I found this article on Yahoo Green about opening those clamshell packages. I always hate opening those packages because there seems to be no easy way to rip it open without cutting it. Some newer packages actually have perforated lines that you can rip in the middle but they still do not work that great. The packaging is great for manufacturers and companies because it is quite tamperproof and is great for display. They can also be dangerous as I am sure plenty of people get cuts but thousands of people every year actually end up in emergency rooms because of those things. The packaging is typically made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and that is environmentally damaging.

The packages can be opened relatively easy with scissors or even a can opener. What I found to be extremely useful is the Black and Decker Cordless Power Scissor. All you need to do is just put the scissor along the edge and push the button as it runs up each side. If you run it through all four sides, you end up with a easily opened package.

My girlfriend moved to Tempe, Arizona to attend ASU for her MBA and has realized that her apartment complex, Grigio Tempe Town Lake does not have recycling! Growing up in the bay area, we are very used to having recycling everywhere. It was shocking to us that apartment complexes did not have any form of recycling. The reason, we found out, was that apartment complexes had to pay to have recycling picked up in Arizona. The complex has about 500 units and it sounded horrible to us that there is so much wasted trash that could have been easily recycled. She will try to talk to management about getting recycling there but I would not be too optimistic since they will most likely not want to pay for it. The complex is about 2 years old and it is just sad that we would have to bring recycling somewhere instead of having it easily accessible.

On a recent trip to New Orleans, we also noticed that there isnt really any recycling there either. Walking in the streets, we can see that the bars and restaurants basically tossed all the empty bottles in with the trash. I am glad I live in California where recycling is pretty abundant.