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Disclosure: I am a happy paying member of Ridwell. I am extraordinarily annoyed at every waste management company’s attempts to stop Ridwell from recycling items they refuse to/are to lazy to recycle (which also stops Ridwell from redistributing still-useful items). Some of the companies have threatened to sue or actually have sued.

Maybe you’re like me: I try to avoid excess plastic with my purchases when I can, I try to patronize businesses that try to avoid plastic, I don’t use the plastic produce bags. Yet neither of us can avoid generating any plastic waste at all–and for us (for me, at least) it’s not a realistic option. We can’t choose how our prescriptions are packaged (we can’t even avoid the totally unnecessary plastic birth control pill dispensers). We can’t choose a “plastic alternative” if we need to use an ostomy appliance or get a blood transfusion or need to be intubated. We can’t opt out of plastic

Curbside Recycling?

KNOW THE RULES! I’ve lived in multiple houses, dorms, and apartments in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Texas, California, and Oregon. In each place the rules for recycling varied wildly, sometimes differing dramatically from one town to the next one a few miles over. If you have access to curbside recycling (I remember in one place it was optional and cost extra–WTF??) I hope you’re both using it AND using it correctly. For most of my life to determine whether I could recycle a plastic I had to look at the logo with the arrows and see what number it was; mostly, #1 and #2 were a go, and the rest were a no.

Imagine my surprise when I moved (back) to Portland, only to discover that in Portland, the numbers are irrelevant and it is the shape of the container that matters!

Size and shape determine what’s recyclable in Portland, Oregon (image by City of Portland)

According to the official website for the City of Portland, “When sorting your plastics, ignore the recycle symbol and number: Plastics recycling in Portland is based on the size and shape of the item. Please rinse containers. They do not need to be perfectly clean, but should be free of food residue and dry before they go in your bin.” Um, really? Yes, really.

Oregon Metro explains it this way: Ignore the numbers. Ignore the arrows. Sort by shape. These items are OK in your recycling container–rinse thoroughly.

Plastic bottles, jugs and jars 6 ounces or larger, any container with a threaded neck (for a screw-on lid) or neck narrower than the base. This includes milk jugs, peanut butter jars, and bottles that held personal care and cleaning products (shampoo, laundry soap, etc.).

Round plastic containers that can hold 6 ounces or more, with a wider rim than base, and typically contain products such as salsa, margarine, cottage cheese, hummus, etc. (no drink cups).

Planting/nursery pots larger than 4 inches in diameter and made of rigid (rather than crinkly or flexible) plastic. Remove any loose dirt. 

Buckets 5 gallons or smaller. Handles are OK. 

(Incidentally: the fact that I can put something into my recycling bin does not mean it is, actually, factually, really, truly, recycled. Given the absolutely abysmal rate at which plastics are recycled–check out what Consumer Reports has to say about how little plastic was recycled in 2018–I doubt it’s very much. It didn’t get better when China started to refuse loads of plastics from the U.S. It didn’t get better during the global pandemic. I’d love Waste Management, my curbside provider, to provide data on when, where, and how much of the collected plastic is recycled. Unfortunately, that transparency remains lacking.)

What I Can Recycle in NE Portland

Okay, so both in Portland and the Oregon Metro area, I can avoid using a decent amount of recyclable plastic. I use shampoo bars, Blueland hand soap and toilet cleaner, and Dropps laundry products and dishwasher soap; I put my plastic deposit containers into a blue charity fundraiser bag and take them to a Bottle Drop drop-off location (like at the grocery store).These cover the main categories of what I can put into my recycling bin. I’m a bit stuck when it comes to some of the things that come in plastic tubs.

