Sunday, May 18, 2008

Where Are The Recycled Containers?!?!?!?

So I'm in Moscow Idaho for my bit on the Peace Radio show on Radio Free Moscow and make the most of the trip with a bit of shopping at the Moscow Food Co-op.
They USED to take in used plastic containers like yogurt tubs, margarine tubs, cheese tubs,...you get the idea. There were none to be found and mine were full of stuff in fridge so I had to GET A NEW UNUSED CONTAINER to put my tofu in! Dang it!

I noted when checking out that I hated taking the new container but couldn't find those they usually have that have been returned and run through the sanitizing bit on their dishwashing machine. Turns out, the health department decided this could no longer happen. CRIPES. The check out person said that I could still bring my own containers (which have NOT been run through an industrial dishwashing machine's sanitizing cycle), but they were not allowed to accept them, wash them, and put them out for re-use. This is stupid, but I understand that the Co-op cannot mess with the health department. This is the same health department that admits that if one eats in restaurants in Idaho, one should probably have the hepatitis vaccines that are available.

I do not buy plastic containers and since I eat mostly homecooked food and no dairy, I don't come by them naturally. I got them from the Co-op's recycled containers program. Now where will I get them? I'll be notifying a few friends to keep their lidded yogurt and other tubs for me.

I've already started taking some of my lunch stuff in mason jars so I guess I can increase my use of mason jars and the containers I have. It looks like the co-op IS allowed to recycle glass jars so I'll try to use those when necessary rather than the new plastic containers.

Really, this is such a drag.

I was going to blog today about people who have piles and piles of totebags, and still feel the need to buy new ones specifically for groceries. But that will have to wait (...if you've given me a grocery sac or other carrying device know that I appreciate it and use it. But don't get me anymore, please).

2 comments:

Fly Right said...

Would it be terribly self-canceling if I mailed you all of our plastic containers? I suppose it would, but we seem to have an awful lot of them--just in case. Just in case of what, I don't know!

Jill said...

Thanks for the thought...but I think the transport would negate the environmental benefit.