Reduce, Re-use, Recycle

I wouldn't say NO to all plastics* (and not because I've worked with polymers and plastics in my day job) but I definitely advocate (and follow) the 'Reduce, Re-use, and Recycle' motto.



The above video was posted by Ramjee Nagarajan, in response to a NBC news item about plastics 'poisoning' the oceans, which you can see below.




* Information is power. Do not get swayed by misinformed media reports. Chemicals can and do cause harm. But to lash out at all chemicals without understanding the facts is perhaps a greater folly than scientists using their best judgment in introducing products made from chemicals into society. I will not get into a long lecture here but do read this article at CNET: "Know your plastics" provides a good summary of what the 1-7 SPI Codes mean. The link provides this factoid: "Plastics make up 11.7 percent of U.S. waste and are among the least-recycled items."

Update in July 2008: A related article this month in Time magazine on The Patron Saint of Plastic Bags.