Making Planters from Plastic Trash Cans

When the city converted to robot trash and recycle pick-up, I had five extra 32 gallon Rubbermaid trash cans. I have limited space for gardening, so I cut the bottom half of the trash cans off, drilled three holes (about 3/4 inch) on the bottom of the sides for drainage. I am now growing veggies in the large containers I created.

Now I have five top halves left over. Two of them I have started two compost piles (with lids) at the back of my yard. I turn the compost by simply picking up the plastic trash can upper, setting it down next to the pile, and forking the compost into it. I can turn the pile regularly with ease.

If you want to dress them up, you or your artistic kids (or grand-kids) can use some of that new Krylon spray paint that sticks to plastic. Perhaps camouflage them to blend in with the background. Use your imagination.

By Cebtoo from San Antonio, TX

via Making Planters from Plastic Trash Cans.

Green Living | Real Simple

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The Perils of Plastic – Environmental Toxins – TIME

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The Perils of Plastic – Environmental Toxins – TIME.

via The Perils of Plastic – Environmental Toxins – TIME.

Young children are subjected to plastics in their every day life such as eating utensils, plates, bowls that might contain dangerous toxins.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMES DAY FOR TIME

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On the first Earth Day, celebrated 40 years ago this month, the U.S. was a poisoned nation. Dense air pollution blanketed cities like Los Angeles, where smog alerts were a fact of life. Dangerous pesticides like DDT were still in use, and water pollution was rampant — symbolized by raging fires on Cleveland’s Cuyahoga River, captured in a famous 1969 story for TIME. But the green movement that was energized by Earth Day — and the landmark federal actions that followed it — changed much of that. Today air pollution is down significantly in most urban areas, the water is cleaner, and even the Cuyahoga is home to fish again. Though climate change looms as a long-term threat, the 40th anniversary of Earth Day will see a much cleaner country.

But if the land is healing, Americans may be sickening. Since World War II, production of industrial chemicals has risen rapidly, and the U.S. generates or imports some 42 billion lb. (19 billion kg) of them per day, leaving Americans awash in a sea of synthetics. These aren’t the sorts of chemicals that come to mind when we picture pollution — huge plants spilling contaminated wastewater into rivers. Rather, they’re the molecules that make good on the old “better living through chemistry” promise, appearing in items like unbreakable baby bottles and big-screen TVs. Those chemicals have a habit of finding their way out of everyday products and into the environment — and ultimately into living organisms. A recent biomonitoring survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found traces of 212 environmental chemicals in Americans — including toxic metals like arsenic and cadmium, pesticides, flame retardants and even perchlorate, an ingredient in rocket fuel. “It’s not the environment that’s contaminated so much,” says Dr. Bruce Lanphear, director of the Cincinnati Children’s Environmental Health Center. “It’s us.”(See pictures of the world’s most polluted places.)

As scientists get better at detecting the chemicals in our bodies, they’re discovering that even tiny quantities of toxins can have a potentially serious impact on our health — and our children’s future. Chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates — key ingredients in modern plastics — may disrupt the delicate endocrine system, leading to developmental problems. A host of modern ills that have been rising unchecked for a generation — obesity, diabetes, autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder — could have chemical connections. “We don’t give environmental exposure the attention it deserves,” says Dr. Philip Landrigan, director of the Children’s Environmental Health Center at New York City’s Mount Sinai Medical Center. “But there’s an emerging understanding that kids are uniquely susceptible to environmental hazards.”(See the top 10 household toxins.)

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1976909_1976908,00.html#ixzz14XoYTd7c

 

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Reduce the Use of Plastics: By Pamela Lundquist

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Reasons to Avoid Plastics

They’re made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource.

Production of plastics releases toxic chemicals into the environment.

Chemicals can migrate from many plastics into food, water, air and our mouths.

How to Avoid Using Plastics

Bring cloth totes or string bags to your supermarket to carry groceries home.

Choose refillable, reusable containers made of glass, ceramic or stainless steel.

Choose packaging that’s made from the most easily recyclable materials: paper, glass, metal cans.

Bring your own container to salad bars, delis, wherever they serve in plastic.

For wrapped foods, best choices are butcher paper, waxed paper or wood-based cellulose bags (available from Seventh Generation).

Avoid single-use, disposable packaging. Buy in bulk, the least-packaged option.

Microwave foods and drinks in oven-proof glass or ceramic. Never let plastic wrap touch food while in the microwave.

Avoid plastic cutlery and dinnerware. Use metal utensils and look for recycled paper plates.

Safer, Sounder Plastics to Choose

When plastic cannot be avoided, check container bottoms for recycling codes (in triangle) and choose those that are accepted for recycling in your area. The most commonly recycled plastics are #1 (PETE) or #2 (HDPE).

Choose non-PVC cling wrap (such as Glad and Handiwrap).

Plastics to Avoid

Steer clear of PVC vinyl (#3) whose manufacture and incineration releases carcinogenic dioxins into the environment and food chain. PVC often contains lead, and toxic plasticizers such as phthlates that can migrate into food, water, air and our mouths.

Avoid plastics that are often not recyclable: #3 (PVC), #4 (LDPE), #5 (PP), #6 (PS), #7 (“Other,” often polycarbonate).

