Most of us don’t think about the labels on items we recycle.  I found an interesting article that explains when a label should probably be removed from a plastic item before it is recycled.  In some recycling processes, some types of label materials will be separated during the process, while other types of labels become a contaminant to the recycled material stream.  Too much contamination leads to a less valuable recycled material stream or in some cases a batch with too much contamination is rejected and must be landfilled.  The article provides more detail on how to determine if a label should be removed when possible. 

https://earth911.com/home-garden/recycling-quandary-what-about-labels-on-plastic

A recent Washington Post article discussed bug zappers, those electric bug killers that many use in their yards.  Advertisements say they kill mosquitos, but scientists say bug zappers work well on beneficial insects but not on mosquitos.  Colorado State University’s extension service says that no controlled scientific study has shown that these devices reduce mosquito biting rates outdoors.  Widespread use of these bug zappers may be hastening the decline of beneficial insect populations that feed a lot of other critters and pollinate plants. Instead of using a bug zapper, which uses electricity and kills beneficial insects, look for other ways to avoid mosquito bites.  This article is behind a paywall for many people, but here are some highlights. 

• In one study, a single bug zapper killed 10,000 insects in one night, but only eight were mosquitos. 
• In another study, of the 13,739 insects killed by one zapper over the summer, about half were harmless insects that feed aquatic creatures in lakes and streams.  Many of the others were insects that prey on mosquitos.  Only 31 insects were biting insects such as gnats or mosquitos. 
• Long sleeves and pants will prevent bites in the covered areas.  Mosquitos can’t fly against a steady breeze, so a fan can keep mosquitoes away from an outdoor table or sitting area.  Use a bug repellent.  Do a little research on types of bug repellents – some are pretty effective, and some don’t live up to the claims on the bottle.  The US Environmental Protection Agency has a webpage that compares insect repellents. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/09/12/bug-zappers-mosquito-repellent/

I just finished reading a book called Thanks a Thousand, whose author embarked on a project to say “thank you” to representatives of the various professions and industries involved in producing his morning cup of coffee.  His journey includes, among many others, the farmers who grow the coffee, the warehouses that store the coffee, the coffee roaster, the cup manufacturer, the trucks that move the coffee beans from the farm to the various steps in the process, the mill that produces the steel to make the trucks, and the people who ensure that the tap water to brew the coffee is safe and easily available, and the companies that provide the electricity.  His goal was to reach 1000 people, but he could easily have contacted many thousands more before running out of connections.  Applying this concept to sustainability illustrates the mostly hidden resources used to provide us with all the items we use, even the simple ones.  When we discard an unused, still functional, or disposable item, we are essentially also discarding the resources used to provide us with that item.  Sustainable lifestyles include an awareness of the bigger picture and the effect of the choices we make.  Use it up, wear it out, make it do, repurpose it, or sell or give it to someone who can use it.  Recycling is important but most things still cannot be recycled.