🫘 Plastic Recycling: The Feel-Good Movie of the Century

Plus: the best music to listen to while working, millennials nostalgia movies

Good morning, Cool Beans!

As you already know, at Cool Beans, we care deeply about community. But shouldn’t community also mean thinking collectively, beyond just our own circles? When it comes to plastic waste, too many nations and corporations pass the problem onto others instead of taking real action. If we truly value community, we should also care for the planet we all share. Real change happens when we act together—not just for ourselves, but for a healthier, more sustainable world.

“If I'm worth anything later, I'm worth something now”
Vincent Van Gogh

Plastic Recycling: The Feel-Good Movie of the Century

Plastic recycling is the feel-good lie we’ve all been sold, and the truth is about as pretty as a landfill on fire. Despite those cute little chasing arrows stamped on everything from water bottles to yogurt cups, the U.S. barely recycles any plastic—only about 5-9% actually gets reprocessed. The rest? It’s clogging up landfills, floating in oceans, or getting burned, spewing out toxic chemicals. Meanwhile, the plastics industry pats itself on the back, pushing the myth that we can recycle our way out of this mess, all while churning out even more plastic every year. Spoiler: we can’t.

This grand deception has been in play for decades, with oil and plastics companies funding misleading campaigns to make people believe that plastic recycling is viable. The reality? Most plastics can’t even be recycled efficiently. Unlike aluminum or glass, which can be melted down and reused almost infinitely, plastics degrade in quality every time they’re processed—if they even make it that far. Most of what we “recycle” gets shipped overseas, where poorer countries either dump or burn it, turning our waste problem into their air pollution nightmare. And when China stopped accepting our trash in 2018, the U.S. had no backup plan—because, surprise, we never actually had a functioning plastic recycling system to begin with.

Meanwhile, countries like Germany and South Korea are recycling at rates the U.S. can only dream of, largely because they prioritize reducing waste and reusing materials rather than pretending recycling alone will save the planet. Here in the States, we love a good quick fix, and the plastics industry exploits that by pushing false solutions like chemical recycling (which is basically just incineration with extra steps) instead of focusing on cutting plastic production altogether. The only real way forward is to make less plastic, ban single-use items, and stop letting corporate polluters off the hook with their empty promises and misleading recycling labels. Until then, tossing that plastic takeout container in the blue bin is about as effective as wishing on a star.

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• 🎵 For our workers out there, this is the best music to listen to.

• 🦷 🧚‍♀️ Even the tooth fairy is paying less, inflation is really killing us.

• 🍷 Japan excels in many areas and is all about mastering perfection. Did you know they’re also making amazing wines?

• 🏠 Looking to buy a house? One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s largest private homes is up for sale!

• For all the expats out there who need to learn a language: synaesthesia is here for you.

• 🍴 High-end restaurants may seem glamorous, but not everything that shines is gold.

• Recently we binge-watched these videos about designing tiny apartments. Enjoy your next obsession!

• 🇺🇸 A list of American dishes that not Americans dislike. What are yours?

• 🎥 Are you a millennial? This movie list is a nostalgia bomb waiting to hit you.

  

• 🤤 If you are craving something new: Located in Logan Square, Table, Donkey and Stick is a cozy neighborhood spot inspired by Alpine inns, offering seasonal dishes from the mountain cuisines of France, Italy, Switzerland, and beyond. Named after a Brothers Grimm tale, the restaurant celebrates food, storytelling, and community—earning a Bib Gourmand from Michelin and praise from Chicago Magazine, Fodor’s, and Zagat.

• 🕺🏻 If your feet can’t stop (won’t stop) to move like Michael Jackson: This Sunday, Salon Appetit is hosting an afternoon record dig, bringing together music lovers to explore and support Pilsen’s best independent record shops—and each other! It’s all about great music, great company, and a welcoming atmosphere. No agenda, just a chance to hang out, discover new sounds, and connect with fellow vinyl enthusiasts.

• 🎤 If live music is your vibe: This weekend, catch Mama Digdown’s Brass Band at Green Mill on Friday, the 7th, and Saturday, the 8th. For over 30 years, they’ve brought New Orleans brass to the world, earning a reputation as one of the most exciting bands on the scene. With nine albums and global performances, they played New Orleans Brass Fest in 2018 and 2019.

• 🛋️ If the couch is calling your name: This week, we’re mixing things up with a book recommendation that truly stuck with us. Educated by Tara Westover is a memoir that feels almost unreal—but every word is true. Westover grew up in a strict, survivalist Mormon family in rural Idaho, without formal schooling or medical care. Determined to carve out her own path, she taught herself enough to get into college, eventually earning a PhD from Cambridge. It’s a raw and gripping story about education, resilience, and the painful process of breaking away from the past. This book challenges, inspires, and stays with you long after you finish it.

• 🤔 Still not feeling it? Check these others out:

  • Circus Don Quixote is playing at The Joan & Paul Theatre until March 30th. Check ticket availability here.

• We are very excited to publish our first monthly calendar for March! As we said at the beginning of the year, we are focused on organizing more events in 2025 and we are just getting started! 🔥 Check our IG page to see the details.

• The first Intimate Dinner in March will be at Kerryman Irish Bar & Restaurant on March 12th. Reserve your spot here!

  

• We had a week full of events: Sunday Lunch Edition (stay tuned, launching soon!); Tommaso DJ at Easy Does It and our Intimate Dinner at Italian Homemade Company 🥰

  

Real Italian Bolognese Ragu
Sharing the authentic recipe that we used to make Lasagna this past Sunday for our Cool Beans Sunday Lunch Edition…stay tuned ;). They turned out pretty good!

Ingredients: 📌 350g ground beef and 150g pork 📌 600 g tomato purée 📌 1 celery stalk 📌 1 carrot 📌 1 onion 📌 Extra virgin olive oil 📌 Salt 📌 Butter 📌 White wine

How to:

• Finely chop the celery, carrot, and onion, then sauté them in a large pot with olive oil and butter.

• Add the ground meat and brown it well.

• Deglaze with white wine, then add the tomato purée and salt.

• Let it simmer gently, covered, for 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on the quantity.

Merz b. Schwanen is a German heritage brand known for its vintage-style, high-quality knitwear. Relaunched in 2011, it preserves traditional loopwheel knitting techniques from the early 20th century. Made in the Swabian Alps, their durable, minimalist T-shirts and sweatshirts emphasize craftsmanship and sustainability. Jeremy Allen White wears their classic white T-shirt in The Bear, bringing the brand into the spotlight.

Guess the name of the Movie from the Emojis below!
🟢📚

The answer to last week’s game was: It, Pennywise. Did you guess it? Let us know!

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