Every Friday I will have special posts that point out products or situations that frustrate me in my quest to go plastic-free. Many of these posts will be about products that use greenwashing–trying to look like sustainable, plastic-saving products but actually still using plastic, or trying to frame their plastic use in a misleading way.
Drive through any town in America this week, the week before the midterm elections, and you will likely find yard after yard filled with plastic election signs. They may look like cardboard, but most of these signs are made of corrugated plastic. The signs are strong, hold bright colors printed on them, and last a long time. The problem is what to do when the election is over and the signs are no longer needed.
You might think that you could recycle your plastic sign, but corrugated plastic is rarely accepted for recycling. To dispose of the sign, you likely will have to put it in the trash, where it will be carted off to a landfill or, worse, burned. Many people will “wishcycle” their signs–put them into their home recycling bin, hoping that they will be recycled. But the result of wishcycling is contamination and rejection of the recycling batch, causing more plastic to go into landfills. All in all, the signs are a plastic waste mess!
Don’t get me wrong, voicing your opinion about candidates is an important right in democracy. Protecting democracy and voting rights is a passion of mine, but let’s exercise those rights without needless plastic pollution. So what to do if you already have a plastic sign in your yard, or want to support candidates in the future? Here are a few ideas:
Look for Election Sign Recycling Programs
- If you already have plastic signs in your yard, find out if there is a special election sign recycling program in your area. Some candidates will take their signs back, or your region may make a special effort to recycle the signs.
- Note: The metal H frame that supports the signs is also not usually accepted in home recycling programs. These wire frames are made of steel, and will need to be recycled as scrap metal. Check with your town to see how to recycle scrap metal.
Reuse The Sign
- Keep the sing and reuse for future elections, or birthday/graduation signs.
- Make a paper/cardboard sleeve that slides over the the sign with your new design/message, and then recycle the sleeve when finished.
Make Your Own Sign
- For future elections, don’t accept plastic signs from the candidates–make your own signs from cardboard or paper. These paper signs will not be weather resistant, so you may have to adjust where you put them–How about your front porch?
Find Other Ways To Support Candidates
- Use social media posts to support candidates and issues you believe in
- Attend campaign events
- Volunteer for candidates–make phone calls, canvas your neighborhood, etc…