Comments on: Year 2, Week 42 Results: .05 oz of plastic waste http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic/ Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:41:00 -0700 hourly 1 By: Reducing Plastic Waste: February 2010 Collection Results | Fake Plastic Fish http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic/comment-page-1/#comment-11050 Reducing Plastic Waste: February 2010 Collection Results | Fake Plastic Fish Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:56:01 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic-waste/#comment-11050 [...] Permanente, one tax-related form, and a notice from GE about my dishwasher.   Learn more about plastic window envelopes [...] [...] Permanente, one tax-related form, and a notice from GE about my dishwasher.   Learn more about plastic window envelopes [...]

]]> By: 2010, Month 1: 6.4 oz Plastic Waste | Fake Plastic Fish http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic/comment-page-1/#comment-10510 2010, Month 1: 6.4 oz Plastic Waste | Fake Plastic Fish Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:57:18 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic-waste/#comment-10510 [...] About plastic envelope windows [...] [...] About plastic envelope windows [...]

]]> By: Year 3, Month 6.5 Results: 7.4 oz of Plastic Waste | Fake Plastic Fish http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic/comment-page-1/#comment-9707 Year 3, Month 6.5 Results: 7.4 oz of Plastic Waste | Fake Plastic Fish Sat, 02 Jan 2010 02:24:28 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic-waste/#comment-9707 [...] About plastic envelope windows [...] [...] About plastic envelope windows [...]

]]> By: Fake Plastic Fish http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic/comment-page-1/#comment-7275 Fake Plastic Fish Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:22:21 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic-waste/#comment-7275 Hi Bronwyn. As far as I know, bubble wrap envelopes are not recyclable. Hi Bronwyn. As far as I know, bubble wrap envelopes are not recyclable.

]]> By: Bronwyn http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic/comment-page-1/#comment-7265 Bronwyn Wed, 16 Sep 2009 19:48:21 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic-waste/#comment-7265 Thanks so much for this post. A related thing I've always wondered about: bubble-wrap envelopes. You know, those ones that are paper on the outside but bubble wrap on the inside. Anyone know if they are recyclable? I'm guessing that the bubble-wrap part is plastic and that they are not recyclable because of the effort it would take to separate the paper from plastic. But maybe they are, if this pulping process you refer to is really good. Any wisdom? Thanks so much for this post. A related thing I've always wondered about: bubble-wrap envelopes. You know, those ones that are paper on the outside but bubble wrap on the inside. Anyone know if they are recyclable? I'm guessing that the bubble-wrap part is plastic and that they are not recyclable because of the effort it would take to separate the paper from plastic. But maybe they are, if this pulping process you refer to is really good. Any wisdom?

]]> By: Layla http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic/comment-page-1/#comment-5690 Layla Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:28:00 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic-waste/#comment-5690 I've been wondering about the envelopes & the windows too...<br /><br />In the past, we just reused the envelopes for writing notes, & I hate to say they usually ended up in the furnace along with most of the rest of the paper.. (we have a wood furnace, not easy to get the fire started without paper, hmm..)<br /><br />I wish all envelopes and ALL other paper products were clearly marked with regard to contents & dyes & chlorine or other chemicals used.. <br />Even some 'eco' paper here in Slovenia is made of unidentifiable contents?!!<br /><br />I re-use the envelopes as 'mini folders' now, they're great for mini 'project management'! (just write the name of the project on the envelope, & put related paper into it)<br />I've used them for collecting monthly bills too..<br /><br />not sure what will be done end-of-cycle, at least I can use them this way for quite some time & avoid buying plastic folders or binders!<br /><br />John, do you just send back the envelope windows in an envelope (or small package) to the bank?! lol!! what a nifty idea!! :)<br />how many do you send at a time? yearly amount or..?<br />with a note explaining it, & what you expect from them, I expect? I've been wondering about the envelopes & the windows too…

In the past, we just reused the envelopes for writing notes, & I hate to say they usually ended up in the furnace along with most of the rest of the paper.. (we have a wood furnace, not easy to get the fire started without paper, hmm..)

I wish all envelopes and ALL other paper products were clearly marked with regard to contents & dyes & chlorine or other chemicals used..
Even some 'eco' paper here in Slovenia is made of unidentifiable contents?!!

I re-use the envelopes as 'mini folders' now, they're great for mini 'project management'! (just write the name of the project on the envelope, & put related paper into it)
I've used them for collecting monthly bills too..

not sure what will be done end-of-cycle, at least I can use them this way for quite some time & avoid buying plastic folders or binders!

