Rapid Blog: Items We Should Stop Buying, by Angela Topp

Angela Topp is the owner of Treehuggers, earth-friendly retail and green education, with locations both in Holland and Grand Rapids. Read her Rapid Growth profile here.

In a recent phone call with one of my recycling companies, I was given the sad news that one of the items I thought could be recycled, in fact, cannot. I always feel a bit defeated when I get this news because I think of how many of these items are sold on a daily basis and have no other future than sitting in the landfill for the rest of eternity. I wish that there was a way to hold companies responsible for items they produce and require them to have a way to recycle them when people can no longer use them. If this were implemented, packaging and manufacturing would be a completely different industry.

Until then, I think the fastest way to do this is to boycott them. Joining together and hitting these companies in their pocketbooks and telling them why is something we can start today. I have been doing this long enough to have a list of items I will NEVER purchase again. I am going to share this list with you in hopes that you will join me and boycott these items. Boycotting them is not enough however. We need to communicate why we are boycotting them. Stand up and fight. Inform stores, restaurants and the companies themselves that they can do better.  

Tyvek envelopes: I hate Tyvek envelopes. They are misleading and terrible. Printed with a number 2 in the corner, you think that they can easily be recycled. The truth is they cannot be recycled by anyone except Tyvek’s manufacturer, Dupont, that I know of. Same goes for the wallet that everyone has. It cannot be recycled and was not made from recycled materials. Why do we need Tyvek envelopes anyway? A regular envelope does the job just fine. To reach a Tyvek specialist, call 1-800-222-5676. Let them know the #2 is misleading and that you would like to see a more recyclable option.

Paper bubble mailers: These envelopes also bother me. When paper is glued to plastic, it is almost impossible to recycle. The triangle in the corner means it was made of recycled materials sometimes, but being made from recycled materials and being recyclable are two different things.

Mylar balloons: That cute Dora balloon at your niece's birthday party is going to sit in the landfill long after her children’s children are alive. Mylar is made of too many synthetic materials, and with helium coming harder and harder to come by, maybe skipping balloons altogether is a better approach.

Wax Cartons and paper to-go cups: these can be recycled, just not in this area and it seems like more and more companies are using them as a packaging option. Same thing with the paper cups from fast food joints. These items can be composted, but often take a long time to break down. Visit here to see a list of people to contact to get recycling of cartons started in this area.

Styrofoam: Just because I can recycle Styrofoam does not mean that I want to. We are proud of the fact that we can keep it out of the landfills, but feel that it is a product that should not be used to begin with. Due to how cheap of a material it is, you can find it in too many restaurants and gas stations. I cry inside each time a local church brings me 50 Styrofoam cups from their weekly meetings. Bring cups from home to refill, or bring your own container to a restaurant to take leftovers home in.

Wrapping paper: Wrapping paper and tissue paper are not like regular paper. The fibers are not able to be recycled. Try using reusable bags or fabric, or, at the very least, a recycled kraft paper or newspaper that says it can be recycled after the fact.

Shopping bags: California is making HUGE efforts in banning the plastic bag and I hope it catches on. When did bringing your own grocery bags become so difficult? I love being able to bring my own bags which can hold more items than the plastic competition ever could. Also, many plastic bags do not have numbers on the bottom, meaning they cannot be recycled through the city or county. Often times, these bags are sold overseas and are also made overseas so the footprint on them is pretty huge. Just say no, thanks.

These are the items that get me pretty riled up. We can take a stand and keep these products out of our lives. The planet will be better for it. If you noticed, more of these items are meant to be single-use items. If we can get out of the disposable society we have created, the changes get easier and easier to make. Remember to not stop there and speak up on why you are not using them, and contact companies directly to ask them do to things differently. Local smaller companies are more willing to make these changes if they know it is important and are informed. Finally, please contact the Kent County Recycling Center and ask that they expand their recycling offerings to include some of these items. Contact them at 616.336.2467.