Plastic reduction

[Norphy]

The UK plug is solid. I can't remember every seeing one damaged. Surely pins themselves are tougher than the cover?

 

They're not worried about the plug being damaged, they're worried about the plug doing damage to the rest of the contents of the box. A soft plastic cover is less likely to do damage than hard metal pins.

[synaesthesia]

They're not worried about the plug being damaged, they're worried about the plug doing damage to the rest of the contents of the box. A soft plastic cover is less likely to do damage than hard metal pins.

 

Simplest solutions are usually the best. White goods often have 3 well places holes to "dock" the plug when in transit. Wouldn't be difficult to put similar 3 holes in a piece of cardboard packaging to do the same for small devices.

[LeMarchand]

The UK plug is solid. I can't remember every seeing one damaged. Surely pins themselves are tougher than the cover?

 

That's the point! The cover is to prevent the pins from damaging other things. In the examples I gave, the plugs are mainly on wooden surfaces that may get scratched. Realised I also forgot my two external backup drives and the ones that are in my work bags behind me, so well into double figures.

[6Foot2]

Link: Beneath the blue: dive into a dazzling ocean under threat – interactive

 

Descend through the different zones of the ocean to discover its mesmerising marine life, how human pollutants are interfering – and what we can still do about it

[elsiegee40]

Tesco to start recycling bread bags and crisp packets

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56345661

 

Tesco is rolling out collection points for soft plastic packaging like crisp packets, pet food pouches and bread bags at stores in England and Wales.

 

The supermarket chain is aiming to establish a nationwide recycling network for these harder to process plastics.

 

The recycled material will be used to package food, household and beauty products, Tesco said.

[hardtailstar]

Tesco to start recycling bread bags and crisp packets

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56345661

 

beat me by 5 minutes!

[LeMarchand]

Tesco to start recycling bread bags and crisp packets

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56345661

 

Oops! Thought they already did the former (as they usually say "recycle with carrier bags").

[mavhc]

Why are the tesco carrier bag recycling things always full of 1000s of perfectly fine reusable 10p bags? Free bags for me, but it's very odd.

[mikeprice]

A couple of years ago we got the council tax bill - and with it was a leaflet from the recycling company that receives the blue recycling bins

 

It described in detail what they could and couldn't recycle - which cleared things up a lot

e.g. as far as plastic is concerned - they can recycle all plastic bottles - except black ones

The reasons for this is that the bottles are sorted out by a system with a camera - if it sees a plastic bottle it grabs it somehow and it gets recycled - the camera can;t see black bottles - hence they don't get recycled

also - if it doesn't look like a bottle the system won't see it as recyclable and so it does grab it

 

hence cartons, trays etc etc may be made of the same material as a bottle but the system won't recycle it - so it should go into the landfill bin.

or - better still - go to the tip where there is a skip that attempts to recycle more stuff - apparently

 

It also doesn't want any 'contaminated' cardboard corrupts the cardboard recycling systems and must not go in the blue bin - this includes pizza boxes and anything else that is greasy

 

The main thing I noticed is that a lot of containers that say they can be recycled should not go in the recycling bin!!!!

 

 

 

naturally I am the only person I have found who actually read the leaflet and took it in - everyone else I have spoken to either didn't read it or just skimmed it and forget the details

people ey!

[hardtailstar]

Why are the tesco carrier bag recycling things always full of 1000s of perfectly fine reusable 10p bags? Free bags for me, but it's very odd.

 

A lot of people are switching to none plastic bags for shopping.

 

I walk to my local tesco and use a rucksack as its far easier than carrying plastic bags back.

 

If I drive to a supermarket then I have a box I use to put my shopping in.

 

I only need to buy food for me so this suits. Im sure families will probably use something different.

[mavhc]

A couple of years ago we got the council tax bill - and with it was a leaflet from the recycling company that receives the blue recycling bins

 

It described in detail what they could and couldn't recycle - which cleared things up a lot

e.g. as far as plastic is concerned - they can recycle all plastic bottles - except black ones

The reasons for this is that the bottles are sorted out by a system with a camera - if it sees a plastic bottle it grabs it somehow and it gets recycled - the camera can;t see black bottles - hence they don't get recycled

also - if it doesn't look like a bottle the system won't see it as recyclable and so it does grab it

 

hence cartons, trays etc etc may be made of the same material as a bottle but the system won't recycle it - so it should go into the landfill bin.

or - better still - go to the tip where there is a skip that attempts to recycle more stuff - apparently

 

It also doesn't want any 'contaminated' cardboard corrupts the cardboard recycling systems and must not go in the blue bin - this includes pizza boxes and anything else that is greasy

 

The main thing I noticed is that a lot of containers that say they can be recycled should not go in the recycling bin!!!!

