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This might seem like a stretch, even for “green” people, but it is a thought to consider: When grocery shopping, what if you only bought products in recyclable containers?  Be careful, just because a product has a recycling number doesn’t mean it’s recyclable. While many dumps collect plastics of all sorts, not all of those plastics get recycled. Here is an explanation of the numbers:

1. PETE – This is the kind usually used for soda bottles and food packages. It is easily recycled and becomes more bottles and polyester fibers.
2. HDPE – This is what milk and detergent containers usually come in. It also is recycled easily.
3. PVC – You know PVC from PVC pipes, but it is also in furniture, toys, and other packaging. While many dumps accept it, it has little use as a recyclable. Less than 1% of PVC is recycled and it is a growing problem.
4. LDPE – Found in grocery bags, sandwich and other kinds of wrapping, this plastic can be recycled, but rarely is because recycling it costs more for companies to do so than it does to make new ones.
5. PP – Found in many yogurt and margarine containers, it is often collected yet there isn’t a sufficient amount; most of it winds up staying at the dump anyway.
6. PS -This is the worst of all plastics. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it has a recycling symbol on it. Polystyrene rarely is recycled because the cost to do so is much more than simply creating more of the product. This is the stamp usually found on Styrofoam like take-out containers, coffee cups, or meat trays.
7. Other – This is anything that doesn’t fit above. You can assume it is not recycled.

From that, you can see that buying products that are plastic 1 and 2 is ideal. If you’re buying products from any of the others, try to make sure they’re things you want to keep. Some of us shop by brand, some of us shop by cost, why not shop by recycling numbers? Some of us might be afraid of losing our favorite product, but maybe it’s time for this product switch to a greener container. Most containers provide a number to call or Website to visit if the consumer has comments on the container. If enough people take their invitation and complain, maybe we can see a change.