What I CANNOT Recycle? Everything else. According to Metro, that’s:

Any plastic that is not shaped like a bottle, round tub, bucket, or jug :

  • NO plastic bags or plastic film of any type: pallet wrap, bubble wrap, stretch wrap (think: Amazon bubble mailers, the air cushions in packages)
  • NO plastic caps or lids
  • NO plastic 6 pack can holders (all types, including rigid plastic)
  • NO plastic take-out food containers and disposable plates, cups, and cutlery
  • NO prescription medicine bottles and other plastic containers under 6 oz (think: no contact lens solution, no travel-sized anything)
  • NO disposable plastic or latex gloves
  • NO bottles that have come in contact with motor oil, pesticides or herbicides, or other hazardous materials
  • NO hoses, ropes, or cords

Some of these things are avoidable, but others are not. Just try to buy a loaf of bread (the regular sliced kind, not the fancy artisan rock-hard-in-two-days kind) without a plastic bag. Or a jug of milk without a cap. It’s not like you can order online and avoid bubble wrap or “plastic pillows” entirely.

Ridwell: Supplemental Recycling

Since I can’t avid plastic bags or film, plastic lids/caps, and many of the other items, what’s a smart woman to do? Join Ridwell.

My Ridwell box

Ridwell is essentially a supplemental recycling service. Every two weeks they pick up plastic film (that’s bubble wrap, bread bags, etc.), batteries (which should never go into a landfill or dump as they release chemicals that form a hazardous toxic soup), light bulbs (samesies!), and “threads” (clothing, fabric, shoes). These are part of my core service, and I paid around $100-125 for an entire year of service (26 pickups). I have a porch box, and a (washable, reusable) cloth bag for each of the core categories. If I have more stuff than my porch box can hold, I can add a bag for $1. I also have the option to add a (separate) bag of plastic clamshells (like strawberries come in at the grocery store) for $1, a large bag of styrofoam pieces for $9, or fluorescent light tubes (starts at $4).

In addition, each pickup has a “featured items” category. A few things I remember in that category: crayons, Halloween candy, corks (like from wine bottles), metal bottle caps, plastic bottle caps, prescription medicine bottles, holiday lights, winter coats, electronics, school supplies, sports equipment, bicycles and bike equipment, diapers, bread bag tags, toiletries, kids books, non-perishable food. There have been more. It includes many hard to recycle plastics. Many of these items are not recycled, because they are still reusable; so they are distributed to non-profit partners in my area.

Three of my Ridwell bags–the categories I use most.

Ridwell sends customers a newsletter with information on what percentage of the core categories gets recycled. There’s also a blog with articles about Ridwell’s activities, and my account page links to a page about the Ridwell partners in Portland, such as PDX Diaper Bank, Children’s Book Bank, and WashCo Bikes.

So, for example, in May I got an email that informed me: ” You packed our warehouse sky high with clean, compressed #1 PET plastic. Together, we diverted over 112,000 lbs (>56 Tons) of clamshell plastic waste from landfills. Instead, the clamshells were recycled by our partner, Green Impact, and given a second life as 2 million new containers, protecting your favorite berries and snacks. This is all thanks to 25,000 Portland members, like you. Happy Clamiversary!” It also had a link where I could learn more about Green Impact. This is one of many such emails I have gotten from Ridwell. Transparency matters. (Too bad Portland’s contracted waste haulers are too busy protesting Ridwell to let their customers know where the recycling actually goes, eh?)

By the way, if Ridwell operates where you are, I think I still have a few opportunities to give you one month of free Ridwell. Drop a comment, and then shoot me an email.

Other Supplemental Recycling in Portland: James

Maybe you can’t get Ridwell where you live. I hope you have another option like James’ Neighborhood Recycling Service. James is a Portland resident who works in certain neighborhoods here. He runs a pick-up service and operates at community events. James can take all sorts of plastics for recycling, including things like cassette tapes, empty contact lens blister packs, styrofoam, straws, plastic utensils, and more. He takes electronics like batteries, lightbulbs, power cords, laptops, and more. James also accepts some other unusual, hard to recycle items including: wine corks, cereal bag liners, toothpaste tubes, floss containers, toothbrushes (non-electrical), inkjet and toner cartridges, pumps (from lotion, hand soap, etc.) and spray nozzles from non-hazardous products.

If you’re not in Portland, try running a search for local recycling options, community recycling, or similar. You might even have a zero waste group in your area that operates on Facebook, NextDoor, or another social media platform.

