The majority that ends up in our domestic waste bin is plastic. And is burnable - which I'd almost rather. Not that I want an incinerator on my doorstep. Or more incinerators. I'd prefer not to have the plastic to begin with.
So while there is promise in bugs that can break down some plastics, it doesn't address the issue of the packaging. Incinerators that thrive on waste and levies such as the landfill tax that were created in good faith, end up aiding and encouraging the burning of waste, and neither diminish packaging.
I watched a TV program recently with drone footage at a waste processing plant, and it was made quite clear that lots of our waste is transported abroad. China was buying it. Which again only encourages us to make it. China rather sensibly is now banning post consumer plastic waste from being imported. So that's the end of that little money earner and carpet under sweeping for us. But it's rather ridiculous that we were exporting it in the first place. Goods and wastes being shuttled back and forth around the globe. The TV show dressed it up that we were filling what would be empty containers on their return journeys. In my mind it just appeared that the UK had nothing better to export, and it horrified me.
I quite like the idea of consumer rejection of packaging at the till. Perhaps we need a concerted effort?
I hadn't factored that much of the waste in the garden could have actually been placed there by residents who couldn't afford to have it removed. I'm lucky then, that there isn't more. And what is there , although a pain is mainly manageable, it just feels like a bind cleaning up after others.
We are off the sewerage grid, so our washing machine etc, pumps out to a shared unit for the hamlet, that ends out overflowing to a river. The micro-plastics are really alarming. It's likely clothes fibers could make their way out into the environment. It's a shame as I'd previously thought that recycling plastic bottles into clothing was a great idea. Plastics are insidious.
"Analysis of customs data by Greenpeace reveals British companies have shipped more than 2.7m tonnes of plastic waste to China and Hong Kong since 2012 – two-thirds of the UK’s total waste plastic exports."
One of the reasons I buy my bird food from the RSPB is because they strive for eco friendly packaging. Some of the immediate packaging is plastic bags, but the parcel tape on the cardboard boxes is made of paper reinforced with cotton thread, and internal spaces are filled with crumpled paper not the plastic bubbles or styrofoam chips most mail-order firms use.
"Nowadays it's a different story ; everything is in polystyrene trays or plastic wrapped for the benefit of the supermarkets "
How is it for the benefit of supermarkets who have to pay to have loose produce packaged?
I'm afraid the truth is that some, SOME, NOT ALL customers are too lazy to pick up loose carrots/ onions/ bananas etc and put them in a bag for themselves.
Trust me, it's the loose stuff that's left at the end of the day , NOT the packaged stuff.
How about this then, in warmer days I went with friends to the Faversham hop festival.. There are numerous beer and cider outlets serving their ware in plastiv glasses. However the CAMRA beer tent serves its wares in recepticles that clearly say on them. I might look like it but I am not Plastic and I am made from a natural biodegradeable substitute!!! Wow so that is good, why can't other food and drink follow suiyt.
The beer was fine too, lol we all took pewter tankards to avoid the plastic issue..
I said 'for the benefit of the supermarkets' meaning less risk of damage from over-handling !
Hostafan is right regarding laziness of SOME people ; imagine being in a squabbling queue waiting to fill bags of fruit and veg ; visualise the state of the produce after being sifted through by hundreds of hands .
I noticed Tescos mushroon suppliers have recently dumped those black plastic boxes for mushrooms in favour of recycled cardboard ones.. Sainsburys supply brown paper bags, keeps the mushrooms better for longer..
Phillipa smith, I know exactly what you mean.. I try to buy from the local markets..I hate to see even there that Cues are shrink wrapped and grapes are in plastic boxes!! At least my other veg comes naked lol..
Posts
The majority that ends up in our domestic waste bin is plastic. And is burnable - which I'd almost rather. Not that I want an incinerator on my doorstep. Or more incinerators. I'd prefer not to have the plastic to begin with.
