Most of us rabid recyclers find great frustration and a healthy dose of guilt when we end up with number 5 plastics (like yogurt tubs and clam-shell containers) that are recyclable, but have no where to go to be recycled. Arrgh! Collection is few and far between in most communities.

Once you’ve converted to all the seedlings pots you can use, how do I keep these out of the landfill where they will sit for something like a gabillion years - ? I cut way back at buying foods in this kind of packaging, but, well, it’s not fun or easy. I like yogurt! (although, I do salute my local co-op for packaging their homemade cream cheese in a single plastic wrap instead of container with lid).

Discovered the great news about one of my fave companies, Preserve Products. They have always rocked recycling when it comes to their own stuff. First it was the recycled, recyclable toothbrush and razors with easy and free mail-back bags included. Now, they’ve implemented Gimme 5 is a program taking all # 5s, as well as Brita filters. Mail back, schmail back - all you gotta do is drop at a Whole Foods Market or one of the other participants. There will still be plenty of us using ground UPS, but if you combine your stash of #5s with friends or neighbors, the cost will be very low.

Impressively, Preserve made sure the equation worked. They did a Life Cycle Assessment to prove that the benefits of keeping #5s out of landfills outweighed the environmental impacts of the shipping. And, it does.

Thanks Preserve,

A Rabid. Relieved. Recycler.