One time plastic use
I'm sure there was a thread that discussed plastic but despite doing a search I can't find it, no surprise there then!
Heard yesterday that a company making 1 time use plastic items has just gone into receivership. That was quick, it went from a turnover of £6 million in 2016/2017 to £1.5 million this financial year. Unfortunately 25 people have lost their jobs.
Comments
-
Sadly there's always a downside. Hopefully they'll have some support whilst they find a new means of income, sadly nature and wildlife don't have a safety net.
Was that company here? I merely ask as NZ wheo were way behind but are catching up fast and had something very similar.
I wish they weren't allowed to use wrappings that weren't recyclable. So many packages are marked with a line through the recycling symbol and the words "not yet recyclable". Including my porridge packet 😤. Now shopping needs another check before you put it in your basket 😭. Takes ages to do a very routine job. I have never used the delivery services but I don't suppose they check, fat content, size to price ratio, packaging etc. It's a minefield. I prefer to buy as direct from the supplier, without excess packaging, where possible but it ain't easy these days!
0 -
Seems like a small company that didn't have the clout to invest in the manufacture of more environmentally friendly items? Sad about the jobs.
David
0 -
All that kerfuffle about plastic carrier bags too. I remember when carrier bags were made from strong paper - 100% recyclable and the trees from which they were produced helped the CO2 issue as well. Ah, but someone can make more money by screwing the planet and making it from plastic.
And don't even get me started on the 'fat cat' directors of Carillion from last nights TV.
2 -
I noticed this year that the French supermarket 'plastic' bags are biodegradable, and can be put into the compost heap. Plastic is a byproduct of oil, and will always be produced whilst aviation spirit, followed by petrol and diesel, are in high demand. If plastic bags and similar items were discontinued, what would happen to the materials of which they consist?
The real truth is that, worldwide, we have been dumping environmentally unfriendly waste for many, many years. The steady increase in this behaviour, and the rate of increase created by the growth of the world's population, has put us on a course which is going to be difficult to reverse. The clock is ticking, and it will continue to click until serious global commitment is taken to deal with the problem. Perhaps the only solution will come when the Sun runs out of hydrogen, expands and consumes the solar system - that should clean things up a bit!
0 -
Very interesting Tv programme on BBC4 last evening. Where they were excavating rubbish dumps from different times 1890s to 1980s. Time bombing ticking.
If you get a chance I'd suggest watching it very interesting. I'll see if I can find the title 😉
Edit I did better than I expected here's the link The secret life of rubbish
0 -
We too watched the BBC4 programme thought provoking especially along the Thames where the rubbish is now getting washed out by extreme weather conditions as it is next to the river.
I have put the compostable bags from the supermarkets here in the Lot and so far not broken down will wait awhile longer, have noticed that some drinks now in glass instead of plastic bottles.
0 -
That is not entirely true. A leading retail company was asked why it continued to offer plastic bags (5p charge) rather than changing over to paper. The answer was that paperbags use far more energy to produce than plastic (I was surprised by that) and if they are good quality printed bags they don't break down very quickly either.
David
0 -
Do they 'really' use that much more energy? Whilst energy consumption is part of the equation, it has to be viewed in the context of total environmental impact.
0 -
I suppose it depends which way you look at it. Is cutting down trees which give us quite a lot of environmental protection whilst they are growing worse than making bags from recycled plastic? I shall try and find the article.
David
0 -
A lot of forests are replanted along with cutting down trees so as to be sustainable. But the government themselves are far from organised for recycling of waste. for example, if they were, no matter where you lived in the country, the only thing that would change would be the day of collection. The receptacles for waste, and what was or was not allowed, would be identical. At the moment, even district councils within the same county can have widely differing arrangements.
0 -
Hmm!
I can see that recycling and being green are two different matters.
I am by no means a 'greenie' but will nonetheless operate a composting section in my garden. I will even sort out plastic for the local council. However I draw the line at Tree preservation Orders (TPOs). My local council issues them at the drop of a hat with the result that I will no longer grow/permit to grow any tree that is a UK native one. I like my own choice of when, where and how old.
As for plastic I am far from convinced that the Council recycle enough.
Sadly we can but try and hope our successive generations do not look too unkindly upon us - but I doubt it.
0 -
They've probably changed their minds by now, especially since the evidence of plastics in our oceans and water. I noticed that London is introducing more water fountains so that people can refill water bottles rather than purchase them for single use.
London's first new water fountains LINK
Maybe if people considered tap water was ok rather than long distance plastic packed spring water we might reduce plastic waste everywhere.
This seems like a step in the right direction, maybe plastic bag users will consider using alternatives (I'm a plastic bag user but I've started to replace them with fabric bags, hoping the fabric can be recycled at some point?)
0 -
Just watched it B2-thanks for the heads up, it was astounding👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻. From the ‘low’ of knowing our capital(London) is allowing an old dump site to pollute the Thames then the Oceans with all manner of pollutants including shredded plastics & asbestos. To the ‘up’ of discovering the partial DNA of over 3,000 unknown life forms living in/on the leechate that could potentially solve the plastics/landfill conundrum. Shockingly enlightening😊
1 -
I was in an M&S café today, they were selling M&S re-usable drinks containers for £3, if used there will be a 25p reduction on drinks purchases. Not as nice as a cup and saucer or mug, but perfectly ok and a good reduction on a coffee or tea etc and useful as a travel container.
0 -
Maybe if people considered tap water was ok rather than long distance plastic packed spring water
I have been in London and tasted the tap water. It is terrible compared to spring water - tastes as if it was been through the sewage works a couple of times - oh, wait - much of it has!
1 -
I remember reading many years ago that there was good news and bad news for London. The good news was that they were recycling sewage to provide drinking water. The bad news was that there wouldn't be enough to go round.
0