Avoid plastics that leach chemicals suspected of disrupting hormone functions: #3 (PVC), #6 (PS), #7 (often polycarbonate, other varieties of plastic labeled #7 are regarded as safe).

http://www.thegreenguide.com/home-garden/recycling/reduce-plastics

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Top Recycling Tips

First things first, a little R & R & R
The aphorism is so tired it almost might seem like “reduce, reuse, recycle” should go without saying. But in fact, most of us have only really heard the last third of the phrase, and they’re ranked in order of importance. Reducing the amount that we consume, and shifting our consumption to well-designed products and services, is the first step. Finding constructive uses for “waste” materials is next. And tossing it in the blue bin is last. (The garbage can is not on the list, for good reason.) Through a balance of these three principals you can easily see your landfill-destined waste dwindle fast. A good example of recycling is setting your empty water bottles in the bin on the curb. But by using a water filter and reusable container you can reduce or completely eliminate your need for disposable plastic bottles.

Know what you can and can’t recycle
Read up on the recycling rules for your area and make sure you don’t send anything in that can’t be processed. Each city has its own specifics, so try to follow those guidelines as best you can.

Buy recycled
The essence of recycling is the cyclical movement of materials through the system, eliminating waste and the need to extract more virgin materials. Supporting recycling means feeding this loop by not only recycling, but also supporting recycled products. We can now find high recycled content in everything from printer paper to office chairs.

Encourage an artist
If you know someone interested in making art from recycled materials, offer to provide supplies. Many school children need items like paper towel tubes for art projects. Older artists use everything from rubber bands to oven doors. If you know someone who teaches art classes, suggest that an emphasis be put on making art from trash. While you’re at it, remind them to use recycled paper and biodegradable, earth-friendly glues, paints, and pencils whenever possible. See below for inspiration and groups that connect artists and students with useful “trash.”

Recycle your water
If you’re a homeowner, consider rearranging your plumbing so that rainwater or wastewater from your shower and tub is used to flush your toilet. If you have a garden, water it with leftover bathwater or dishwashing water (as long as you use a biodegradable soap). For more on water recycling see How to Go Green: Water.

Recycle your greenery
William McDonough and Michael Braungart, authors of the groundbreaking Cradle to Cradle, envision so-called “waste” divided into two categories: technical nutrients and biological nutrients. Biological nutrients are those that, at the end of their useful life, can safely and readily decompose and return to the soil. Composting is one of the simplest and most effective recycling methods. Both your garden cuttings and your green kitchen waste can go into an outdoor or indoor composter (with or without entertaining a population of worms). If you don’t have a garden yourself, find neighbors or a community garden that can make use of your soil. Composting food scraps will mean your regular kitchen wastebasket fills up more slowly and also won’t smell. Hotter, more active compost heaps can also consume tougher stuff like newspaper and paper napkins. After Christmas, many cities also have programs for turning your tree into mulch.

Recycle your robots
Electronics recycling is becoming more common in many urban areas, battery recycling is ubiquitous (rechargeable batteries are ecologically sounder, but even they wear out after a while), and there are a number of non-profit organizations that will take computer parts and turn them into working computers for others. Companies like Ebay have also developed programs to help your electronics find new homes. Other groups will gladly recycle your cell phone or give it to a senior citizen, as even without a contract it can still make emergency calls. If you have a major appliance that doesn’t work and you’d rather replace it than try to fix it, offer it to local repair shops, trade schools, or hobbyists to tinker with. Many cities now offer hazardous waste recycling days when they will take not only hazardous waste, but electronics.

Anticipate recycling
In addition to buying recycled goods, keep a keen eye out for recyclable goods. Whenever you purchase something packaged, think about how you can reuse the packaging, return it to a shipping store for reuse, or try to otherwise recycle it. If you get something likely to run down or wear out over time, such as an electronic component, give preference to the model that can be easily upgraded or cannibalized for parts so that you don’t have to junk the whole thing if one part breaks. Products that are impossibly fused together are often called “monstrous hybrids” and are, while often cheaper up front, frequently unfixable and unrecyclable.

If you don’t love something, let it go
Lots of charities welcome your donations. Groups like Freecycle and Recycler’s Exchange exist to help you get rid of useful objects that you just don’t want to make use of. If you’re in a Craigslist city, make use of the “free stuff” section. Give away clothes that don’t fit, the boxes you used in your last house move, or scented soaps that don’t appeal to your sensibilities. Make it a rule in your house that nothing useable goes in the trash until you’ve given the community a fair shot at it.

Become a waste-stream analyst
To better understand the kind of materials that enter and leave your home, office, or school, consider conducting a waste audit. Set a span of time like a week or a month, and separate your waste categories. Weigh the different kinds of material flows that go out the door (landfill waste, organic compost, aluminum, recyclable plastic, reusable material, etc.). Design a “material recovery” program that minimizes the amount going to the landfill. This is a great exercise to do with kids but can be very convincing to corporate higher-ups, too, especially since most companies pay to have their trash hauled away and can get money for recycled paper, containers, toner cartridges, corrugated cardboard, and such.

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/recycling/top-recycling-tips.html