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Re: Costco Raises Food Court Prices

Posted: July 16th, 2022, 9:33 pm
by storewanderer
mbz321 wrote: July 16th, 2022, 8:04 pm

I guess in theory, plastic fast food cups are 'recyclable', unlike straws which really aren't (due to the material and/or the design which doesn't allow them to pass through recycling equipment). But every plastic fast food cup (along with a lot of other fast food/take out containers) I've ever received is #5 plastic, which is not cost effective to recycle vs. #1 or #2 plastics. I begrudgingly throw #5 plastic in the trash and just hope that the other kinds I throw in the recycling bin might have a shot somewhere.
I wonder how many of those plastic cups can be recycled if they are not rinsed out first (given the soda/sticky situation) or how that further contaminates the plastic recycling stream those cups go into.

The straws would have the same exact issue with being recycled but since they are so much smaller... may not be as major as a contaminant.

The SoCal McDonalds still use paper cups. I actually prefer the paper cups as they seem to do a little better keeping the ice, you just have to consume it rather quickly and there is no shot at a reuse. The plastic cups do not do well at all with the ice, but if you rinse them out you can re-use them, so there is also that.

Re: Costco Raises Food Court Prices

Posted: July 16th, 2022, 11:10 pm
by Alpha8472
Recycling companies only recycle if it makes a profit. The only things that make money are plastic bottles. Everything else is tossed in the trash. Even dirty plastic cannot be recycled. Only about 6 percent of plastic ever gets recycled.

Plastic food containers, cups and straws are refused by recycling centers. They do not make a profit if recycled. They are thin, have little plastic, and are too contaminated with sticky food or drink to be cost effective as recycled material. All of the refused plastic goes to landfills or is dumped somewhere else.

Even glass and aluminum have low rates of recycling now. The highest percentage of recycling belongs to cardboard. Ninety percent of cardboard is recycled because it fetches a high price. Companies such as Walmart even have boxes that say return for credit. Cardboard makes a ton of money.

I would rather have paper cups. Plastic alters the taste of soda.

Re: Costco Raises Food Court Prices

Posted: July 17th, 2022, 1:06 am
by storewanderer
Alpha8472 wrote: July 16th, 2022, 11:10 pm Recycling companies only recycle if it makes a profit. The only things that make money are plastic bottles. Everything else is tossed in the trash. Even dirty plastic cannot be recycled. Only about 6 percent of plastic ever gets recycled.

Plastic food containers, cups and straws are refused by recycling centers. They do not make a profit if recycled. They are thin, have little plastic, and are too contaminated with sticky food or drink to be cost effective as recycled material. All of the refused plastic goes to landfills or is dumped somewhere else.

Even glass and aluminum have low rates of recycling now. The highest percentage of recycling belongs to cardboard. Ninety percent of cardboard is recycled because it fetches a high price. Companies such as Walmart even have boxes that say return for credit. Cardboard makes a ton of money.

I would rather have paper cups. Plastic alters the taste of soda.
I'm sorry to say I prefer foam cups. For unsweetened tea you can refill a foam cup multiple times. Ice will stay frozen for many hours. I use them when there is a reason (long drive, hot weather) and use them until they are really in bad shape. The rest of the time I will reuse plastic cups I get for a while too. Paper cups are one time use only and there is no work around once that seal breaks. Also years ago when I tried to re-use paper cups I noticed what looked like mold on the dry paper cups I tried to clean inside the cup in the area where the glue/seal is (running from top to bottom). I have seen some gas stations who have a "non refillable" message even on their plastic cups, in fact I think the Speedway plastic cups have "non refillable" printed on them which is curious because they are absolutely reusable.

Re: Costco Raises Food Court Prices

Posted: July 17th, 2022, 12:19 pm
by BillyGr
mbz321 wrote: July 16th, 2022, 8:04 pm
storewanderer wrote: July 16th, 2022, 12:30 pm
Meanwhile, as places get forced to use paper straws or have their arms twisted by environmental groups to do it voluntarily, McDonalds in my area uses all plastic cups now (except for the kid size) for soda. Same for Wendys. So okay- we ban the plastic straw and force a paper straw. But then we switch from a paper cup to a plastic cup. There is a lot more plastic in a cup, than there is in a straw.
I guess in theory, plastic fast food cups are 'recyclable', unlike straws which really aren't (due to the material and/or the design which doesn't allow them to pass through recycling equipment). But every plastic fast food cup (along with a lot of other fast food/take out containers) I've ever received is #5 plastic, which is not cost effective to recycle vs. #1 or #2 plastics. I begrudgingly throw #5 plastic in the trash and just hope that the other kinds I throw in the recycling bin might have a shot somewhere.
Not a theory - in this area at least you can turn in #1, #2 and #5 items, so those are 100% recyclable, not that all will be (given that the restaurants themselves no longer seem to have a separate spot to put them as they once did for recyclable items, and many won't take them home if they are already empty).