Depends entirely on where you live too, it's a mess. How contaminated is contaminated?

 

China stopped accepting recycling that wasn't 99% pure a few years ago, throwing the entire system into chaos, used to be empty ships returned to china with recycling after delivering stuff.

 

Here they'd rather the lids were kept on the bottles when recycling.

 

Same as with power usage, companies should pay for the cost of fixing the problem they create, thus encouraging them to make less pollution, or at least cheaper to fix pollution.

[Andrew_C]

Things may have improved, however, when my little bro' ran the recycling for Eling, he became aware that the bales of "recycled" plastic bags were being shipped to China, and burned in a field.

[elsiegee40]

A lot of people are switching to none plastic bags for shopping.

 

I walk to my local tesco and use a rucksack as its far easier than carrying plastic bags back.

 

If I drive to a supermarket then I have a box I use to put my shopping in.

 

I only need to buy food for me so this suits. Im sure families will probably use something different.

 

I keep reusable bags... not reusable carrier bags... the in the back of both our vehicles and use them when I shop. I also have reusable bags that fold up small... there’s one of those (and a cloth face mask) in the pocket of the coat and fleeces I wear most frequently.

[mikeprice]

Depends entirely on where you live too, it's a mess. How contaminated is contaminated?

 

China stopped accepting recycling that wasn't 99% pure a few years ago, throwing the entire system into chaos, used to be empty ships returned to china with recycling after delivering stuff.

 

Here they'd rather the lids were kept on the bottles when recycling.

 

Same as with power usage, companies should pay for the cost of fixing the problem they create, thus encouraging them to make less pollution, or at least cheaper to fix pollution.

 

lids are a whole 'nother problem

do I leave hard plastic lids on soft plastic bottle or not

the leaflet seemed to imply I should leave them on so the bottle didn't get squashed and still looked like a bottle to the camera thingy

but then some hard plastic contaminates the soft plastic waste

 

and what about lids on wine bottles????

 

the lid is perfectly recyclable - as is the bottle

 

but of the lid is on the bottle?????

 

I have no clue

 

the main problem is that is people are confused then the chuck it all in the general landfill bin

 

and if you try to get people to put everything in seperate bins they get confused and don't bother

 

when I lived in North Wales - a woman from Anglesey was fined because she refused to separate her rubbish in any way - just filled up bins however

 

 

but she had 11 different waste containers to put stuff in!!!!

At least I only have 2 - although when I was living in Conwy In had about 4 and managed fine

[elsiegee40]

I take lids off before putting things in the recycling bin. It’s not exactly a chore

[mikeprice]

I take lids off before putting things in the recycling bin. It’s not exactly a chore

 

It's not a problem or a chore

 

but are you supposed to do it???

 

it the recycling company uses a camera to detect bottle shapes - then it the top is off (as it is a different type of plastic) then the bottle will probably get crushed and may not be seen as a bottle shape

 

metal tops on glass bottle is probably easier - but some more guidance from the companies would be helpful

 

on top of which - it probably differs from on place to another so guidance I get here may not be relevant in other areas

 

I get confused

[6Foot2]

Herts asks that we remove bottle caps:

 

Link: What can I recycle? [Hertfordshire County Council]

 

 

Perhaps your local authority will have similar advice?

[LeMarchand]

Ours is plastic bottles; glass ones you have to do yourself. We have to find our own solutions for plastic bottle tops and have yet to find one for metal ones (though jar lids can go in our recycling.

 

And I wasn't imagining that it has been OK to recycle bread bags in Tesco for a while - found this on and old one of their bags awaiting recycling.

 

[mikeprice]

Just checked as I was unsure of the details

 

 

apparently we are supposed to put plastic bottle (except black) and glass containers of any kind - but we are supposed to put the tops back on first

 

dunno why - I'm sure there is a good reason

[FN-GM]

Single use plastic food containers, straws, cutlery and other items have been banned where I live (South Australia). It's the first state in Australia to do so.

 

 

https://www.replacethewaste.sa.gov.au/

 

 

You can get 10c back one cans, glass and plastic bottles. We save all ours and cash them in at recycling depots. The money goes in a dor for a rainy day. We have to remove all our bottle tops. They can be placed into the usual household recycling bin.

