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Where do Plastic Bottles Go?

Plastic Bottles

IF YOU TOSS IT IN THE TRASH BIN
First it falls from your hand into the trash, where it mixes with food scraps, batteries, and a zillion other forms of detritus. From there, it settles in for a 1000-year stay at the dump, slowly degrading and eventually contaminating the groundwater. Or, if it falls from the side of a garbage scow (or maybe washes in from the sewer or is left at the beach), it will end up in the ocean; plastic accounts for up to 80 percent of all debris in the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean. Then the bottle is headed to either:

YOUR SESAME-CRUSTED TUNA The bottle grows brittle in the sun and breaks into tiny pieces; is ingested by marine life; may work its way up the food chain to the biggest fish of all: You!

TRASH ISLAND The bottle is carried on currents to a massive continent of trash floating just beneath the surface of the North Atlantic or Pacific (where some 20 million tons of garbage — enough to blanket South America — float).

IF YOU TOSS IT IN THE RECYCLING BIN
Because you sort your recycling (you do, right? Of course you do), it goes out to the curb in a shiny blue bin. Then it's off to the recycling center, where the bottle is placed on a conveyor belt and separated from glass and aluminum by humans and machines (which use magnets, shakers, and blowers), then crushed with its bottle friends into a bale. At the after-market manufacturer, it gets further crushed, washed, dried, and melted — into yarn, sheets, or pellets. Then the bottle ends up as either:

THE DEEP PILE IN THE DEN It is woven into the stain-resistant rug underfoot (carpet companies are among the largest plastic recyclers).

YOUR FAVORITE HOODIE It is spun into fiber to be reincarnated as fleece clothing by tree-hugging outfitters like Patagonia.

BACK TO THE BOTTLE It is melted down and remade into a bottle, and starts the journey all over again.

Now, wouldn't you rather RECYCLE?....

OR you could make this! :)

Model of the Globe with plastic bottles. That's sooo cool! Right?

{ Easy Peasy Tips to Save the Earth }
Tips for EVERYONE:

Quickies:

Turn off the lights if you aren't in the room! Same goes for televisions, electronics on standby, etc.
Put on a sweater As Americans spend more than ever on heat, the Alliance to Save Energy claims a one-degree thermostat reduction can save 3 percent on an average heating.
Replace your lightbulbs-- Replace the regular old lightbulb to the Compact Flourescent Lightbulb (CFL) which consume 75% less energy.
Buy LESS stuff! (This is going to be a toughie.)
No more Google-- Google's search engine generates high levels of CO2 because of the way it operates. The Yahoo! search engine is just as effective and less energy-consuming.For more information click here.
Eat Your Greens-- Eating 20% less meat makes the same impact as switching to a hybrid car!
An estimated 100 BILLION plastic bags end up in landfills every year. So, take your own tote bag when shopping.
Car pool or take the bus.
Buy clothes made from organic cotton, which doesn't harm wildlife or the environment.
Try using a drying rack instead of a dryer. Saves electricity and your jeans won't shrink :D.
Take shorter showers.
Use a reusable sponge to clean up spills rather than paper towels.
If you're printing a long document, save paper by changing the settings to print on BOTH sides.
Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to power a TV for three hours.
Conserve energy; set your fridge to 37 degrees.
Unplug your phone charger--it draws energy just by being unplugged into the power outlet.
Plant a tree!
Use a dry-erase board instead of Post-it notes to save paper.
Avoid drive-thru at fast-food places. Parking your car creates less pollution.
Choose ground delivery when shopping online--it can be six times more energy efficient than overnight.
Use cruise control when you're driving on a highway.
Plastic water bottles take lots of energy to make: Get a reusable bottle and refill with filtered tap water.
Use rechargeable batteries instead of throwing away old ones, which can leak toxins into the ground.
Pay bills online.
Use a low-flow showerhead and your family could save 500 gallons of water per week.
Add the Greenbook application to your Facebook account. It invests in green programs and links you to people with ideas for ending global warming.

GIRLS! Here are some websites for eco-friendly clothes and make-up:
♥ Clothes:

♥ Makeup:

Mineral Make-Up Article

♥ Other Products:

GUYS: Eco-friendly Clothes for you! No make-up, sorry.

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