The reason the tetra-packs are so awful is that they are made up of several laminated layers: Paper Aluminium Plastic And of course none of them can be recycled because they are all heat bonded together. Does anyone have a solution? I experimented by putting a tetra pack in my worm bin for six months and they happily ate all the paper, leaving just the plastic and aluminium. Someone told me that aluminium will dissolve in vinegar, but my experimentation hasn't got that far yet. And what does one do with the aluminium/vinegar after it has dissolved? Are there any chemists who might be able to help with this one?
Submitted by Lindis on 12 February 2008 16:28:33
Comments
I'm sorry, I can't help you there. My only advice is not to buy them in the first place, which is inconvenient if you're trying to get hold of soy milk or rice milk, (though I have seen soy milk in recyclable plastic bottles in the past).
Submitted by Sarah on 14 February 2008 14:52:16
Hello Lindis,
National Geographic has a video on Tetra Pak is being recycled:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1--vxKXpUE8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW-ySmlV3c8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qczkGEIMrl0
It's also being recycled in Auckland:
http://www.citizen-click.co.nz/visy
Submitted by nchan on 13 September 2008 10:46:50
Hmmm good question Lindis. I'm pretty sure some of the bigger councils in NZ have the facilities to recycle those tetra-packs. I have a feeling Auckland City Council can take them as part of curbside recycling, so I'd suggest contacting the council and double checking.
Otherwise some people suggest cutting them in half and using them to pot seedlings. You could see if your local garden centre has more information about this option.
Submitted by Andrew on 15 September 2008 15:47:31
Thanks nchan & Andrew. I watched all those youtube clips and they looked very interesting. I just wish I spoke Spanish (or Portuguese?) so I could understand better what was going on!
Since I originally posted back in February, the Auckland City Council has changed their recycling system and they now accept tetra packs. Hooray! Although I still wonder about the amount of energy & other resources required to recycle them. In the film it looked like they were chopped up & the paper pulp removed, then the plastic & aluminium were sent off somewhere else to be separated by some kind of 'plasma' method.
I have heard of milk carton bases being used to pot up seedlings. Because they are square, they use minimal space when packed into trays. They are also good for freezing individual servings of food (like soup etc).
Submitted by Lindis on 17 September 2008 10:35:42
Totally agree with the comments regarding Tetra packs
Submitted by sdfedfe on 15 November 2008 11:19:21