Edited March 13, 2021 by FN-GM

[6Foot2]

Link: Timber bridges replaced by those made using recycled bottles [Ledbury Reporter]

 

 

TWO timber bridges on the Herefordshire border have been replaced by new 'kit bridges' made using recycled plastic.

 

The two footbridges near Gladestry are being replaced following concerns over the ageing of the old timber.

 

The programme of countryside access improvement work, is funded by the Welsh Government Access Improvement Grant.

 

Powys County Council has worked closely with local contractors M.F. Price and R.F Price, at sites near Court of Gladestry and near the county boundary, between Gladestry and Upper Hergest, to remove the old timber bridges and replace them with new kit bridges made using FRP and recycled plastic.

 

A statement from Powys County Council said: "With the support of Welsh Government funding, the council’s countryside services could make use of more durable and sustainable materials rather than opting for traditional treated softwood; this gives the bridges a significantly longer lifespan, and with inbuilt anti slip surfaces these bridges provide a high-quality replacement for many years to come.

 

"The cores for the decking, posts and rails have also been constructed using recycled plastic bottles, preventing them from being sent to landfill."

 

Cllr Heulwen Hulme, Cabinet Member for Countryside Services, added: “Powys has such a beautiful and thriving countryside and these improvements will only help add to this and make it easier for our residents to access.

 

“It’s important that we ensure that Powys’ countryside is kept maintained and available for all.”

[Patrick]

These two companies interest me when it comes to the plastic problem.

 

https://www.powerhouseenergy.net

 

https://eqtec.com

 

Plastics should be reduced where it's not needed, but making clean energy out of waste plastic seems a good idea.

[6Foot2]

Link: Morrisons announce new ban coming to all UK stores [Ledbury Reporter]

 

Morrisons has announced a ban on plastic bags coming into effect in all UK stores and telling customers to use 30p paper bags instead.

 

The supermarket said the move will save 3,200 tonnes of plastic each year, after removing all single use plastic bags in 2017.

 

Single use 5p carrier bags were removed by Morrisons in 2018 but customers continue to use the stronger ‘bag for life’ which saw an price increase up to 50p introduced in December last year.

 

The change will see 100 million plastic bags removed, the equivalent to 1.9 million per week.

 

Morrisons is the first UK supermarket to announce a complete ban on plastic bags after the move proved popular with customers during a trial of paper bags in selected stores last year.

 

The new paper bags will cost 30p, however the supermarket will offer alternatives with prices ranging from 75p to £2.50.

 

The phased removal of plastic ‘bags for life’ will begin in Scotland this month and will continue in England and Wales over the course of the next year.

 

David Potts, chief executive of Morrisons said: "We have been listening hard to our customers over the past year and we know that they are passionate about doing their bit to keep plastics out of the environment.

 

"Removing all of the plastic bags from our supermarkets is a significant milestone in our sustainability programme.”

 

The move comes as other UK supermarkets aim to tackle their plastic use in the UK including, Aldi, Lidl and Asda.

[Katy]

Link: Morrisons announce new ban coming to all UK stores [Ledbury Reporter]

Hopefully they put a bit more effort into removing a lot of the unnecessary plastic packaging too, but it's a good step forward at least.

[6Foot2]

Link: Plastic Air [Google Analytics]

 

 

Plastic Air gives you a lens through which to “see” and to explore the plastic particles that are ever-present in the atmosphere around you...

 

BEST THING YOU CAN DO:

 

Stop using plastics.

 

SECOND-BEST THING YOU CAN DO:

 

Minimize your use of plastics.

 

THE BARE MINIMUM:

 

Start being aware of the vast quantity of materials around you that are composed plastics.

 

Microplastic litter is a major issue that will take governments, corporations, and all of us working together to reduce our global reliance on plastic. You can do your part by re-assessing your personal use of plastic products, particularly single-use plastics like plastic water bottles and plastic bags. Some places to start might be, for example:

 

• Wear natural fibres such as linen or cotton.
  
• Drink from a reusable metal or glass water bottle.
  
• Avoid single-use plastics such as dental floss picks.

The less plastic we produce, the less microplastics ultimately wind up in the air and in our bodies.

 

What about recycling?

 

Although you shouldn't stop recycling, you shouldn't depend on it either. Only a fraction of plastics can be recycled, and not all governments have plastic recycling regulated.