John, do you just send back the envelope windows in an envelope (or small package) to the bank?! lol!! what a nifty idea!! :)
how many do you send at a time? yearly amount or..?
with a note explaining it, & what you expect from them, I expect?

]]> By: Bridget http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic/comment-page-1/#comment-5671 Bridget Sun, 12 Apr 2009 21:53:00 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic-waste/#comment-5671 Speaking of taxes, instead of throwing away window envelopes, I use them to store my receipts each month--I just write June 2008 on the front of the envelope and bundle them with a rubber band at the end of the year to put in storage (my dad's a stickler about keeping such things for seven years...so right now I'm just filing them away. <br/><br/>My school (MIT) uses a single stream recycler, and windowed envelopes are actually okay...there's some sort of amazing laser system that sorts, and I'm not sure if they just bundle the window envelopes with everything, or if they sort them out. Speaking of taxes, instead of throwing away window envelopes, I use them to store my receipts each month–I just write June 2008 on the front of the envelope and bundle them with a rubber band at the end of the year to put in storage (my dad’s a stickler about keeping such things for seven years…so right now I’m just filing them away.

My school (MIT) uses a single stream recycler, and windowed envelopes are actually okay…there’s some sort of amazing laser system that sorts, and I’m not sure if they just bundle the window envelopes with everything, or if they sort them out.

]]> By: Christy B. http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic/comment-page-1/#comment-5599 Christy B. Tue, 07 Apr 2009 17:38:00 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic-waste/#comment-5599 Susan B,<br/><br/>Not every company uses the plastic/glassine/cello window.<br/><br/>As Beth mentioned, Credo doesn't. My local gas, water and electric utilities don't. I'm pretty sure that Co-op America doesn't. There are others as well, just can't think of them!<br/><br/>If the envelope that caused the lockdown had had a plastic/glassine/cello window how would that have changed the outcome? Wherever it had picked up the debris, that debris would have just been the the crevices/seams of the plastic/glassine - at least that's how I see it! Susan B,

Not every company uses the plastic/glassine/cello window.

As Beth mentioned, Credo doesn’t. My local gas, water and electric utilities don’t. I’m pretty sure that Co-op America doesn’t. There are others as well, just can’t think of them!

If the envelope that caused the lockdown had had a plastic/glassine/cello window how would that have changed the outcome? Wherever it had picked up the debris, that debris would have just been the the crevices/seams of the plastic/glassine – at least that’s how I see it!

]]> By: Susan B http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic/comment-page-1/#comment-5598 Susan B Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:32:00 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic-waste/#comment-5598 Re having a plastic/glasscine/whatever window versus an open hole for the address to show through -- during the post-9/11 anthrax days, back in the days when some envelopes still just had holes, my office received an envelope which in addition to the letter contained white debris and were put into a 2 hour lockdown by local hazmat. It was just some debris that got in the envelope but the envelope had passed through what was eventually identified as the contaminated post office processing center in NJ. So while this doesn't answer why not just print on the envelope (cost-savings of course) I think it along with idenity theft concerns explains at least one reason why everything has a window now -- prevent tampering of any variety. Re having a plastic/glasscine/whatever window versus an open hole for the address to show through — during the post-9/11 anthrax days, back in the days when some envelopes still just had holes, my office received an envelope which in addition to the letter contained white debris and were put into a 2 hour lockdown by local hazmat. It was just some debris that got in the envelope but the envelope had passed through what was eventually identified as the contaminated post office processing center in NJ. So while this doesn’t answer why not just print on the envelope (cost-savings of course) I think it along with idenity theft concerns explains at least one reason why everything has a window now — prevent tampering of any variety.

]]> By: John Costigane http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic/comment-page-1/#comment-5597 John Costigane Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:28:00 +0000 http://fakeplasticfish.com/2009/04/year-2-week-42-results-05-oz-of-plastic-waste/#comment-5597 Hi Jessica,<br/><br/>Full cycle means no waste, Zero Waste, at any point of a production process. To have this, each stage would have to accept full responsibility for materials used. In the current system the "buck" is passed eventually to the consumer. Some consumer are now saying - no more plastic.<br/><br/>I return this type of plastic waste (window) to source to encourage the sender to change his/her unthinking attitude to the waste issue. If everyone does this the situation will change more quickly. Hi Jessica,

Full cycle means no waste, Zero Waste, at any point of a production process. To have this, each stage would have to accept full responsibility for materials used. In the current system the “buck” is passed eventually to the consumer. Some consumer are now saying – no more plastic.

I return this type of plastic waste (window) to source to encourage the sender to change his/her unthinking attitude to the waste issue. If everyone does this the situation will change more quickly.

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