Responsible approach to the utilisation of consumer products

Hi Sizacle,

All of these items do not naturally biodegrade. Also, to reuse glass you need to melt it, which requires a lot of energy. The combustion of natural gas/fuel oil and the decomposition of raw materials during the melting lead to the emission of CO2.

Plastic milk jugs are made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), or plastic numbered 2. It's safer for food than many other plastics and not quite as toxic to produce. Although widely recyclable in most municipal curbside programs, recovery and recycling rates vary. In provinces with milk-jug recovery programs, the Canadian Plastics Industry Association estimates a recovery rate of about 50 per cent. Recycled milk jugs are downcycled, ending their life as plant trays or non-food packaging items — often not easily recycled.

The paper milk carton, or polycoated gable-top cartons, are made from virgin paperboard. But buyer beware: they are not always accepted in municipal curbside recycling programs. Check the accepted items for your city or look into drop-off depots to ensure cartons get recycled and pulped into new paper products like tissues.