Sadly, not a lot of plastic gets recycled. It gets processed into bales, then shipped off to who knows where, possibly to be dumped into the middle of the ocean on the way. Anyone who cleans shorelines regularly knows that there is a serious problem. China doesn't want to recycle our waste any more. Most plastics take thousands of years to break down, so if buried, the byproducts will slowly leach into water supplies and the food chain.

I buy products in paper, glass, and aluminum when I can. They're truly recyclable and the containers are sometimes reusable.

I'll reuse plastic containers with lids (like prescription bottles) for sorting spare parts in my tool shed or garage. They're better than baby food jars were, because they don't break when you drop them.

I agree with much of what you say about recycling. Other than metals, most plastic and paper do not get recycled. I think much of the frenzy about recycling was done by politicians calling for recycling so they look good to those groups who promote it. Recycling is not bad, it is just not efficient in terms of reusing those materials. If not supported by taxpayers through taxes there would be little or no recycling.

Many people do not know that China used to take much of our recycled materials. Then a few years ago they stopped. Probably due to the fact that they now produce all the recycled materials they need for their purposes. This caused a huge problem for cities that had implemented huge tax-supported recycling programs. No one wanted all the recycled materials and they piled up in warehouses to be eventually dumped into landfills.

One of the local counties where I live has waste collection centers with dumpsters dedicated to recycled materials and others for landfill-bound waste. It was discovered a few years ago that recycled waste was hauled to the landfill just like regular waste. County officials when confronted with this fact simply stated that there was no money to process the recycled waste and no new taxes had been approved to do so.

Until recycled waste materials are cheaper to use than new raw materials, this will not change. Recycling exists for most materials simply because it is supported by taxpayers who are misled into thinking they are doing a good thing.

I have enjoyed Yoplait yogurt for years now, but just recently noticed a warning printed on the cups that states: "Crush cups to protect wildlife". I believe this is due to the upside-down or reverse taper of the cups they use and that small animals or birds can easily get their head stuck in these cups after they are disposed of. Geese, what a horrible death they must suffer without some sort of intervention! Anyway, I have now written several e-mails to Yoplait/General Mills about this warning and suggested that they consider changing their packaging to eliminate this danger to wildlife. I also mentioned that perhaps that they could consider not using plastic. Frankly, their responses have been rather frustrating at best. The first two responses can only be described as generic/automatic responses that even mailed out a coupon for a free cup of yogurt that I will probably never use. The third actually addressed the plastic issue by stating that their cups are recyclable and that we should take care of that locally. However, even after additional e-mails, they refuse to even acknowledge the warning statement and any possible danger to small wildlife. They are obviously aware of the danger or they wouldn't print the warning and it would appear that they are far more interested in covering their backsides legally then any real danger to wildlife. Because of this warning and their response to my inquiries about it, I will not be purchasing any more Yopliat yogurt and will also be looking for other alternatives to other General Mills products I may need in the future.

Frankly, I'll probably get flamed for posting this, but for those that might agree with me that printing a warning is not enough and that their packaging should be changed to prevent this danger to wildlife entirely, I'd like to ask that you contact Yoplait/General Mills via the "Contact Us" tab on the Yoplait website. Maybe if enough of us complain they might get the message! Thanks to all that choose to help, otherwise flame away if you must.

I agree with much of what you say about recycling. Other than metals, most plastic and paper do not get recycled. I think much of the frenzy about recycling was done by politicians calling for recycling so they look good to those groups who promote it. Recycling is not bad, it is just not efficient in terms of reusing those materials. If not supported by taxpayers through taxes there would be little or no recycling.

Many people do not know that China used to take much of our recycled materials. Then a few years ago they stopped. Probably due to the fact that they now produce all the recycled materials they need for their purposes. This caused a huge problem for cities that had implemented huge tax-supported recycling programs. No one wanted all the recycled materials and they piled up in warehouses to be eventually dumped into landfills.

One of the local counties where I live has waste collection centers with dumpsters dedicated to recycled materials and others for landfill-bound waste. It was discovered a few years ago that recycled waste was hauled to the landfill just like regular waste. County officials when confronted with this fact simply stated that there was no money to process the recycled waste and no new taxes had been approved to do so.

Until recycled waste materials are cheaper to use than new raw materials, this will not change. Recycling exists for most materials simply because it is supported by taxpayers who are misled into thinking they are doing a good thing.

Well actually animals can get their heads stuck in all kinds of things, cans, bottles, jars, small boxes, big boxes, buckets and trash cans, holes in a fence, holes in a tree, cracks in a large rock etc. etc. - just too many things to list.

There is no such thing as a 100% safe world for animals or humans. So the question is, how far are you willing or want to go to reduce risks.
One woman was even hit by a fragment of a meteorite, and lived. But I am not going to start living underground to avoid them.

Just eat the yogurt if that is the brand whose flavor you like and dispose of them so no animal or human will be in danger. You can't control the entire world and its people

Actually no animal will get to a yogurt cup unless some slob throws it down on the ground.
All of mine go into the recycle bin, which has a lid we keep closed. Now after the trash people pick it up with their truck is a different thing.

And Yopait is not the only brand with that style of cup. I have never heard of a head getting stuck in one. The warning was probably put on by some lawyer straining to find something (s)he could do to justify their job.
Like the brand of chain saw that used to have a label: "Do not attempt to stop moving chain with your hand or hold the chainsaw against your groin." Sort of makes you wonder if anyone was stupid enough to do either or was a lawyer just imagining things that could happen.

Oh! Are you sorta saying that you can't do anything to protect the animals yourself? You can: crush the cup, put it in a lidded bin, run it through your trash compactor(if you have one) or one of those machines that shreds recyclable plastics and paper.

I have never seen or heard of any animal that got its head stuck. Have you?

Over 30 years of dealing with 7-12th grade students, you either turn into a gibbering idiot or a Vulcan. Well, a touch of Klingon helps with some students.

Years ago I read of an experimental power plant that ground those "recycled" plastics into shreds and burned them to run an electric plant. They are mostly made from oil in the first place. But the cost of the special air scrubbers on the stacks and other factors made the resulting electricity too expensive to compete with other methods. Well as political factors increase the cost of electricity maybe it will become competitive again, and we can then burn all that plastic and paper that is going into land fills. Put a power plant by each large land fill and mine your fuel.