Construction Begins on Plastic Railroad Bridges

Guest post by Donna Mantione

Axion International, a company which manufactures building components made from post consumer and industrial plastics, is set to begin construction on two new Recycled Structural Composite (RSC) railroad bridges at Ft. Eustis, Virginia. The new bridges, one spanning 40 feet and the other spanning 80 feet, will replace two wooden bridges that had been taken out of service because of deteriorating conditions. These new bridges will be completed in less time than it would take using conventional construction materials. All components in this construction are from recycled materials with the exception of the steel connectors used to connect the plastic components and the rubber plates placed between the girders and pile caps to reduce the strain and vibration. In addition to faster project completion, the cost will be less than using wood and steel and the environmental impact is substantial because of the diversion of plastics from landfills.

Ramen Noodle Coin Purses: The Latest Fashion Accessory

If you thought that backpacks made from recycled juice drink pouches were cool, wait til you see the change purses made from recycled Ramen noodle packages. These ultra cool coin purses are available from Boutique Mix (Washington DC). And, of course, if you like the Ramen noodle coin purse, you'll love the Kool Aid messenger bags made from...you guessed it...Kool Aid juice pouches.

With all the nifty items out there made from recycled packaging, there's no better time to show off your favorite products and enjoy them a second time around!

Backpacks Made From Juice Drink Pouches

Finally, after admiring the many cool recycled products made by TerraCycle, now I can buy them online! For those of you who aren't familiar with TerraCycle, it all started with worm poop. The company makes great fertilizer and packages it in discarded soda bottles and milk jugs. The product was wildly successful and became available on store shelves and online.

Then the company ventured into the creation of other products made from discarded waste (in fact, you can sign up to collect and send in the types of items they need...and they'll pay you for it!). The company now has items made from discarded wine corks, potato chip bags, juice drink pouches, plastic shopping bags, cookie wrappers, and so much more. I have long admired the school backpacks made from juice drink pouches (and the lunch boxes and the pencil cases) and now I can finally own one (or two!).

With back-to-school shopping just around the corner, check out TerraCycle's e-commerce site. Where else can your kids get a super cool recyled backpack for under $12?

Recycled Toiletpaper? Eew!

In a recent conversation with my students, when it was mentioned that a local company uses recycled hand towels and toilet paper, I could see the peculiar looks around the room. When asked what their idea of recycled toilet paper was, well....you can image...some students thought that perhaps it was used toilet paper placed in a bin for recycling, just like cans, glass, plastic, and paper. "Hmmm," I thought, "we need to talk."

Paper that comes 'straight from the tree' is referred to as virgin pulp paper. Paper can then be placed in a recycling bin destined for another life. Paper can generally be recycling 5-7 times. But with each recycling, the paper fibers become weaker. Through a sifting process, the stronger pulp can be pulled out and, in it's second life, paper can still be paper. However, by the time the paper goes through several lifecycles, the fibers are weak and brittle and are used for hand towels, facial tissue, toilet tissue, and similar products. For a detailed description of how paper is recycled, visit the TAPPI website.

So don't be afraid to purchase towel and tissue products made from post-consumer recycled material. It's not "icky" at all and it is good for the environment!

baabaaZuZu - Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week

baabaaZuZu (Lake Leelanau MI) was started in 1994 by Sue and Kevin Burns. baabaaZuZu makes clothing from items that would otherwise be discarded. All clothing is made from 100% recycled materials, primarily wool and tweed. Most of the supply comes from second hand shops. Each product is unique but all have a common pocket and hand sewn blanket stitch. The product line consists of jackets, vests, hats, scarves, mittens, purses & bags, pins, and Christmas stockings.

Sustainable & Responsible Business of the Week: If they can do it, so can you!