Aug 22, 2008 4:58 pm US/Eastern
Green Scene: Recycle Almost Anything
POTTSTOWN, PA (CBS 3) ―
Chances are you already recycle paper, glass, and number
one and two plastics. But what about all
those other kinds of plastics, or your jeans, or anything else? CBS 3's Natasha Brown found a Pottstown place that can handle them.
Jim Crater wants it all. At Recycling Services Incorporated in Pottstown, Jim has one of the world's oldest and biggest
residential recycling programs.
"It's a lot like reverse shopping," said Crater,
"as people come in with their materials and wheel around to the different
sections."
Those sections are devoted to things such as plastics,
candles, batteries, fire extinguishers, toys and more. Jim's mission: Find factories that can use
these bales and piles.
For example, polyethylene terephthalate can be made into
fabrics. Large jugs for water bubblers
can make terrariums for kids. Other
plastics can be made into tool boxes and tool cases.
Crater really wants to get folks to start thinking about
recycling, and he says nothing is off-limits.
Something as simple as your jeans, which most people wear, can be
recycled and repurposed, whether as denim rugs or small purses. What's left
over will become handmade paper.
What he can't use becomes found art.
It's a grueling job. "Yeah, we do have paid staff,
and yes, I am looking for help," said Crater.
But he'd love to be put out of business one day.
"I'd never fault someone for recycling everything
they can," said Crater, "but darn, the next step really is to think
about durability and not using so much of this stuff."
Until then, he'll take it.
RELATED LINKS:
Recycling Services, Inc.
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