No matter how many times we tell our husband that yogurt containers aren't recyclable in our city, we still regularly dig them out of the recycling bin. And we notice most of the tenants in our building make the same mistake. In fact, tons of products that we regularly buy, like sour cream, cottage cheese, ketchup, hummus, and medicine are usually #5 plastics and a big no-no in our recycling program. Good news though - we just read about Preserve's Gimme 5 recycling program being piloted in a selection of Whole Foods stores.
posted originally from: OhDeeDoh
In partnership with Organic Valley and Stonyfield, the program aims to close the loop on #5 plastics. For example, you buy Stonyfield yogurt in a #5 container, you wash it and drop it off at your nearest Whole Foods Store (list of first round participating stores here), it's sent on to Preserve and turned into clean plastic pellets, and, finally, these pellets are then used in their manufacturing to make Preserve products (razors, toothbrushes, kitchenwares and tablewares). Gimme 5 also accepts Brita pitcher filters and, of course, Preserve products. If you don't live near a Whole Foods you can even ground ship (at your own expense) your #5s to Preserve. Find out more about Gimme 5 here.
Sure, it's not as convenient as walking them out to your curb, but it's certainly a step in the right direction and will hopefully demonstrate that programs like this can work. Incidentally, we switched to Preserve toothbrushes last year and love them (and dutifully mail them back for recycling). And don't forget about the Preserve Jr. we posted about way back when.
This is great! In the past I've shipped my #5 Stonyfield containers back to them (details in the fine print at the bottom of http://www.stonyfield.com/SpecialOffers/Preserve.cfm), but thank you SO MUCH for the link to Preserve's website - now I can save up and send ALL my #5's directly to Preserve! Hopefully someday they'll be a Whole Foods nearby and I won't have to mail them, but until then I'm happy just to have somewhere to send them!
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I had no idea that most places don't recycle #5.
view Maffei's profile
Excellent to learn about this program. I'm really glad my local recycle program takes even #5's curbside but whatever they won't pick up, I drop off at the local waste management center.
http://earth911.com/
view VeryDelishVeg's profile