Dustie Moore
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As we’ve written about before, not all plastics can be recycled. In fact, most yogurt cups and other polypropylene #5 plastics, unless they’re reused, end up in the landfill since so few municipalities accept them. It’s a shame considering so much of our food arrives in #5s including packaging for cottage cheese, hummus, medicine, ice cream and take-out containers.
If you can’t altogether avoid buying products packaged in pesky #5 plastic, there’s at least another new solution in store.
Preserve, the company creating stylish household products out of 100% recycled plastics, has just announced their new ‘Gimme 5’ recycling program.
They’ve teamed up with organic yogurt maker Stonyfield Farm, and Organic Valley, the organic, farmer-owned cooperative, to make recycling #5s possible through convenient drop-off locations in select Whole Foods Markets in the Midwest, Northeast and Northern California. Whole Foods in Florida will join the program in mid-February.
In addition to accepting #5 plastics, Preserve’s Gimme 5 program accepts Brita water pitcher filters.
All the plastic that Preserve collects will be turned into new products such as their toothbrushes, razors and tableware.
By dropping your #5 plastic containers in a Preserve Gimme 5 bin your, “Helping make brand new Preserve products that represent real change," says Preserve founder and CEO Eric Hudson. "And by choosing Preserve Plastic versus virgin plastic, in the form of a toothbrush or razor, for example, we all benefit from a sizeable reduction in greenhouse gases emitted, and significantly less water, energy, oil and coal used in making the plastic."
For a list of participating Whole Foods stores, visit www.preserveproducts.com.
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