Paulo Coelho

I discovered this great author just a few months ago. I've seen his name being credited for some inspiring quotes, I didn't know he writes books until recently. The first book I read was "The Pilgrimage". Yep, I got hook-up since then. His stories are short and simple but full of wisdom and inspiration. My favorite so far is the "Manuscript found in Accra". It is about the wise man's (called Copt) views about fear, braveness, love, loyalty and beauty.  

Some of my favorite quotes from this book: 

• The eyes are the mirror of the soul and reflect everything that seems to be hidden, and , like a mirror, they also reflect the person looking into them.
  


• Don't give up. Remember, it's always the last key on the key ring that opens the door.
  
  
• Elegance is not an outer beauty, but a part of the soul that is visible to the others.
  
  
• We will always meet rivals in everything we do, but the most dangerous are those we believe to be our friends.
  
  
• The enemy is not the person standing before you, sword in hand. It is the person standing next to you with dagger concealed behind his back.
   

Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author and his books were translated in 74 languages.

Recycling plastic bottles

I'm sure everyone is familiar with this sign. Yes, it's the recycling symbol. Although there are different variations of this symbol, the basic concept of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, which is represented by the three arrows, is always there. Have you ever noticed that some of this symbol has a number inside? Do you know what is it for?

It is called the Resin Identification Coding System. It is found in plastic products to help the recycling company identify the recycling method necessary for particular polymer type. Basically, each number represents a type of plastic. It has nothing to do with how hard the plastic is or how many times it can be recycled. The purpose is to be able to segregate the plastics by the number code. This is because each type of polymer has different methods of recycling. 

Here is the list of these codes and their meaning.

1 - (Polyethylene terepthalate)  or PET or PETE is commonly used for soft drinks and water bottles.

2 - (High density polyethylene) or HDPE  is commonly used for milk jugs, shampoo and detergent bottles as well as for some trash or shopping bags.

3 - (Vinyl or PVC) is also used for detergent and  shampoo bottles.It is a tough plastics so it is ideal for piping and other similar application.

4 - (Low density polyethylene) or LDPE is commonly used for softer or squeezable bottles.

5 - (Polypropylene) or PP is commonly used for caps, straws, or medicine bottles.

6 - (Polystyrene) or PS is commonly used for disposable plates and cups.

7 - (Miscellaneous) or OTHER is commonly used for gallons, signs and displays and bullet-proof materials.