Yes, that’s right!
Chicago’s CTA is now running a test hybrid bus on the #8 Halsted line. The new bus gets 7-8 mpg, as compared to the 2-3 mpg for their current diesel buses. CTA officials are working to calculate if the nearly $200,000 more for the hybrid will be off-set over time with fuel savings.
Not all plastics are the same. That’s why there’s a number code on the bottom for recycling.
Below is a breakdown on the plastic recycling codes, including what types of products are usually produced with that plastic in its first life, how to recycle it, and what it can be recycled into for its second life.
Number 1 Plastics - PET or PETE (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
1st Life: Soda, water and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers; etc.
Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs.
2nd Life: Polar fleece fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, and occasionally made into new plastic containers
Number 2 Plastics - HDPE (High Density Polyethylene)
1st Life: Milk jugs, juice bottles; bleach, detergent and household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; cereal box liners; etc.
Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs.
2nd Life: Detergent bottles, recycling containers, floor tile, drainage pipe, benches, picnic tables, fencing
Number 3 Plastics - PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
1st Life: Window cleaner and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, clear food packaging, wire jacketing, medical equipment, siding, windows, piping; etc.
Recycling: Rarely recycled because collecting it for recycling is cost-prohibitive. There are not enough items made from the material to warrant factories to recycle it into new products; however some plastic lumber makers will now accept it.
2nd Life: Decks, paneling, mud flaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats
Number 4 Plastics - LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene)
1st Life: Squeezable bottles; bread, dry cleaning and shopping bags; tote bags; carpet; etc.
Recycling: Rarely picked up through curbside programs, however some stores will accept plastic shopping bags for recycling.
2nd Life: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, paneling, lumber, floor tile
Number 5 Plastics - PP (Polypropylene)
1st Life: Syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, caps, straws, medicine bottles, diapers; etc.
Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs.
2nd Life: Battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins
Number 6 Plastics - PS (Polystyrene)
1st Life: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers, aspirin bottles, compact disc cases; etc.
Recycling: Picked up through some curbside recycling programs.
2nd Life: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers
Number 7 Plastics - Other
1st Life: 3 and 5 gallon water bottles, ‘bullet-proof’ materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod and computer cases, signs and displays, nylon; etc.
Recycling: Not traditionally recycled, however some curbside programs now take them.
2nd Life: Plastic lumber, custom-made products
The mkSolaire, pictured here, is an awesome prefab home from Michelle Kaufmann Designs and is part of the Smart Home: Green + Wired exhibit that opened May 8, 2008 at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry (MSI).
“The mkSolaire has been designed to bring healthy living to the city. This open, spacious, loft-like home has been designed to offer healthy, clean and green city living and is perfect for an urban-infill lot, or anywhere a family might enjoy the luminous, loft-like feeling of this home. Through the use of strategically designed roofs and windows, the mkSolaire addresses the challenges of the standard row house by sculpting light and air into the center of the home.” - www.mkd-arc.com
I recommend checking it out if you are in the Chicago area. The mkSolaire is a full scale home that is fully functional and explores new directions in sustainable living and eco-friendly technology. The mkSolaire showcases the latest & greatest in eco-friendly technology including the following features:
Green to Grow is a new company, founded by the need for eco-friendly alternative products for babies.
Husband & wife team, Michael & Shelley Ritterbrow, began Green to Grow, with a commitment to provide the best possible care for their son. As they researched products & materials they were alarmed at the potential dangers presented by polycarbonate plastic, which contains the hormone disruptor bisphenol A. Dissatisfied that there were no eco-friendly options for their new baby boy, they started Green to Grow.
Green to Grow bottles are produced from Polyethersulfone (PES), which is a BPA-free plastic and has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The nipples for the bottles are made from a medical grade silicone, which is nitrosamines free.
Green to Grow uses 100% recycled paper and soy inks, they donate 1% of their annual sales to environmental causes, and they also have programs in place to help recycle used bottles.
Their bottles start at around $8…check them out.
So you’re working late in the computer lab or office, just finished & printed your document, now it’s time to staple it & turn it in…but you ran out of staples! Now what do you do?
How about trying this new innovative and very cool Staple Free Stapler. Wondering how it works…well, it cuts out tiny strips of paper and uses the strips to stitch up to 5 pieces of paper together.
Staples are now a thing of the past, as you will never run out of them, fight with them, or get poked in the finger again! This stapler is not only impressive, but extremely eco-friendly and totally safe for kids. It is also available in 6 colors and can even be customized.
An aquarium in Japan has come up with a novel way of generating free electricity to light up a Christmas tree. An electric eel!
Two aluminum panels inside the eel’s tank work as electrodes to catch its power. Cables attached to the panels supply the lights on the nearby tree with electricity. The eel is able to generate up to 800 watts of energy every time it moves. Way cool!
What is Chicago doing to become a greener city?
RiverWired gives the inside scoop in this video. Check out Chicago’s City Hall roof, it’s municipal vehicles, the accessible recycling programs, and the new Center for Green Technology which was built on a former industrial waste site.
Emerald condos are located at 123 S Green Street, in Chicago’s West Loop and will feature 212 eco friendly condominiums in two 12-story towers. Check out this video that gives you the scoop on the building’s development, features of the building, a peek inside the sales center, and a bunch of eco friendly facts that the Emerald condos have to offer.
The video start off a bit slow, but about 3 minutes in is where you can get all the sustainable product facts.
There is a company out there called Bonded Logic that is manufacturing a wide range of thermal and acoustical insulation products for multiple industries. All of their products are fire-rated and safe for the environment. They incorporate no harmful chemicals or irritants and do not pose off-gassing or VOC concerns. One of their products is called UltraTouch, which is an insulator made from high-quality natural fibers and contains over 85% recycled denim and cotton fibers. It is extremely effective for both sound absorption and maximum thermal insulation in homes or other architectural structures. UltraTouch is also itch-free, making it is harmless and easy to install.
In 2004, Ray Anderson (founder of Interface) told us, “No one should be claiming sustainable products. There is no such thing yet in terms of zero footprint. What you can do is demonstrate reduced footprint.”
This is still true today; however there is light at the end of the tunnel. Martin C. Pedersen over at Metropolis has recently published an article called “7 Steps in the Lifecycle of a Green Product. Pedersen writes, “Despite claims to the contrary, products with zero environmental impact do not yet exist. But these new approaches to green design point to a day when that might just be possible.”
The 7 Steps include:
1. Innovation: The Shape of Things to Come
2. The Right Materials: The Vinyl Question
3. Clean & Green Production: Balancing Act
4. Efficient Distribution: Delivering the Goods
5. Low-Impact Use: A New Standard
6. Made to Last: The Chair
7. Avoiding the Landfill: Afterlife
