{"id":426192,"date":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-14T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=426192"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"Easy-Fun-and-Good-for-the-Environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/Easy-Fun-and-Good-for-the-Environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy, Fun and Good for the Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><h2>How to make every day recycling day<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>(Family Features) With so many mixed messages, recycling can feel confusing, but the truth is simpler than you might think. Recycling isn\u2019t just for today \u2013 it\u2019s a year-round commitment to a healthier planet.<\/p>\n<p>In honor of National Recycling Day, consider these facts about recycling from the experts and tips to make a difference.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Recycling Is Real<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Americans recycle more than 6 <a href=\"https:\/\/recyclingisreal.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">billion pounds<\/a> of plastic every year. Among the plastics recycled, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) remains a responsible material choice. PET is the world\u2019s most recycled plastic, with more than <a href=\"https:\/\/napcor.com\/reports-resources\/\" target=\"_blank\">1.8 billion pounds<\/a> of PET bottles and containers recovered in the U.S. annually. Since PET bottles can be made from 100% post-consumer recycled content, each recycled bottle contributes to a circular economy where materials are continuously reused instead of wasted.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Recycling PET Plastic is Better for the Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Countless others from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sheffield.ac.uk\/news\/replacing-plastics-alternatives-worse-greenhouse-gas-emissions-most-cases-study-finds\" target=\"_blank\">academics<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acs.est.3c05191\" target=\"_blank\">researchers<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mckinsey.com\/industries\/chemicals\/our-insights\/climate-impact-of-plastics\" target=\"_blank\">industry experts<\/a> show plastics, such as PET specifically, often have a lower environmental impact. In fact, glass bottles produce three times the greenhouse gas emissions compared to PET bottles, and making an aluminum can produces twice the emissions, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/napcor.com\/pet-life-cycle-assessment-report-2023\/\" target=\"_blank\">Life Cycle Assessment studies<\/a>. Producing PET also uses less energy and water and lowers acid rain and smog potential. Using and recycling PET is a more responsible, more eco-friendly choice than banning plastic outright.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Recycling Saves Energy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Recycling PET bottles requires <a href=\"https:\/\/napcor.com\/pet-life-cycle-assessment-report-2023\/\" target=\"_blank\">less energy<\/a> than producing new glass bottles or aluminum cans. Every PET bottle you recycle helps conserve resources and supports a more responsible production cycle.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Not All Plastics are Created Equal<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>PET is a superstar among plastics because it can be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.recycletheone.com\/what-is-pet\/#:~:text=Almost%20uniquely%20among%20plastics%2C%20PET%20is%20near%2Dinfinitely%20recyclable%20and,emissions%20compared%20with%20virgin%20PET.\" target=\"_blank\">recycled repeatedly without losing strength or quality<\/a>. It\u2019s also an inexpensive, lightweight and shatter-resistant package that preserves and protects the food and medicine people place in their bodies.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Recycling Can be Easy<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Recycling services can be accessible, with many communities across the U.S. offering easy ways to recycle<strong>.<\/strong> Today more than 73% of all U.S. households have access to recycling, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/recyclingpartnership.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/dlm_uploads\/2024\/01\/Recycling-Partnership-State-of-Recycling-Report-1.12.24.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">The Recycling Partnership<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>By staying informed, choosing packaging that\u2019s easily recyclable and recycling consistently, you can help build a more sustainable future every day. Visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.recyclecheck.org\/?utm_source=familyfeatures&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=17302-Amcor\" target=\"_blank\">recyclecheck.org<\/a> to find out where you can recycle in your community.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<p><strong><img decoding=\"async\" align=\"middle\" src=\"https:\/\/d2z0g7klazfonw.cloudfront.net\/production\/additional_images\/23815\/17302-detail-image-embed-infographic.jpg?1731530894\" style=\"margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; max-height:100%; max-width:100%;\" \/><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>5 Recycling Tips<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Know your plastics.<\/strong> Look for the No. 1 recycling symbol \u2013 inside three arrows forming a triangular shape \u2013 to identify polyethylene terephthalate (PET), helping ensure your recycling efforts are impactful.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Recycle PET plastic packaging over bans.<\/strong> Choose products packaged in PET bottles where possible, as recycling PET reduces reliance on resource-heavy materials and greenhouse gas emissions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>See recycling as energy conservation.<\/strong> PET bottle recycling uses significantly less energy compared to producing new glass bottles or aluminum cans.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Think of recycling as an investment.<\/strong> Every PET container you recycle contributes to a circular economy and more sustainable world.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Get involved within your community.<\/strong> Connect with local recycling programs and stay updated on your area\u2019s recycling guidelines by visiting <a href=\"http:\/\/www.recyclecheck.org\/?utm_source=familyfeatures&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=17302-Amcor\" target=\"_blank\">recyclecheck.org<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Photo courtesy of Shutterstock<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ssl.google-analytics.com\/collect?v=1&amp;tid=UA-482330-7&amp;cid=1955551e-1975-5e52-0cdb-8516071094cd&amp;sc=start&amp;t=pageview&amp;dl=http%3A%2F%2Ftrack.familyfeatures.com%2F17302%2F9574&amp;dt=EASY-FUN-AND-GOOD-FOR-THE-ENVIRONMENT\" \/><\/p>\n<p> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/images\/imgupload\/4b31316c0c084b47bbb40e8fac4ae409.jpg\" width=\"480\" height=\"360\" \/><br \/>Easy, Fun and Good for the Environment<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How to make every day recycling day (Family Features) With so many mixed messages, recycling&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-426192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-local-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=426192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/426192\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=426192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=426192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=426192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}