All That Online Shopping Has Cardboard Consequences
All That Online Shopping Has Cardboard Consequences
NBC News
Chiara Sottile and Jo Ling Kent
1/3 SLIDES © Robert Reed of San Francisco's Recology surveys a pile of mainly cardboard waste, with NBC's Jo Ling...
More than ever, we are shopping with a scroll and a click online instead of in our local brick-and-mortar stores. Lucrative same-day shipping deals and the convenience of shopping from home have propelled the growth of e-commerce: up nearly 25 percent last year, according to an analysis by Slice Intelligence.
But our online cravings have cardboard consequences. From boots to bananas, meal kits to makeup, we receive so many packages it's actually changing the very color of material collected at our recycling facilities.
"It used to be grayish, like the color of newspapers and magazines. And now it's more brown or cardboard in color, from all these boxes," said spokesman Robert Reed from San Francisco's recycling hauler, Recology.
"People are ordering a lot more things online, and they arrive in small- and medium-sized cardboard boxes, and so you can see it right here," Reed told NBC's Jo Ling Kent, standing beside the plant's massive pile of cardboard, hard plastics, paper, and bottles.
Our Homes Are Generating More Waste
Every day, Recology collects approximately 625 tons of recyclables, including more than 100 tons of cardboard at their "Recycle Central" plant on San Francisco's Pier 96.
And instead of that cardboard coming from retail and grocery stores, increasingly the boom of brown boxes comes from apartment buildings and homes.
"It's a pretty significant change. We see these changes pretty regularly in the recycling stream. But this is a big one," said Reed. While the amount of cardboard they receive is similar to previous years, there are far more of them and they're smaller in size.
Many in the recycling business say that as consumers receive more products directly, they recycle less and throw away more — in part because of confusion over what is recyclable. According to a report from Moore Recycling Associates, in 2015, consumers recycled less than 7 percent of all plastic films and wraps. And, in 2013, the average recycling rate of all packaging (excluding compost) was less than 25 percent, according to Resource Recycling Systems.
"We're very concerned that right now maybe this shift in disposal rates is due in part to the fact that people are going for convenience and having things mailed directly to them instead of going to stores," said Heidi Sanborn of the California Product Stewardship Council.
Companies and Consumers Need to Make the Fix
Sanborn is calling on the companies shipping these packages as well as the consumer to help make a change.
"We'd ask that the companies who are mail-order companies work on reducing their packaging waste," said Sanborn in an interview. "But we're also asking the consumers to be thoughtful and to tell companies, 'Hey, I don't want all this waste. I want to buy products that are in reduced packaging, or reusable packaging.'"
With the growing popularity of on-demand delivery and meal kit services like Blue Apron and HelloFresh, non-recyclable packaging is making its way to the recycling center.
"We're seeing an increase in waste generation and we're seeing more products coming on to the market that we can't do anything with. For example, those ice packs that are in those mail kits," said Sanborn.
While Blue Apron maintains on their website that their "box, liners, ice packs and more" are recyclable, many recycling authorities dispute this. The plastic liners that accompany many individual food items in Blue Apron deliveries cannot be returned in many curbside pickup programs, nor can the ice packs or the foil lining of the box. Blue Apron declined to comment for this story, citing their quiet period before their initial public offering.
Blue Apron subscriber Jessica Gelin of Oakland, California, loves the convenience of Blue Apron and lauds the quality of their food.
"I enjoy Blue Apron, I think it's great," she said with a laugh. "I think it's getting better all the time. And as it grows in popularity, I think smart people, who like to use it, will demand a little bit better environmental packaging. And I believe it exists out there. It's just expensive," said Gelin, suggesting compostable bags instead of plastic ones.
"My biggest problem with Blue Apron is the ice packs," said Gelin, who tries to ship the packs back to Blue Apron as their website recommends, but worries what's in them. The maker of the "Nordic Ice" packs confirmed to NBC News that the contents of the packs are not recyclable and that the plastic can only be recycled where low-density plastic is accepted - often not curbside.
