compared to disposable diapers and fast food styrofoam we make a pretty small footprint, but I know what you mean, I've just been dropping mine in a sack in the quilt room, a few months ago I threw away 183 plastic spools. Makes me sad. Seems like some clever thread maker could have bins set up in quilt shops, who then could get credit on their thread orders for sending them back, who would be getting people just stopping in to recycle, but stayed to buy something
We have a very good recycling system here, but the problem is there isn't a reverse market for anything but #1 and #2 plastics currently. Oil prices have to be pretty high to make recycling #3-#6 worthwhile.
I don't understand why they don't all use #1 or #2 plastics. Milk comes in #1, why not yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream?
The good news is a plant here in the US, that recycles plastic grocery bags. Something we can be proud of
http://novolex.com/sustainability/recycling-plant