). NO NAPKINS OR TISSUES (this belongs in garbage, or compost). No wax paper. Please enclose shredded paper in a paper bag for ease of handling at facilities. (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. These can be composted under proper conditions but are too contaminated for normal paper recycling), else garbage.
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:).
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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 (link below) 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 ALL RIGID PLASTICS except styrofoam and now PLA #7 (corn-based plastics). (Other #7's okay). I.e, 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+.
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 Geek www.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: Can now be dropped off for free at most Goodwill donations stations apparently (along with some other recyclers), per this new 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. You can take up to 7 for free. 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 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. 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 source of red worms for vermicomposting
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