Compiled by Dennis with the help of fellow Jangloers.
Many have written asking that I share the information I received on recycling bottles. So, to be true to the user-friendly concept of Janglo, here they are. Most replies were from individuals describing what they do deposit in the bins, along with some other information regarding recycling in general, whether applicable to our situation in Jerusalem, or not. I have not accredited the personal replies. As authoritative as some of these replies are may sound, they may still warrant further investigation.
Center for Social and Environmental Activism
Merkaz Hamagshimim Hadassah
Dor Dor V'Dorshav 7A
German Colony, Jerusalem 93117
Tel: 02 561 9168
Fax: 02 561 8981
Hi Dennis,
Regarding your question about bottle recycling posted on Janglo, all bottles are recyclable. The plastic from the clear bottles is used for making furniture, and the problem with the colored bottles is that no one wants to buy the furniture that can be made with them, because you can't dye the plastic. As of now, the recycling plants are storing the colored bottles, and environmental groups are attempting to come up with a viable solution. If you can come up with anything. . . .
Good luck!
Aliza
Atid Yarok
*****(If anyone wants to check with the authors of the following submissions,
please email me for their email addresses.)
Dennis,
You've probably already received plenty of responses by now, but just in case, I thought I would write. I have been very active in recycling in Israel for the past 5 years and worked with the organization that brought plastic bottle recycling to Jerusalem. I've also spent some time at the one recycling plant in Israel, learning how exactly this whole process takes place in Israel. They absolutely DO recycle all colors and types of plastic bottles that arrive at their plant. However, they prioritize which colors get recycled by the orders they receive for the recycled material. It is an established fact that recycled clear plastic is by far the most requested item, as most of this material becomes some sort of packaging, where the company wants the consumer to be able to clearly see the item they are purchasing through the plastic. There are, of course, orders for colored plastic as well, just fewer. Blue happens to be the least requested color when it comes to recycled plastic, but the problem is that the water bottling companies are convinced that their customers are so used to seeing "blue" water in their bottles, that they refuse to make the responsible decision to switch to clear bottles out of fear of losing their customers. And so we have an abundance of blue plastic bottles waiting to be recycled. As for the non-see-through plastic, like milk bottles and detergent bottles, etc., the recycling company also recycles these, although reluctantly as they're not in big demand, into plastic lawn furniture and fencing, etc. All this is to say that if you can fit the bottle through the round hole in the cage, I would recommend continuing to recycle as much as you can. Please do not leave over-sized bottles on top of the cages, as many folks do, as they more often than not end up being blown off the cage to roll around our streets. If you have any other questions about recycling, please feel free to write back. I hope this information helps.
JG
*****
I saw on the Hebrew news a while ago that the blue bottles are mashed into sort of grains but are not used as there is apparently no use for them. I don't think that they even bother to recycle the clear ones either but am not 100% sure about the clear.
******
Happy recycling,
Dennis
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