Paper And Plastic

'Paper' or 'plastic'- which is better for the environment?

Both paper and plastic have their drawbacks. Paper uses trees and energy to make but it does break down easier. Plastic is less energy to make but it doesn't break down easily. The best option would be to use a canvas bag or a reusable bag. A lot of health food stores have those available and they can be pretty inexpensive. I keep a bunch in the back of my car so that they're always available when I'm going to the store.

What do the numbers near the recycling logo on a plastic container mean?

The numbers on plastic containers are designated by the Society of Plastic Industries and those are called resin identification codes. They basically tell the recycling centers what kind of resin are in that plastic and that helps them to be able to separate the plastic out because some plastic can only be recycled with other plastic.

What does biodegradable mean?

Biodegradable products are products that can quickly and easily break down by biological means, and basically disappear into the environment. An example of that would be, if you compost, you have the kitchen scraps and they can break down into something that you can put in your soil and basically become part of the earth.

What is the difference between pre-consumer and post-consumer products?

Pre-consumer products are products that have been made by recycling scraps from the manufacturing process. The scraps haven't been used by the consumer yet, so it's pre-consumer, but it is recycling from the manufacturing process. For example, the ends of the toilet paper rolls, or things like that. Post-consumer products are products that use material that has previously been used by a consumer and now the material has been made into something new.