JUICE BOXES ARE NOT RECYCLABLE.

Aseptic packaging, also known as juice boxes or Tetra-Pak bricks, are not recyclable. Don’t put them in your recycling can. They should go in your regular garbage can. Although Berkeley and Oakland recycle a very wide variety of plastic products, there is no practical way to recycle aseptic packaging. That is because this packaging is not made out of a single material, like paper or plastic. Aseptic packaging is a combination of plastic, paper, and metal foil all glued together. On the city of Berkeley web site, it says that they don’t accept aseptic packaging for recycling because they “have uncertain end markets.” What does it mean? It means that although it is theoretically possible to recycle this stuff, there is no practical way to do it. Aseptic packaging is one of reasons why China, India, and many other countries will no longer accept American trash for recycling. Americans mix everything together in recycling cans – products that are recyclable, products that Americans think are recyclable but actually aren’t, plus ordinary garbage. The food processing and plastics industries in the U.S. have been criticized for a long time for labeling products ‘recyclable’, ‘biodegradable’, and ‘compostable’ in ways that are either highly deceptive or just plain false. Plastic products that are often labeled ‘recyclable’ but that are not actually recyclable include: coffee cup lids, coffee stirrers, straws, cutlery, bottle caps, potato chip bags, and styrofoam. Remember – you can often get a lot more garbage in your garbage can if you take the caps off aseptic boxes and milk cartons first!

ARE METAL STRAWS SAFE?

A lot of restaurants and bars in California have gotten rid of plastic straws since the state passed a law limiting where plastic straws can be used. Since then, metal straws have been popping up everywhere. You can buy them in many stores here in Berkeley, but should you? I have asked people who work in public health: “Are metal straws safe?”, and nobody said: “Yes.” The problem is this – it is easy to clean the outside of a metal straw, but how do you sanitize the inside of it? Metal straws come with a little brush designed to clean out the inside of these straws, but how can you be sure that you got all the germs and stuff inside the straw that could rot or mold? I was at a catered event and was offered a drink with a metal straw in it. I wouldn’t drink it and asked the bartender for another drink without a straw in it. I had no way of knowing who used that straw before me. The last person who used that straw might have had the flu. You can get the flu, hepatitis, and many other diseases by using a straw that was previously used by an infected person. In addition, it is not clear that metal straws are better for the environment than plastic straws. Making one nickel straw generates more carbon emissions than 100 plastic straws. Plus, how much hot water would you have to use to thoroughly clean a metal straw inside and out 100 times, and how many people are really going to do that? If you want to avoid using plastic straws, use paper or cardboard straws or drink your beverages without a straw. Many cities, like Berkeley, are passing laws to ban or phase out single-use paper products, like coffee cups and straws. I think that is a bad idea. The problem is that it is very hard for politicians in a place like Berkeley to vote against a law that is perceived to be good for the environment – even if they know that it is not a good idea.

RECYCLING CANS. Take a look at the photo below. I see trash cans like these all over Berkeley and San Francisco. This is why China and other countries won’t accept American garbage. Americans mix everything together.

NOT ALL PLASTIC IS RECYCLABLE.

A lot of people think that the recycling can marked ‘Cans and Bottles’ is the place to put unwanted plastic, but not all plastics are recyclable. The following plastic items are not recyclable. Styrofoam: ​including pellets, molded blocks, dinner plates, bowls, cups, and food packaging. All plastic cutlery: knives, forks, spoons, etc. Clamshell food containers​, no matter what kind of plastic they are made out of. Non-rigid plastic food packaging, ​like​ potato chip bags and​ any kind of​ pliable plastic packaging. Plastic 6 pack rings. Juice boxes. ​Many of these products say they are recyclable and have recycling symbols on them; however, these products are not recycled because its just not practical. For example, juice boxes are made out of layers of paper, metal foil, and plastic, all glued together. It costs too much to separate these materials, and nobody does.These products will not get recycled if you put them in your recycling can. All these products should go in your regular garbage can​ instead​.