Recology is asking its customers for help processing all these new sources of waste, and to do their homework about what can really be tossed in their recycling bins. And, Reed is pleading with customers to break down their cardboard boxes before putting them out for collection to save space in bins and collection trucks.
Recyling Redux
It's not just San Francisco noticing a change. In Austin, Texas, the city has already received 30 percent more corrugated cardboard than this time last year.
"We've had to do some modificiations to the plant here, so we can recycle these cardboard boxes," said Reed, referring to new machinery that can sort cardboard from other material the plant receives. "Now we have machines that'll sort them."
The new machines are one reason why Recology is seeking a collection rate increase in San Francisco to the tune of about 14 percent.
Back at Recology's recycling plant, the cardboard consequences of our online shopping are all around — with the familiar logos of online retailers peeking out from compacted cubes. The Amazon Prime logo, with its smiling arrow, made repeat appearances. And it's no wonder: More than 40 percent of all online retails sales in the U.S. went through Amazon last year, according to Slice Intelligence.
Reed says all this "trash of convenience" shows a cultural shift to instantly gratifying online purchases instead of buying in person at local stores.
"We need to think about the environment in all things we do. You know, the earth is our home and we need to protect that, and it is a very precious resource," said Reed. "We want to recycle everything we can."
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Many in the recycling business say that as consumers receive more products directly, they recycle less and throw away more — in part because of confusion over what is recyclable. According to a report from Moore Recycling Associates, in 2015, consumers recycled less than 7 percent of all plastic films and wraps. And, in 2013, the average recycling rate of all packaging (excluding compost) was less than 25 percent, according to Resource Recycling Systems.
'"We need to think about the environment in all things we do. You know, the earth is our home and we need to protect that, and it is a very precious resource," said Reed. "We want to recycle everything we can."
Yes, this is something that is extremely important.
Although for those of us that live in the country, driving to the local store isn't always possible. For me to find a large store I'd have to drive 50 miles to Springfield, so on line shopping is more than a convinience for me.
Trash pick up here does not include recycle bins. We have to save it and drive it 10 miles to a recycle place. Which we do.
Dear Friend Kavika: It is vitally important we live in harmony with nature.
Its all we have in which to live.
Recycling is a very positive use of technology for environmental sustainability.
Usually, when I hear the phrase, "cardboard consequences" I associate it with the roast beef at Jays Diner.
Enoch, recycling a sandwich.
I knew it, my cardboard has been going to Jay's....A cardboard and plastic sandwich, Chief Chef Boiling Water Goldsteins special.
Dear Friend Kavika: BOL.
E.
''Enoch, recycling a sandwich.''
More information than I needed niijii...LOLOLOL
I'd much rather have most people online shop and recycle the cardboard than build strip malls and destroy the land around here.
Good point Dean. I admit that I'm an online shopper for about 70% of what I purchase. This is a new reality for the world and Amazon was brilliant to figure this out years ago. Thus their new acquisition of Whole Foods. They know that food delivery is the next step. I also think the company's like Blue Apron are really onto something. This is where we're heading.
I always believed that mandatory recycling started many years ago for the purpose of getting people used to the concept and the practice. It was in preparation for what we are starting to see.
I don't know whether there has been much interest in the recycling field but I guarantee that it is going to be a money maker as well as jobs like garbage collection and disposal.
Those who work in retail may want to start looking for other professions.
I'd much rather have most people online shop
Me too! (Full disclosuire: Friday I bout stock in AMZN (Amazon.com
Good investment!
I use an amazon button for cat litter. When I run low, I just push the button and two days later a 40 lb box shows up on my porch. The shipping is free with a prime membership. You can't beat that, compared to lugging it around the grocery store and hauling it home. One time it arrived without being placed in a box, which I thought was a great idea, but every other time is comes in a separate box. We recycle everything, so I don't see a problem with it as long as it gets turned back into useful stuff like more boxes.
so that's what those little buttons are for! hahahahaha
Hal,
Do they do that for the clay litter, too? That stuff weighs a ton and I have to go into Walmart to get it, and I hate Walmarts.
Do they do that for the clay litter, too?
I've been a member of Amazon Prime for years-- and have gotten used to free shipping.
