Reducing single-use/disposable plastic
72 watchers
Oct 2018
11:37am, 17 Oct 2018
39,368 posts
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Velociraptor
I recall my favourite little wholefood co-operative in Dundee in the 1980s. The flour etc. arrived in big plastic-wrapped paper sacks and was decanted into little plastic bags before being sold. And the owner seemed to spend much of the day standing outside on the pavement smoking fags.
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Oct 2018
11:46am, 17 Oct 2018
9,371 posts
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Garfield
We had the flour come in in very large bags - 40kg or so, and it was poured into Rubbermaid bins to help yourself to however much or little you wanted! Rice arrived in 100lb bags...I weighed a little bit more than those bags in those days...108 or thereabouts. I became good at dragging them then hugging the bag to lift it the 4 inches onto the shelf it sat on.
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Oct 2018
7:41am, 20 Oct 2018
1,532 posts
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TomahawkMike
My council are likely to stop plastic kerb-side collections after December. Broadly speaking, they will separate plastic and other suitable combustible material from "normal" bins using a big machine that separates combustible waste and it will go off with other acceptable-to-burn waste to Europe in big bales. There it will be used for burning as a fuel in factories that can do this (presumably at a high enough temperature to reduce output of toxins?). Strangely, this may be accelerate the activity and pressure currently being applied to reduce single-use plastic, as they may not be the only council to start doing this (although I think they are the only ones with the machinery in the UK at the moment). So I hope it will focus attention on the problem. |
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Oct 2018
7:50am, 20 Oct 2018
1,533 posts
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TomahawkMike
ha. after my post I saw this which relates telegraph.co.uk |
Oct 2018
12:34pm, 20 Oct 2018
1,222 posts
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beebop
If Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands can make retailers and producers cover the cost of household recycling, why can’t this country? 🤔 (I’d link to the Guardian article, but I don’t know how. Unlike The Telegraph, you can read the whole thing without signing in, though). |
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Oct 2018
12:36pm, 20 Oct 2018
1,223 posts
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beebop
theguardian.com Does this work? |
Oct 2018
2:31pm, 20 Oct 2018
3,283 posts
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run free
Burning plastic still creates dioxins (carcinogens). Today's incinerators are supposed to scrub the gases so that WHO standards are met....so smaller amount of dioxins released. Also ash could contain heavy metals from stuff like batteries & bulbs which will pollute waters when put into landfill. Sweden says they process the ash to remove this. Also there are incinerators in the UK - so why are we shipping our crap abroad to be burned? I learned that the UK does have some plastic processing plants but it is cheaper for councils to export it to Asia than to send it to plants that process here. Some councils in Wales do use the facilities. It is really up to each council to determine how much they want to spend on our crap. |
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Oct 2018
2:39pm, 20 Oct 2018
3,284 posts
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run free
So Human Convenience vs the Environment I think companies continue to turn a blind eye because our societies demand convenience and governments are led by companies. That's why I hope that after Brexit the UK continues to follow the EU environmental laws. They are far more progressive than the UK. |
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Oct 2018
11:44pm, 20 Oct 2018
3,285 posts
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run free
Love it Malaysia is the latest country to ban imports of plastic waste: smh.com.au Apparently after China we started sending our garbage to Malaysia! |
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Oct 2018
9:14am, 24 Oct 2018
3,286 posts
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run free
Fed up of all the plastic wrapped produce, please consider to sign this petition to require supermarkets to offer a plastic-free option for all their fruit & veg. and force government to debate this petition.parliament.uk
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