Great new site - EcoBees

Poking around I found a great new site that Could use a lot more people in the ChicagoLand area. I haven't really checked out other areas, but seeing as it's a new site, Most areas could probably use help. It's based off of a freecycle model.

http://wwww.ecobees.com

EcoBees is a little more of a user-friendly interface than craigslist or freecycle.org. The creaters wanted to help supplement exostomg sites that do the same thing. Not necessarily take their place.

Why I find this site better? you can specify the distance you are willing to travel, without having to think of every area that might fall in that or search zipcodes, or join multiple groups if you happen to live on the edge of one.

Other perks are, you can post pictures, and who doesn't like seeing pictures of the items they are getting, You can see where on the map they are in relation to you. Don't worry, they don't give out your address on the map. it just gives a generalized location.

From my understanding the site only launched at the end of March and is doing quite well.

ReUsing 2 Liter Plastic Bottles.

Here are some great tips for Reusing those 2-liter plastic soda bottles. Saw this great video on @thriftstoreremx's site.

Styrofoam Cups

Styrofoam cups are generally a bad idea since they aren't recyclable. But sometimes you just get one with out much of a choice. One thing that you can do with them is use them to make an insulated cup. Take a regular cup and put it inside the Styrofoam cups, and it adds a layer of insulation. While there isn't much you can do to recycle the Styrofoam, you can reuse it.

Though it's still generally better to avoid Styrofoam all together when ever possible.

BPA & Recycling Plastic

There has been a lot made of BPA lately. One of the mailing lists I am on, the question was raised if it was safe to heat foods in plastic bags, or did they contain BPA. So I went in search of the answer.

BPA is Bisphenol A. It's an additive to some plastics, and according to Wikipedia, It is an organic compound with two phenol functional groups. It is a difunctional building block of several important plastics and plastic additives. With an annual production of 2–3 million metric tonnes, it is an important monomer in the production of polycarbonate.

Suspected of being hazardous to humans since the 1930s, concerns about the use of bisphenol A in consumer products were regularly reported in the news media in 2008 after several governments issued reports questioning its safety, and some retailers removed products made from it off their shelves. (More can be found on this at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A)

So right now you are probably freaked out going "I'm never going to use anything plastic again!!!" Well don't freak out yet. All Plastics have a recycle number on them. BPA is only in #3 & #7


Plastic Identification Code
Type of plastic polymer Properties
Common Packaging Applications

#1 -- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET, PETE)
Clarity, strength, toughness, barrier to gas and moisture.
Soft drink, water and salad dressing bottles; peanut butter and jam jars

#2 -- High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
Stiffness, strength, toughness, resistance to moisture, permeability to gas.
Milk, juice and water bottles; trash and retail bags.

#3 -- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) (Contains BPA)
Versatility, clarity, ease of blending, strength, toughness.
Juice bottles; cling films; PVC piping

#4 -- Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
Ease of processing, strength, toughness, flexibility, ease of sealing, barrier to moisture.
Frozen food bags; squeezable bottles, e.g. honey, mustard; cling films; flexible container lids.

#5 -- Polypropylene (PP)
Strength, toughness, resistance to heat, chemicals, grease and oil, versatile, barrier to moisture.
Reusable microwaveable ware; kitchenware; yogurt containers; margarine tubs; microwaveable disposable take-away containers; disposable cups and plates.

#6 -- Polystyrene (PS)
Versatility, clarity, easily formed
Egg cartons; packing peanuts; disposable cups, plates, trays and cutlery; disposable take-away containers;

#7 -- Other (often polycarbonate or ABS) (Containts BPA)
Dependent on polymers or combination of polymers
Beverage bottles; baby milk bottles; electronic casing.

For more information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_recycling