"Precycling" is the New Green Trend

Everyone knows what recycling is. Even if you haven't jumped on the "green" bandwagon (and if you haven't, what's the problem? Don't like the planet? Live somewhere else, then), you are no doubt hep to all of the whys and wherefores of recycling-it takes less energy and wastes fewer precious resources like water and fuel to make products of recycled materials instead of raw materials. But what's all this buzz about "precycling"? What is precycling, anyway?

Precycling is simply this: Before you buy a product, think about what will happen to what is left over-namely, the packaging. The goal of precycling is to reduce waste in general by reducing packaging (think buying in bulk and using your own containers, not throwaway packaging, to store your purchases) or by at least choosing recyclable packaging. Choose items packaged minimally, using easily recycled materials like aluminum cans or cardboard. Pay attention to the coding on the bottom of plastic containers and limit your choices to those that are easily recycled-usually #1 (PETE) and #2 (HDPE). Squeeze bottles tend to be made of layers of different kind of plastics, so they are very rarely recyclable. Glass jars are a better choice for your mayonnaise and other spreads.

I conducted a survey of foods in my own fridge and pantry to see what was in recyclable packaging and what wasn't. I called the toll-free numbers on some of the products to get clarification on some of the packaging, to praise those companies who had chosen the green route and to fuss at those who hadn't. The following is a sampling of products I had on hand:

Banquet brand frozen entrees -the plastic tray is #1 (PETE) plastic; that and the cardboard box are easily recycled. I called the toll-free number (1-800-257-5191) to offer ConAgra Foods my praise. The customer service rep to whom I spoke also added that there are no dioxins in the plastic.

Other products in I found in recyclable packaging: Hooray for JIF peanut butter, Kraft grated parmesan cheese, McCormick Seasonings, Lowe's Foodsstore brand canola oil, Miracle Whip spread-all #1; Hershey's Cocoa Powder was in #2 (HDPE); milk jugs are also #2.

Products that come in tubs, like margarine, tend to be non-recyclable. The tubs containing I Can't Believe it's Not Butter! spread and Food Lion store brand cottage cheese were both #5 plastic, which is not commonly recycled. Aunt Jemima syrup was also in #5 plastic. Another product in my kitchen cabinet is Hunt'sSnack Pack fat free pudding -check out my review here, in which I fuss about the plastic cups holding the pudding not being coded for recycling. I called ConAgra at 1-800-457-4178 (they have different toll-free numbers for different products) to ask why.

The rep consulted her info sheet and reported that the plastic is #7 - the official reason it's not coded is that the peel-off lid isn't recyclable. So, since the whole container isn't recyclable, it isn't coded. This sounds ridiculous to me, especially since you would certainly peel off the peel-off lid to get to the pudding before you attempted to recycle the packaging. Even if it were coded, of course, #7 plastic (officially referred to as "OTHER", it is usually a combination of different types) is practically impossible to recycle. I told the very nice girl to pass on the information that the recyclability of the packaging is very important to a lot of us, and that instant pudding is cheaper and comes in a cardboard box!

I hope you eco-minded folks out there might consider doing a survey of your own pantries, and the next time you go shopping for groceries or any other items, think about rewarding companies who have chosen responsibility to the environment in their package design. Please call the toll-free numbers provided on most brand-name packaging or visit the company website. Offer positive feedback and let the good companies know why you will be a loyal customer! Tell the ones who are being naughty that you would consider switching to a different brand if they don't wake up and hug the trees. You will be a precycling expert in no time-keep it green!