A while back I looked at some glass food storage jars. The price for the was excellent. But none of them were eligible for Amazon Prime shipping-- so the shipping wasn't free, and the shipping cost was much too high. (Not surprising, as glass jars are very heavy...). So I didn't buy them.
Recently I happened to look at them on AMZN again. And things changed-- they were now available at a decent price-- but this time with free shipping! So I ordered 2 to see if they were exactly what I wanted. They were-- so I ordered 4 more-- all free shipping.
Normally a business might have qualms about free shipping for heavy items like these (and/or an order of relatively low dollar value)-- but the thing to keep in mind about AMZN is that, unlike most businesses, their primary goal at this time is not to make money. (Enjoy it while it lasts, LOL)
I'm big into recycling and I read what goes where. We don't need any more landfills.
We don't need any more landfills.
Nor, for that matter, do we need any more garbage added to the great "Ocean Gyres"!
The Great Pacific garbage patch , also described as the Pacific trash vortex , is a gyre of marine debris particles i n the central North Pacific Ocean discovered between 1985 and 1988. It is located roughly between 135°W to 155°W and 35°N and 42°N . [1] The patch extends over an indeterminate area of widely varying range depending on the degree of plastic concentration used to define the affected area.
The patch is characterized by exceptionally high relative concentrations of pelagic plastics , chemical sludge and other debris that have been trapped by the currents of the North Pacific Gyre . [2] Its low density (4 particles per cubic meter) prevents detection by satellite photography , or even by casual boaters or divers in the area. It consists primarily of a small increase in suspended, often microscopic, particles in the upper water column .
[...]
Effect on wildlife and humans
Some of these long-lasting plastics end up in the stomachs of marine animals, and their young, [5] [28] [29] including sea turtles and the black-footed albatross . Midway Atoll receives substantial amounts of marine debris from the patch. Of the 1.5 million Laysan albatrosses that inhabit Midway, nearly all are likely to have plastic in their digestive system . [30] Approximately one-third of their chicks die, and many of those deaths are due to being fed plastic from their parents. [31] [32] Twenty tons of plastic debris washes up on Midway every year with five tons of that debris being fed to albatross chicks. [33]
Besides the particles' danger to wildlife, on the microscopic level the floating debris can absorb organic pollutants from seawater, including PCBs , DDT , and PAHs . [34] Aside from toxic effects, [35] when ingested, some of these are mistaken by the endocrine system as estradiol , causing hormone disruption in the affected animal. [32] These toxin-containing plastic pieces are also eaten by jellyfish , which are then eaten by fish.
(Read it all)
I'm surprised at those low numbers. I'd have thought more people would have been recycling by now.
And, in terms of what is and is not recyclable, cardboard box is a no-brainer. I think there are too many lazy people out there who complain about the environment, but don't do anything about it.
I'm surprised at those low numbers. I'd have thought more people would have been recycling by now.
Actually I'm not surprised. The reason to recycles is to protect the environment. Most people feel erroneously) that the condition doesn't effect them personally-- or else serious damage will only occur is the very distant future. So they see it as extra work-- which doesn't effect them in any way.
If they did feel it would effect them personally in a positive way, they'd do it. (You can actually get paid small amounts of money in somwe areas for recycling some things-- for example a few cents for each glass soda bottle or per pound of some metals I believe-- but for most people its not worth it to do it for that small amount of money), & they are jot fully aware of how much the environment is threatened.
I also think that some areas don't make it easy to recycle. In addition to making people feel invested in the process and what it will do for them you also have to make it easy. Otherwise there will still be a large number of people who will not participate.
I totally agree Jon. It's terrible that more people are not recycling!
We always put as many things as we can that is recyclable into our recycle bin mostly because, well what the hell we are paying to have it picked up once a week one way or another so we might as well. However sometimes you get confusing messages. When we lived in Hollywood we were told by the recycle truck driver that we couldn't put any kind of Styrofoam, like those Styrofoam packaging peanuts or other kinds of foam packaging, into the recycling bins because the recycle centers couldn't recycle it. Then a few months later there was an article in the L.A. Times complaining that people were not putting their Styrofoam and foam into their bins to be recycled!