One of the things you notice fairly quickly when you collect this stuff – and take it out of the package -  is how much packaging there really is.  It doesn’t matter the toy or the company, there is still packaging that has to be dealt with.   What do we do with it? 

I’d like to recycle it.  Rhode Island and many other communities have some form of recycling program in place.

Cardboard.  All those card backs / blister flats / boxes can go right in the green recycle bin.  No worries there.  Although some of the cards seem to be bigger than they need to be.  Smaller cards would take up less shelf space and allow for more product on the shelves.

Plastic.  Plastic is more difficult.  Plastic comes in many varieties.  In Rhode Island, I can recycle objects with the numbers <1> and <2> inside the recycle arrow triange (I learned on Jeopardy last night that this symbol was based upon the mobius strip!).  While discovering that ketchup now comes in a number <7> plastic bottle is disappointing to the ambitious recycler, the insane thing is not knowing IF some piece of plastic COULD be recycled because the triangle is not there.

So I ask you, Bandaii, DCDirect, Hasbro, Mattel, WizKids, and all the other manufacturers, as a first step, please identify the plastic in your packaging by insisting that those who make it for you stamp it woth the appropriate recycle triange and number.

Thanks.

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