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Now, I’m not about to get into a debate today about eating meat or not. This is a plastic challenge and I’m here to help everyone reduce plastic no matter your lifestyle. If you don’t eat meat, skip to the challenge for you below. If you eat meat or fish, you will find that getting plastic out of this food group is difficult. It needs to be stored properly so it doesn’t spoil and plastic helps to extend the shelf life. Often you will find that meat/fish is placed on a Styrofoam tray and then wrapped in a plastic film. But, more and more there are brands that have eliminated the Styrofoam tray. As I mentioned earlier this week with eggs, Styrofoam is a big polluter and hard to recycle. Many companies are catching on to this and are leaving out the meat trays and just shrink wrapping in plastic. Hurray for small steps! But an even better option is to get your meat directly from the butcher.
Today’s challenge: When you purchase your meat or fish this week, go directly to the meat counter or a local butcher or fishmonger and have them wrap your purchase in butcher paper. If this isn’t an option for you, look for meat that is packaged without a Styrofoam tray.
**Note: covid-19 has changed how grocery stores operate. Many have closed deli and butcher counters, so this may not be an option right now. If that is the case in your grocery store, look for meat that is packaged without Styrofoam. If you can’t find that either, consider if it is practical for you to reduce the number of meals you eat that have meat, even if it means just cutting out one meat-based meal per week.
For you vegetarians or vegans out there (and meat eaters if you want a second challenge): Head back to the middle aisles of your grocery store and look at liquid items like broth, juice, nut/soy milks, and even wine. Do you buy any of these regularly in a carton? If so, it is likely Tetra Pak. Tetra Pak cartons are made of thin layers of low density polyethylene plastic (LDPE a.k.a. plastic #4) that cover both aluminum and paperboard layers, plus a plastic cap. It is touted as being 100% recyclable and good for the environment. It is true that Tetra Pak has the potential to be 100% recycled, but in actuality less than 25% is recycled. The reason is that special equipment needs to be used to break the cartons down into individual components. I’ve found that many large cities have recycling programs for Tetra Pak, but most small communities do not. Go to recyclecartons.com to see examples of what the cartons look like, then type in your zip code to find a place near you that can recycle them. You should also double check with your local municipality to find out if they are recycled curbside. If not, then pick out one Tetra Pak item that you regularly purchase and find an alternative that is packaged in plastic #1 or #2, glass, or aluminum instead since these are widely accepted for recycling.
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