Re: Costco Raises Food Court Prices

Posted: July 17th, 2022, 12:24 pm
by BillyGr
Alpha8472 wrote: July 16th, 2022, 11:10 pm Recycling companies only recycle if it makes a profit. The only things that make money are plastic bottles. Everything else is tossed in the trash. Even dirty plastic cannot be recycled. Only about 6 percent of plastic ever gets recycled.

Plastic food containers, cups and straws are refused by recycling centers.
As noted in the other post, we can turn in #1, #2 and #5, not just bottles, so those others CAN be recycled IF someone chooses to do so - some companies are apparently just not smart enough to figure out how to do so!
storewanderer wrote: July 17th, 2022, 1:06 am I have seen some gas stations who have a "non refillable" message even on their plastic cups, in fact I think the Speedway plastic cups have "non refillable" printed on them which is curious because they are absolutely reusable.
I don't see that on the Speedway cups I have here in NY, though it could vary in other areas. They certainly seem heavier than some, so would be better for such a reuse (as I am doing for something besides beverages, which is why I have a couple to look at :).

Re: Costco Raises Food Court Prices

Posted: July 17th, 2022, 1:13 pm
by storewanderer
BillyGr wrote: July 17th, 2022, 12:24 pm

I don't see that on the Speedway cups I have here in NY, though it could vary in other areas. They certainly seem heavier than some, so would be better for such a reuse (as I am doing for something besides beverages, which is why I have a couple to look at :).
I've got an older 44 oz Speedway cup here, probably from about 5 years ago, I've been using for storage purposes. It is a "busy" cup with the same Club Chill graphic as the current cups but also other logos on the side for Speedy Pop, Tea, and Freeze, and has this language about non-refillable. Looking at a current downsized 40 oz cup it does not have this.

A number of months ago when there was that shortage on the plastic cups (probably since that is about when McDonalds and Wendys moved to plastic cups on the 20 oz and 30 oz drinks and it caused a giant demand increase), Maverik and Loves both ran promotions encouraging refills (Maverik was .79 for basically any refill under 100 oz, Loves was .99 for what appeared to be any refill period), and it certainly didn't matter what cup you had.

Re: Costco Raises Food Court Prices

Posted: July 17th, 2022, 5:08 pm
by buckguy
If you’re really serious about keeping thing cold/hot while you drive, it makes more sense to invest in a Hydroflask or something similar, esp with the the straw top. I’ve gotten years of use out of mine—the cold doesn’t quite. Live up to the 24 hour claim, but it more than serves its purpose. The heat insulation lasts a few hours which beats any alternative.

Re: Costco Raises Food Court Prices

Posted: July 18th, 2022, 7:35 am
by mbz321
BillyGr wrote: July 17th, 2022, 12:19 pm
Not a theory - in this area at least you can turn in #1, #2 and #5 items, so those are 100% recyclable, not that all will be (given that the restaurants themselves no longer seem to have a separate spot to put them as they once did for recyclable items, and many won't take them home if they are already empty).
Yes, you can certainly turn them in, but anything other than 1 or 2 is extremely difficult (not cost effective) to recycle, and even more-so since China stopped accepting our waste. In almost all cases, #5 and other numbers get sorted out and sent to the landfill.

Re: Costco Raises Food Court Prices

Posted: July 18th, 2022, 9:00 am
by BillyGr
mbz321 wrote: July 18th, 2022, 7:35 am
BillyGr wrote: July 17th, 2022, 12:19 pm
Not a theory - in this area at least you can turn in #1, #2 and #5 items, so those are 100% recyclable, not that all will be (given that the restaurants themselves no longer seem to have a separate spot to put them as they once did for recyclable items, and many won't take them home if they are already empty).
Yes, you can certainly turn them in, but anything other than 1 or 2 is extremely difficult (not cost effective) to recycle, and even more-so since China stopped accepting our waste. In almost all cases, #5 and other numbers get sorted out and sent to the landfill.
That makes NO SENSE - why would a station (in this case operated by the county) continue collecting items that are not being recycled? Particularly when they charge for trash by the bag, but not the same for recyclables (which they would then be paying to dispose of if they were following what you say).

They have changed over the years (used to take all the numbers), so apparently they still have some reason to allow those three to be turned in for that section, rather than being required to be put in trash!

Re: Costco Raises Food Court Prices

Posted: July 18th, 2022, 9:35 am
by veteran+
Many scandals around the nation about this.

Google it.

:idea: