37th day of Lent
In which I belatedly remembered plastic Easter Eggs are, in fact, made of plastic.
So, like many parents out there, I find myself preparing for Easter. This is not without some degree of emotional baggage, which I feel compelled to share because there's a point in here somewhere.
Let me be clear: I adore Easter. It is, hands down, my favorite holiday, soundly beating out the close tie between Thanksgiving and Halloween, and just tar-and-feathering the heresy that is the modern celebration of "Christmas". Don't get me started on THAT one.
I LOVE Easter. I love Holy Week running up to it, I love telling the story, I love finding new insights, I love Easter Baskets and Easter Candy and Easter Egg Hunts. I especially love the delicious (literally, in the case of chocolate bunnies) irony of the Christian holiday of resurrection having out-and-out stolen the pagan Spring holiday of fertility (I used to be able to explain this better, but my children's incubation caused massive brain damage, so now I stick with "it was a great marketing plan"). And when I'm not tired as all get out, I LOVE our celebration of it, The Easter Feaster.
AH, Easter Feaster! "Jesus rose so we could chow down." Ok, obviously it's more elegant than that, but the Easter Feaster is a no-holds-barred, throw down, make-your-momma-proud potluck par excellance, Bring Your Own Beer/Wine/Grog to share with the heathens, we're going to ENJOY the joy that is living. You invite EVERYBODY, especially those who don't come to church (with promises --that are kept!--of no proselytizing, only pie, unless THEY ask first, which they will), there are too many people, waaaaaay too much food, and somewhere in the 7th hour of the feast, when all are in their cups and the kids have been trundled off to bed, folks start talking about what they REALLY think about Jesus, Christianity, "those people", life, death, suffering and this idea of resurrection. Every year we've ever held it has been beautiful, amazing, soul filling, life affirming and wonderful. Fights! Songs! Laughter! Hangover! It's a party I genuinely believe makes Jesus proud.
I am not kidding, it is the Kingdom of God right there in the living room. It is my favorite day of the year.
So please, weep with me:
I am just too tired to do it.
Sure, there are reasons, but the biggest is that the idea of throwing my favorite party of the year fills me with dread, because I just don't have the energy to do it. This has never happened to me before.
I realized all this yesterday while in the grocery store, trying to remember what food we needed before dashing back home to continue juggling my life. Because Holy Week is coming. I love Holy Week...but everything else comes to a screeching halt, and just keeping myself and the kids clean, fed and dressed is about all I can handle. Party planning? My darling, something must give.
See Steve Carrell explain it here.
I stood there, in front of a display of gleaming, shiny Easter Eggs, trying to remember why I needed to buy them and realized that I barely had the brains to do the math: the two dozen eggs for the hunt...plus two dozen real eggs to boil and dye at home...wait, oh no! I still need to buy the giant leg of organic, grass fed, happy baby lamb to roast in oranges and mint for the party, plus the strawberry cake and coconut for my traditional "Baby Lamb Cake" for the party (it bleeds strawberry jam when you cut it; it is awe-some) and at least 4 boxes of Quorn cutlets for my prize winning Faux Fried Chicken for the party, plus where can I find 5 giant boxes of the good Kosher Matzoh bread for the party and invitations and beer and wine and people for the party...plus I need to review Maundy Thursday's music and what on earth am I going to preach that day, at least Good Friday is already set but OH MY SWEET LORD NEXT WEEK IS EASTER AND WHAT AM I GOING TO PREACH on the highest, holiest, most importantest day of the year?
...there is no way I can do this party. My favorite party. It cannot be.
So I kinda teared up in front of the Easter Egg display, because these eggs and maybe a few baskets for the kids is about all I can muster this time around. And package in hand, what thought sings through my mind like a bell?
"Those eggs are plastic."
Curse words may have been said, but we needn't dwell on them.
By this point I was a tad, shall we say, grumpy, so I shoved two packages in my cart and promptly shoved it out of my mind. Like I said, something has to give.
But I found the cutest organic-fancy-pants-feel-good-tasty lollypops to go IN them today, and that cheered me up, and I thought: OK. Let's just do what we can, and it's alright. Maybe someone ELSE will want to host the Easter Feaster (open opportunity! Don't be shy!) And if not, then now we know: next year we start the plan with the party, and all will be well.
So back to the eggs, and all the usual questions: what are these things made of? Titled: Holiday Home 12 Iridescent Bright Eggs, the eggs themselves have no markings (but disturbingly, DO have air holes punched in them. What does one hide in an egg that needs air holes?). The package helpfully says the following: "Distributed by Inter-American Products, Cincinatti, OH 45202. Made in Ningbo, China." as well as "Wash product thoroughly before filling with food." ooooo.
Then, oddly, my usual Google search turns up...very little, actually.
Computer: Google "What are plastic easter eggs made of"
Results: mostly sales of such and surprisingly little else. One article from a day ago
"Ask Eartha: Unwanted surprise nested in plastic Easter eggs" is actually unreadable for some reason (no really, all the words are blanks, like some psychopathic game of Hangman involving the entire article) and you can also see the website for Eco Eggs, an American Made answer to those awful Chinese plastic eggs from overseas--bigger (Amurican Made), plant based, more expensive but morally superior; order them here! (Ok, I'm probably going to order them, but not now, on principal--the principal that I just bought eggs and your marketing strategy required that I find You).
We took bets on what sort of plastic we thought most eggs were made of. I bet #2, as molded and colored and readily available, but our friend L bet #6 as styrene is easy and cheap, and hubby thought #7 "other" best matched China's stellar record of quality control. Who won?
Well... according to a few sites, "Plastic eggs CAN be recycled curbside in your recycling bin or cart. Simply place cleaned and emptied eggs among your other mixed recyclables." but they don't cite how or why. Wiki Answers said yes but in such a stupid fashion that I refuse to publish the link. Then again, this totally legit site "Answerbag" said no, again without reason or justification. Pinterest and innumerable craft sites will help you make inane objects out of plastic eggs, but offer no real direction for actual recycling.
Of course, I actually learned a whole lot about Easter Eggs from Wikipedia, and someday really should send them a contribution or something before they are destroyed by net-non-neutrality. No, seriously, if you click nothing, click the above link, even if it doesn't say a blessed thing about plastic eggs at all.
ACTUALLY, I HAD TROUBLE FINDING ANY INFORMATION ON THE RESIN CONTENT OF PLASTIC EGGS AT ALL. IT IS, SO FAR, THE MOST CHALLENGING QUESTION I'VE TRIED TO ANSWER. Which is dumb if you ask me.
...so a pause to indicate the inordinate amount of time I spent looking for this information.
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Ah, here's a blog that has me beat for sanctimoniousness, "My plastic free life". Actually, she seems pretty interesting, maybe I'll have to follow her before being all judgey. Alas, she does not know plastic resin type either.
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And then, at long last, no really this took an hour, success!!
I finally start looking up an actual Chinese manufacturers, and eventually one of them notes that the material is "PP". I think that means "Polyproplyene". Thank you, Global Sources Manufacturing. What is it?
Hat tip to WiseGeek, again:
Of course, I actually learned a whole lot about Easter Eggs from Wikipedia, and someday really should send them a contribution or something before they are destroyed by net-non-neutrality. No, seriously, if you click nothing, click the above link, even if it doesn't say a blessed thing about plastic eggs at all.
ACTUALLY, I HAD TROUBLE FINDING ANY INFORMATION ON THE RESIN CONTENT OF PLASTIC EGGS AT ALL. IT IS, SO FAR, THE MOST CHALLENGING QUESTION I'VE TRIED TO ANSWER. Which is dumb if you ask me.
...so a pause to indicate the inordinate amount of time I spent looking for this information.
-----
-----
-----
-----
Ah, here's a blog that has me beat for sanctimoniousness, "My plastic free life". Actually, she seems pretty interesting, maybe I'll have to follow her before being all judgey. Alas, she does not know plastic resin type either.
-----
And then, at long last, no really this took an hour, success!!
I finally start looking up an actual Chinese manufacturers, and eventually one of them notes that the material is "PP". I think that means "Polyproplyene". Thank you, Global Sources Manufacturing. What is it?
Hat tip to WiseGeek, again:
Also known as PP resin, Polypropylene resin is a synthetic polymer that can be used to create a wide range of products. This polymer is made from a combination of propylene and other materials that in decades past were considered to be waste material. Since the development of polypropylene resin during the middle of the 20th century, the resin has been used to make such diverse products as upholstery for car seats and home furnishings, loudspeaker covers, and a number of plastic items for use around the home as well as in the laboratory.
There are several benefits to polypropylene resin that set it apart from other plastics and plastic blends. One has to do with durability. This type of resin can stand up to a great deal of wear and tear, making it ideal for products that see a great deal of usage on a daily basis. For example, plastic dishes and drinking cups made with this type of resin will hold up well in the dishwasher without warping or degrading in any manner. The dishes can easily be used for a number of years with no apparent signs of wear.
Does it recycle? YES! Welcome to our introduction to plastic #5! (Sorry to those betting, looks like the house wins again).
According to Earth911:
You’ve probably got plastic #5 in your refrigerator or medicine cabinet right now. Common packaging made from polypropylene includes containers for:
- Cottage cheese
- Yogurt
- Cream cheese
- Ricotta cheese
- Margarine
- Hummus
- Medicine bottles
- Some plastic ice cream containers
- Food storage and take-out containers
- And if your local waste management/recycling program doesn't take #5, most Whole Foods locations do!
Polypropylene (PP) is a thermoplastic polymer of the monomer propylene. It is a robust material and has high resistance to acids, bases, and other solvents making it extremely useful for a range of applications.
Molecular formula - (C3H6)n
Density - 0.946 g/cm3, crystalline
Melting point - 130°C (266°F) (hot!)
MFR (Melt Flow Rate) - 5 - 6 (huh?)
IUPAC id - poly(propene) (I think this is industry code)
PP products degrade very slowly in landfills and take about 20 to 30 years to fully decompose. (But at least they do?) This poses a serious problem because of the additives in plastic products, which include stabilizers, colorants, and plasticizers. (oh, it's bad they decompose). These additives can contain a range of toxins including cadmium and lead. According to studies, plastics can account for about 28% of the total cadmium in solid municipal wastes in studied landfills, which has the potential to leach into other systems with potentially harmful consequences for a range of biosystems. (Yes, bad.) Moreover, burning of thermoplastics can release toxins such as vinyl chloride and dioxins, and this makes atmospheric pollution a real issue to consider.
Hence there is a compelling need to prevent thermoplastic products finding their way into our municipal waste streams, landfills or incinerators. Recycling of PP is much needed and is a cost-effective and eco-friendly way of managing plastics throughout life. Also, since PP is a petroleum based product, recycling of these products will help us preserve our oil / petroleum resources.
Plastic products are now printed with Numbers 1-7 depending on the type of plastic and the resin fundamental in its production.
Polypropylene (PP) is increasingly being recycled. With diverse applications in a range of single-use packaging products such as bottles, yogurt containers, medicine bottles, caps, straw (aha! Straws! Another mystery solved), plastic cups and food packaging, etc, we are increasingly using more PP and thus generating extraordinarily big volumes of rubbish made from PP.
Recycling of polypropylene products involves the following steps:
There are four main types of recycling processes for PP: (Behold!)
Primary – The primary recycling process is feasible only for industrial plastic wastes, and hence this is not a widely used process.
Secondary – Secondary recycling can be used in recycling of a combination of plastic wastes and gives rise to products such as fenceposts, which can be used instead of concrete, wood, and metal.
Tertiary – Tertiary recycling process is a widely used recycling process and produces chemical and fuels from waste plastics.
Quaternary – Quaternary recycling process involves incineration of plastic wastes at very high temperatures of up to 900 to 1000oC (1652 to 1832oF). The left over materials from this recycling process are sent to landfills. The use of incinerators is highly helpful as they prevent the release of pollutants into the atmosphere and also they reduce the amount of incoming waste by about 80% wt and 90% vol. (Wait. This step doesn't seem like recycling. It seems like a controlled burn. That's not recycling--it's burning; much as one does not 'recycle' polystyrene into Napalm. That's not recycling, it's weaponizing).
http://www.bpf.co.uk/sustainability/plastics_recycling.aspx
http://machias.edu/assets/files/posters/plasticrecyclingchart.pdf
http://www.bpf.co.uk/plastipedia/polymers/pp.aspx
http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/4750/1/Fulltext.pdf
http://www.recoup.org/shop/product_documents/147.pdf
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Density - 0.946 g/cm3, crystalline
Melting point - 130°C (266°F) (hot!)
MFR (Melt Flow Rate) - 5 - 6 (huh?)
IUPAC id - poly(propene) (I think this is industry code)
Chemical and Physical Properties of PP
Polypropylene is typically an isostatic polymer (all substituent macromolecules are located on the same side of the molecular backbone – typically in a semicrystalline form). A tough, fatigue resistance and flexible plastic, polypropylene has a diverse range of applications from packaging to engineering. Easily customizable for colour, strength, etc., polypropylene can also be made translucent. (Hence, Easter Eggs!)Current Applications of Virgin PP Material
PP is widely used and the major applications of virgin PP are in the following areas:- Packaging and labeling
- Textiles - thermal underwear, ropes, and carpets
- Reusable containers
- Plastic parts
- Stationery
- Laboratory equipment
- Loudspeakers
- Automotive components
- Polymer banknotes
Environmental Impact of Non-Recycled Plastics
PP and other plastics are widely used in packaging and other industries, thanks to their heat and chemical resistance. Polypropylene is extensively used in containers for hot liquids, as it has a high melting point. However, because of the short life span of packaging, most of these thermoplastics are thrown out as waste and end up in landfills. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that about 20% of municipal solid waste comprises plastics in some form.PP products degrade very slowly in landfills and take about 20 to 30 years to fully decompose. (But at least they do?) This poses a serious problem because of the additives in plastic products, which include stabilizers, colorants, and plasticizers. (oh, it's bad they decompose). These additives can contain a range of toxins including cadmium and lead. According to studies, plastics can account for about 28% of the total cadmium in solid municipal wastes in studied landfills, which has the potential to leach into other systems with potentially harmful consequences for a range of biosystems. (Yes, bad.) Moreover, burning of thermoplastics can release toxins such as vinyl chloride and dioxins, and this makes atmospheric pollution a real issue to consider.
Hence there is a compelling need to prevent thermoplastic products finding their way into our municipal waste streams, landfills or incinerators. Recycling of PP is much needed and is a cost-effective and eco-friendly way of managing plastics throughout life. Also, since PP is a petroleum based product, recycling of these products will help us preserve our oil / petroleum resources.
Recycling Process (Hey! Look! This is the first time this has been explained to me!)
A uniform code for the recycling of plastics was first introduced in 1988 by the Society of the Plastics Industry. (Yes, we know them). The code was designed to make the identification of certain plastic resins easier to enable a more efficient and precise sorting stage, which would then result in more efficient recycling as specific methods apply to different types of plastics.Plastic products are now printed with Numbers 1-7 depending on the type of plastic and the resin fundamental in its production.
Polypropylene (PP) is increasingly being recycled. With diverse applications in a range of single-use packaging products such as bottles, yogurt containers, medicine bottles, caps, straw (aha! Straws! Another mystery solved), plastic cups and food packaging, etc, we are increasingly using more PP and thus generating extraordinarily big volumes of rubbish made from PP.
Recycling of polypropylene products involves the following steps:
- Collection - This involves accumulating used plastic products from the domestic municipal waste stream. This is usually mixed plastic waste in which all types of plastic products will be present. (A-yup, sounds like ours)
- Sorting - The sorting process involves separation of PP products from products made of other types of plastics, based on their recycling codes. (I'm still curious about this 'sorting' step--who does it? How? Do they use robots?)
- Cleaning – In this step, paper labels and coloured pails are removed (what? What's a coloured pail? Why the extra 'u' in the word), then the products are granulated and washed which gives rise to “clean flake”. This flake is converted to uniformly sized pellets for easy feeding into extruder or moulder.
- Reprocessing by melting – Here, the pellets are then fed into an extruder where it is melted at 240oC (464oF) and cut into small granules which are now ready to use in making new products. (Yes! Melting!)
- Creating new products using the recycled PP – In this step, key parameters of the recycled material such as the melt flow index are measured to assess their suitability for use in different applications. Depending upon these properties, the recycled PP is moulded into various products.
There are four main types of recycling processes for PP: (Behold!)
Primary – The primary recycling process is feasible only for industrial plastic wastes, and hence this is not a widely used process.
Secondary – Secondary recycling can be used in recycling of a combination of plastic wastes and gives rise to products such as fenceposts, which can be used instead of concrete, wood, and metal.
Tertiary – Tertiary recycling process is a widely used recycling process and produces chemical and fuels from waste plastics.
Quaternary – Quaternary recycling process involves incineration of plastic wastes at very high temperatures of up to 900 to 1000oC (1652 to 1832oF). The left over materials from this recycling process are sent to landfills. The use of incinerators is highly helpful as they prevent the release of pollutants into the atmosphere and also they reduce the amount of incoming waste by about 80% wt and 90% vol. (Wait. This step doesn't seem like recycling. It seems like a controlled burn. That's not recycling--it's burning; much as one does not 'recycle' polystyrene into Napalm. That's not recycling, it's weaponizing).
Applications of Recycled PP
Recycled polypropelene is currently used in the manufacture of the following products:- Battery cables
- Brushes
- Ice scrapers (this seems very specific).
- Pallets and trays
- Landscape borders
- Signal lights
- Brooms
- Auto battery cases
- Bicycle racks
- Rakes and bins
Sources
http://www.lotfi.net/recycle/plastic.htmlhttp://www.bpf.co.uk/sustainability/plastics_recycling.aspx
http://machias.edu/assets/files/posters/plasticrecyclingchart.pdf
http://www.bpf.co.uk/plastipedia/polymers/pp.aspx
http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/4750/1/Fulltext.pdf
http://www.recoup.org/shop/product_documents/147.pdf
So, all told, this is a very long post that took a great deal of time but probably makes up for a few days of radio silence. Those plastic eggs DO recycle, at least around here, but probably into ice scrapers that you'll manage to break just when you really need them anyway.
Does Jesus care?
Honestly, I think Jesus is a little appalled that we'd celebrate his resurrection with little plastic toys with such a shady second life of their own, but still the tradition of hunting eggs is charming enough for children. Maybe your mom was wrong, and it's totally ok to hunt REAL eggs so long as you don't break them and wash them well before eating.
I think though, Jesus might be bummed that we don't REALLY get down and celebrate in a more serious way; I guess I'm sorta feeling guilty that my Easter celebration this year is cut short. So here's my ask: if anyone who knows me and is nearby wants to host an Easter Feaster, man I am totally down with that. I'll bring the stawberry lamb cake. OR if you're having a big Easter dinner with family, maybe you can invite some folks you don't know well to join you and see where it leads. 'Cause if it's true--that's the rub, ain't it?--IF it's true that God really does love us more than we can imagine, and IF God took all the steps possible to undo the mess we made for ourselves, and IF God did in fact undo the power of sin and death for us, then Easter is the most awesome, ballsy, ridiculous come-from-behind story I know. And it deserves the party where people get honest with each other, and ask the pointed questions.
I'll tell you something terribly honest: I choose to believe this. I didn't exactly grow up thinking it made sense. I study the dang thing, and learn more every time I do so, and I'll admit that sometimes the dots don't seem to connect well to a modern mind and human error gets in the way all over the place. If you read the Bible literally, I'm sorry for you, because this Palm Sunday's reading from Matthew has Jesus riding two animals at once and a sermon on Jesus as Circus Rider doesn't always go over well. But I'll also share this: that in choosing to believe that God loves me enough to do crazy, unthinkable things (like traipsing into an occupied city with witty street theatre as a means of challenging the oligarchy and death itself), it frees me up to do crazy, unthinkable things too. There is a freedom born of the trust that says "I think God's got this, so I don't have to." I don't have to host a party in the hopes that someone might witness God's grace and mercy between the beer and the cheese dip...God's got this.
I just need to enjoy the ride, and keep pointing to where the party is at.
And in honor of Passover, it is "next year in Jerusalem!"
Much love,
Peacefully,
Marie
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