Plastic Film Recycling–Near You?

Avoiding plastic film is really difficult. (Bread bags, bubble wrap, etc.) Check out Plastic Film Recycling for more information and resources. To find a drop-off location to recycle plastic film, try the drop-off directory. (I found 160 locations near me, searching by zip code.) The directory also has a page for what falls into this category (yes to product wraps, air pillows, and plastic mailers) and what is excluded (no to frozen food bags, “compostable” bags, and six-pack rings).

If it seems like a pain in the butt to make a special trip for a handful of bread bags, why not reach out to your neighbors? If you have kids, they could turn it into a community service project with their Brownie Troop, Cub Scout pack, church youth group, school, or other organization.

Disclosure: Portions of this post were provided by New Hope Network and are from Melaina Juntti’s article, “10 Ways to Say No to Plastic.”  I am a member of the New Hope Influencer Co-op, a network of health and wellness bloggers committed to spreading more health to more people. New Hope is NOT related to #PlasticFreeJuly, which is based in Australia. Also yes, I am well aware that July ended more than a month ago–thanks for notice!

While working on the first part of this article, I learned that the most-used “throwaway” plastics are single-use plastic bags, straws, bottles, and coffee cups. Not only do these items last literally forever, they are also items you rarely actually need.

Leave Plastic At The Store

Fewer stores these days let you keep plastic clothes hangers, but plenty will still ask if you’d like them at checkout. Unless you’re in dire need of new hangers at home, say no and encourage the store to reuse them.  Personally, I re-did my entire closet in the Bed Bath & Beyond version of Joy’s Huggable Hangers; my closet looks sharp and more clothes fit inside. I took my wire hangers to the drycleaners for re-use, and donated my plastic-tube-type hangers to charities that deal with clothing donations (always phone first–not all charities want your plastic hangers). Are you buying from brands/stores that insist you take the hangers, or tell you that they “can’t” re-use them? WRITE A LETTER–preferably on paper (since no one does that anymore)–and tell them they need to do better. Then vote with your dollars.

Say “Nope” to Single-Use Plastic Bags

Dry cleaning bags. Speaking of clothing, if you have a lot of clothes that need dry cleaning, the plastic waste adds up fast. See if your dry cleaner will let you leave your own garment bag with your items. (Don’t have a garment bag? The thicker plastic hanger bags that stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom use to cover long dresses and suits can be reused almost indefinitely–I have several that are two decades old.) If they say no, consider shopping around for a new dry cleaner that’ll let you skip the single-use plastic bag.

Grocery Bags. Ideally choose cloth reusable grocery bags. I’m partial to Chico Bags, as they take up almost no space and are easy to stash in your car, backpack, or bike pannier. Bonus, they will take back bags that are dead and ready for their next adventure. If you choose paper bags, you must reuse them. Why? Producing paper bags create more pollution during their manufacture, consume four times more energy than plastic bags during manufacturing, are somewhat inefficient to recycle, and more. While plastic lasts longer and has more environmental consequences, you have got to re-use those paper bags to make them “better for the environment” than plastic. Consider the entire lifecycle of the bag!

Produce bags. Do you need them? Probably not. You’re going to wash those apples before you eat them, right? If you really think you must have a produce bag, try using a zippered net lingerie bag (bonus: lets the stuff inside breath and is easily washable). There are mounds of choices at Amazon and other online retailers, and Good Housekeeping wrote an article on their top picks.

Ridwell–for when you’re stuck. I don’t know whether you can get Ridwell, but if you can, by all means SIGN UP! (If they are available in your neighborhood, I might have a single pick-up I can gift you.) Ridwell is an amazing service that takes items your local waste service cannot recycle and keeps them out of landfills. While it includes more categories–and may be enough to help you downsize your garbage service!–the one I use most often is “plastic film.” That includes those annoying air pillows that come with the things you ordered online, the all-plastic mailers Amazon started using, bubble wrap, bread bags, the bag my Sunday newspaper comes in, and more. (Ridwell also takes items that are reused by charities or properly recycled, including batteries and light bulbs. The rotating categories include all sorts of things from sporting goods to bottle caps to wine corks.)

