Dear Recycle Lady,
Help. This morning, my mailbox was again full of catalogs that I do not want. I know they can be recycled, but is there a way to stop them from coming? No More Magazines
Dear No More Magazines,
You are correct, catalogs can be recycled. But reducing the number of catalogs printed would be a better choice for the environment. Fortunately, there is a way to opt out of receiving them. Catalog Choice is a free, non-profit organization working to stop junk mail. Their website is: https://www.catalogchoice.org. It may take a month or two, but you will no longer receive the listed catalogs. I have opted out of several unwanted catalogs this way. According to Catalog Choice, over 100 million trees are cut down every year to produce junk mail that often goes straight to the trash.
Dear Recycle Lady,
Why are there yellow caps on some bottles of Coca-Cola? Do they have a special meaning? Curious
Dear Curious,
Yes, the yellow caps on Coca-Cola bottles do have a special meaning. They indicate that the Coke is certified Kosher and made for drinking during the Jewish holiday of Passover. The yellow caps indicate that the Cokes are made using Coca-Cola’s original recipe, which called for cane sugar and not the high-fructose corn syrup that is in Coca-Cola products today. Some people prefer the original recipe for Coke, which was invented in 1886, and they stock up on it during the short time it is available. The exact recipe for Coca-Cola is kept under lock and key in a vault in Atlanta, Georgia in the World of Coca-Cola Museum. Coca-Cola has an interesting history. It was the first-ever soda to go into space, the first product to be featured on a Time magazine cover, and the first commercial sponsor of the Olympic Games. Coca-Cola invented the six-pack for carrying multiple bottles in 1923 and the first cans of Coke came on the market in 1955. Coca-Cola is also considered the worst plastic polluter in the world for the sixth year in a row, according to oceana.org, as it sells more than 100 billion (100,000,000,000) single-use plastic bottles each year. Since 2018, global cleanups and brand audits conducted by more than 200,000 volunteers in 87 countries have found that more Coca-Cola Company-branded items were collected than the next two top polluters combined.
Dear Recycle Lady,
In several of the articles I have read lately, microplastics have been mentioned. What are microplastic particles, and where do they come from? Need Information
Dear Need Information,
According to www.nationalgeographic.org, microplastic particles are tiny plastic particles (less than 5 mm), that come from the breakdown of larger plastics. Generally, they are smaller than can be seen by the naked eye. Currently, there are approximately 5.25 trillion (5,250,000,000,000) microplastic particles floating in the global oceans; 500 times more than the number of stars in our galaxy. Microplastics can be harmful to the health of humans, the environment, marine life, and animal life. They are found everywhere: in many human organs and tissues, including the heart, lungs, brain and kidneys as well as in water, soil and air. Exposure to microplastics can be reduced by avoiding foods packaged in plastic, refraining from microwaving food in plastic containers and using stainless steel water bottles instead of plastic bottles.
Interesting Info: To produce just one pound of honey, honeybees must visit about 2 million flowers and fly roughly 55,000 miles, which is more than twice around the Earth! They need all the help we can give them!
Have questions about recycling or interesting information about recycling? Send questions or requests to Recyclelady7@gmail.com. Dear Recycle Lady is sponsored jointly by the Greenbrier Recycling Center and Greenworks Recycling.