So while there is promise in bugs that can break down some plastics, it doesn't address the issue of the packaging. Incinerators that thrive on waste and levies such as the landfill tax that were created in good faith, end up aiding and encouraging the burning of waste, and neither diminish packaging.
I watched a TV program recently with drone footage at a waste processing plant, and it was made quite clear that lots of our waste is transported abroad. China was buying it. Which again only encourages us to make it. China rather sensibly is now banning post consumer plastic waste from being imported. So that's the end of that little money earner and carpet under sweeping for us. But it's rather ridiculous that we were exporting it in the first place. Goods and wastes being shuttled back and forth around the globe. The TV show dressed it up that we were filling what would be empty containers on their return journeys. In my mind it just appeared that the UK had nothing better to export, and it horrified me.
I quite like the idea of consumer rejection of packaging at the till. Perhaps we need a concerted effort?
I hadn't factored that much of the waste in the garden could have actually been placed there by residents who couldn't afford to have it removed. I'm lucky then, that there isn't more. And what is there , although a pain is mainly manageable, it just feels like a bind cleaning up after others.
We are off the sewerage grid, so our washing machine etc, pumps out to a shared unit for the hamlet, that ends out overflowing to a river. The micro-plastics are really alarming. It's likely clothes fibers could make their way out into the environment. It's a shame as I'd previously thought that recycling plastic bottles into clothing was a great idea. Plastics are insidious.
Reported in today's news:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/dec/07/chinese-ban-on-plastic-waste-imports-could-see-uk-pollution-rise
"Analysis of customs data by Greenpeace reveals British companies have shipped more than 2.7m tonnes of plastic waste to China and Hong Kong since 2012 – two-thirds of the UK’s total waste plastic exports."
Blimey, that's quite a bit of plastic.
Maybe we should take back control of our plastic!
One of the reasons I buy my bird food from the RSPB is because they strive for eco friendly packaging. Some of the immediate packaging is plastic bags, but the parcel tape on the cardboard boxes is made of paper reinforced with cotton thread, and internal spaces are filled with crumpled paper not the plastic bubbles or styrofoam chips most mail-order firms use.
Paul B3 says
"Nowadays it's a different story ; everything is in polystyrene trays or plastic wrapped for the benefit of the supermarkets "
How is it for the benefit of supermarkets who have to pay to have loose produce packaged?
I'm afraid the truth is that some, SOME, NOT ALL customers are too lazy to pick up loose carrots/ onions/ bananas etc and put them in a bag for themselves.
Trust me, it's the loose stuff that's left at the end of the day , NOT the packaged stuff.
How about this then, in warmer days I went with friends to the Faversham hop festival.. There are numerous beer and cider outlets serving their ware in plastiv glasses. However the CAMRA beer tent serves its wares in recepticles that clearly say on them. I might look like it but I am not Plastic and I am made from a natural biodegradeable substitute!!! Wow so that is good, why can't other food and drink follow suiyt.
The beer was fine too, lol we all took pewter tankards to avoid the plastic issue..
Last edited: 07 December 2017 18:46:43
I said 'for the benefit of the supermarkets' meaning less risk of damage from over-handling !
Hostafan is right regarding laziness of SOME people ; imagine being in a squabbling queue waiting to fill bags of fruit and veg ; visualise the state of the produce after being sifted through by hundreds of hands .
I noticed Tescos mushroon suppliers have recently dumped those black plastic boxes for mushrooms in favour of recycled cardboard ones.. Sainsburys supply brown paper bags, keeps the mushrooms better for longer..
Last edited: 11 December 2017 13:42:03
Phillipa smith, I know exactly what you mean.. I try to buy from the local markets..I hate to see even there that Cues are shrink wrapped and grapes are in plastic boxes!! At least my other veg comes naked lol..
Seems the Chinese ban has kicked in from this new year, and plastic will be more of an issue for councils.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jan/02/rubbish-already-building-up-at-uk-recycling-plants-due-to-china-import-ban