Sweeten Your Sip

Straws. Before I get accused of being able-ist, hear me out: some people genuinely need plastic straws. Did you know that the popular bendy straws were developed for use in hospitals? True story. If you truly need a plastic straw, use one without guilt. Those of use who do NOT actually need them can avoid them. For the rest of us, here’s what to consider:

(1) Do you really NEED any straw at all? Again, save for a small portion of the population, you can drink from a cup without a straw. (Starbucks recognized this and switched to sippy-lids for cold cups, just like they have for hot ones). Could you just say “no thanks” to all straws?

(2) The Straw is NOT your friend. Did you know that people who drink from a straw drink MORE than those who do not? (That’s why so many “how to drink more water” articles list “use a straw” as a tip!) Or that the plastic straw may leach chemicals into your beverage? (I’m not a big scaremonger, but when the Washington Post writes about it I’m at least willing to hear it out.) Straws may also increase tooth decay, and more.  Think about that the next time you’re offered a straw for your sugary and/or acidic soda.

(3) Some restaurants and bars offer wax-coated paper straws. These are compostable in some locations, but not all locations–what can be recycled or composted varies from municipality to municipality. If you don’t need a straw, you can still say no.

(4) Instead of a disposable straw, how about a reusable one? If you’re going someplace where you think you’ll need a straw, or driving, take The Final Straw with you. It’s reusable many times, washable, compact for travel, and a straw. Done!

Bottled Water is for Emergencies

Unless you live in an area where the tap water is unsafe, there is no reason to drink bottled water. Train yourself to think of bottled water as a product that is made for emergencies–like Flint, Michigan (water system scandalously ruined by the government and no, in 2021 there is still no safe tap water in Flint) or a post-hurricane location (pumping stations require electricity which may not be available; water tables may be damaged or polluted)–and not for you.

You might be surprised to learn that bottled water is less regulated than your tap water! Tap water is required by law to be tested for a variety of substances, and many local water utilities publish the results online, like the East Bay MUD (California) does. If you are worried about lead (maybe you have an older home) many water utilities will help you get your water tested, just like Multnomah County Oregon does. Further, did you know that some bottled water is literally just bottled tap water? True story.

Think your tap water “tastes funny”? You still don’t need to waste your money (and our collective resources) on bottled water. Invest in a quality filtering pitcher like the Camelbak, a fridge with a filter (do NOT forget to change the filter!), a re-usable filtration bottle, or a tap filtration system. Yes, the filter may be plastic–but you’ll still use LESS plastic than all those bottles.

Cat Lady reusalbe cup
Cat Lady Box cup. Plastic, but has been used hundreds of times–including the straw! Double-wall guarantees it won’t “sweat” all over my work.

Use a reusable cup of any kind at home. Carry and use a reusable water bottle when you’re at work or on the go. My office has reusable cups, mugs, and glasses, but I have also taken in my Cat Lady Box tumbler. (It has a screw-on lid and reusable straw, which prevents me from inadvertently dousing my files.) Pro tip: choose an insulated brand like Takeya or HydroFlask so it doesn’t “sweat” on you; you have lots of options.

#ButFirstCoffee

About those Coffee cups. This one seems like a no-brainer, because it’s a two-fer WIN: (1) no plastic lid goes into the garbage, and (2) the paper that goes into the cup and sleeve can be used for anything else but instant garbage/compost. It can be a little trickier in practice because you have to remember to your own coffee cup with you, and to clean it on a daily basis, but you’ll also save some cash: most cafes offer a small discount if you use your own cup. (Five cents many times a year turns into real money quickly!) While I like my Whirly mugs with their sturdy handle and snap-on lid, a spill-proof coffee vessel is essential when commuting and to avoid adding a mocha scent to everything in your work bag. HydroFlask is my go-to for coffee on the go.

 

What have you tried doing to cut down on single-use plastic in your life?