The Recyclista

Fast Food Drink Tray

2011-04-11T15:10:00.001-07:00

Looking at this item makes me think about the packaging we see every day that is made from recycled material. If it has been recycled once, can it be recycled again?

Tinfoil and Packaging

2011-04-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

Is the rumor true that you can put tinfoil in the recycle bin? How about the box? How about the cardboard cylinder that the foil comes wrapped around?

Campbell's Chunky Soup Bowl

2011-04-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

The bowl itself seems to be made of a type of thin, sturdy styrofoam. The lid is a typical plastic, opaque red. The plastic lid actually covers a second lid made of a metal, probably aluminum. What of these three pieces, the bowl, the inner lid and the outer lid, can be recycled, if any?

Single-Serving Ice Cream Cup

2011-03-31T13:52:00.000-07:00

It's tempting to look at the packaging around a product and make a blanket statement, like "It's recyclable," or "Black bin," but in fact most products have several parts. Are any of the pieces from the packaging around this sweet treat recyclable? All of them?

Postal Bag

2011-03-30T18:31:00.001-07:00

Is the type of bag that goes through the mail every day OK to recycle?

One-Gallon Milk Jug

2011-03-29T15:01:00.001-07:00

Are both bottle AND cap recyclable?

Plastic Fruit Carton

2011-03-28T14:27:00.001-07:00

I feel ashamed every time I buy fruit that comes in a package. And yet, cartons like these do genuinely appear to protect the fruit. I say this can be recycled. Anyone disagree?

Ziploc Bags

2011-03-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

As usual, the brand is not relevant. Zipper baggies of any size or variety, can you recycle them? Does it matter what condition they're in? Should you rinse them out? And the box they come in, you can recycle that because it's printed paper matter ... right? Please leave what ever you know in the comments below.

Plastic Tub of Butter

2011-03-24T15:07:00.000-07:00

Does this need to be thrown into a landfill, or can it be recycled? What is the best way to dispose of this item?

2011-03-23T15:03:00.000-07:00

The dreaded water bottle. Bane of environmentalists everywhere. But this is sort of an extra special water bottle. It's got a fancy red flip-top cap, and also an extra layer of label shrink-wrapped around its middle. I think the bottle itself is recyclable (just throw in your blue recycle bin), but how about the wrap? And what about the cap?

Cereal Box and the Bag Inside It

2011-03-22T15:39:00.000-07:00

I look forward to a day when we don't need both a box AND a bag, but for now I'll settle for figuring out how to dispose of these items. I believe the box, which is basically printed paper matter, goes in the green recycle bin. But how about the bag? Can you recycle that? And as usual, I don't mean to pick on Cheerios. We're talking about any old cereal box here.

Facial Tissue

2011-03-21T16:03:00.001-07:00

OK, here's a tricky one. How do you dispose of a tissue? Do you throw it in the garbage, or recycle it? Does it make a difference whether it's dirty or clean? And can you recycle the box? This box has a little bit of clear plastic on it, does that make a difference?

Banana Peel

2011-03-18T14:29:00.000-07:00

A banana peel. This one is a little slippery! You probably already realized that a banana is a plant -- but did you know that it goes in the green recycle bin with all the other plant material? If you know of a better way to dispose of a banana peel, please share in the comments below.

Alkaline Batteries

2011-03-17T17:11:00.000-07:00

Did you know you're not supposed to throw these in the garbage? Nor are you supposed to throw them in your recycle bin. In Los Angeles, the way you're supposed to get rid of alkaline batteries is to bring them to special battery recycling bins. You can find them at any local library. If you know of a better or different way to dispose of batteries, or if you dispose of them differenty in your area, please share in the comments below.

Soda Can

2011-03-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

This is an easy one. You throw it in the blue recycle bin. I don't mean to pick on Coke, either. Any soda can goes in the blue bin. But if you know of a better or different way to dispose of cans, please share in the comments below.

Merry Husmus

2009-12-02T11:28:00.000-08:00

For all the recyclobabble out there, for all the headlines advising you how to be green and all the advances we've made toward recycling inside the home, I find it rather amazing how long it has taken for garbage cans to catch up.

Only recently, I shopped for some new cans to fit in the "trash drawer" we created when we gave our kitchen an Ikea remodel. You would think the best place to find such a set of bins would be Ikea, right? Wrong. The Swedish megalith, in fact, had one of the worst selections.

So I was happy to see this little set, the Husmus from We Muungano. Not only are they themselves made from recycled materials, they also can be configured to hold both plastic and paper bags. So someone has actually put some thought into making a bin that makes use of both types of bag. This kind of innovation is long overdue in the trash can marketplace.

And they're cute as a house mouse.

What This Blog Is About

2009-11-30T17:36:00.000-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving seems like an appropriate day to spend some time thinking about waste. And that's what I'm doing. And that's what I plan to keep doing with this blog.

The problem with recycling is that it has become so difficult. Policies on what's recyclable vary not only from state to state but from city to city. Here in Los Angeles we've got three bins for trash: Black for landfill, blue for most recyclables, and green for organic waste such as tree trimmings. And what goes in each? One day plastic bags go in the black bin, then the next they are relegated to the blue, so you begin wondering if perhaps the plastic ones are more eco-friendly than the paper ones, and there really isn't a singular resource out there for advice on which is best. I hope, with this blog, to change that.

My plan for this blog is to follow this simple formula: One piece of trash per post. We look at it, describe what it is, and discuss the best possible way to dispose of it. It could be something as simple as a tin can that you throw in the blue bin, or as complicated as an old cell phone that gets mailed out to Cell Phones for Soldiers. One item. One answer.

I hope over time that this blog serves as a type of database. My goal is to make the thing searchable, so that you can look up a specific piece of refuse you might be curious about, and find out the best way to dispose of it.

Because I am based in Los Angeles, the answers will have a decidedly L.A.-centric flavor. If things go well on this somewhat micro scale, maybe we can expand. We'll see. For now, we're talking about Los Angeles County.

Let me tell you what this blog is not: It's not your mother. I'm not here to guilt you into being green. I'm not here to tell you what to do. And let's be clear that I am no green angel myself. I harm the environment in all sorts of ways and I'm in no position to judge anyone for how they disregard the ecosystem with their behaviors, large or small. But for those who do want to be green, for those who are trying to do the right thing but don't always know what the right thing is, I humbly offer this blog. No judgment.

Edward R. Murrow chose Thanksgiving Day 1960 to broadcast his "Harvest of Shame" documentary to millions of Americans, shedding light on the plight of migrant farm workers. Though I fear I would suffer in comparison to Edward R. Murrow, I do hope what I do here proves similarly enlightening. So my soap box isn't as big as Murrow's. If I could set one person on the path to correct recycling, the world would be a better place, right? I look forward to this journey and what we will learn together along the way.