Plastic Recycling

[securespark]

Just seen an item on the news about plastic packaging being sent to Turkey for processing when they can't even deal with their own waste.

I have been appalled by my own council's response regarding recycling. Several times over the last two decades I have been writing to them asking why more materials and plastic in particular, cannot be recycled.

Other local councils seem to recycle a wider range of plastic items, but the number mine can deal with has remained unchanged in all the years the council have been recycling the stuff.

Surely it can be pelleted and added to road/ path surfaces, or reformed into plastic sign/ gate or fence posts?

Public benches, dustbins road signs and grid covers also spring to mind.

Are the human race so reluctant to do anything about this problem?

 

[Vinty]

Plastic can also be recycled back to into its main constituent which is oil.
I don't know they don't do more of it.

 

[sodthisforfun]

Sending plastic overseas has happened for years - the councils wash their hands of it. I've moved around this country a heck of a lot and I've yet to live anywhere who doesn't send the bulk of their stuff over, if not all.

We need to get off plastic where we can, it's the best solution.

 

[EddieM]

Plastic does present challenges in recycling as there are many many different types with very different properties.

 

[Ihavenojob]

Sending plastic overseas has happened for years - the councils wash their hands of it. I've moved around this country a heck of a lot and I've yet to live anywhere who doesn't send the bulk of their stuff over, if not all.

We need to get off plastic where we can, it's the best solution.

Sending plastic abroad is not a problem in itself, its when other rubbish is sneakily sent with it (Malaysia I think it was threatened to send it all back) UPVC from windows is the latest money spinner. We send lots of stuff abroad for re cycling, batteries from electric cars can't be recycled here, so are sent to Germany. Recycling as it stands (in the UK at least) is not as green as it makes out to be.
Maybe this
https://www.discovermagazine.com/en...lar-that-eats-plastic-could-it-help-solve-our
My daughter had a spoon yesterday , compostable, made of veg.

 

[foxhole]

Recycling for road use is still under research, but promises to be able to reuse any plastic.
Pilot schemes are underway .

 

[sodthisforfun]

Sending plastic abroad is not a problem in itself, its when other rubbish is sneakily sent with it (Malaysia I think it was threatened to send it all back) UPVC from windows is the latest money spinner. We send lots of stuff abroad for re cycling, batteries from electric cars can't be recycled here, so are sent to Germany. Recycling as it stands (in the UK at least) is not as green as it makes out to be.
Maybe this
https://www.discovermagazine.com/en...lar-that-eats-plastic-could-it-help-solve-our
My daughter had a spoon yesterday , compostable, made of veg.

The cutlery I've seen before, great idea.
The wax moth is great - but it will have to be controlled as the can cause damage to bee hives.. perhaps some massive greenhouse? There's always a downside when humans interfere with nature..

https://www.vita-europe.com/beehealth/diseases/wax-moth/#:~:text=The greater wax moth Galleria,can destroy comb very rapidly.

 

[mattylad]

I am disgusted with the whole thing.
It's 2020, we knew about these plastic issues over 20+ years ago, we could have dealt with it by now.

Instead we have no more landfill sites, they are all overflowing and no more are being allowed. (I'm sure a valley in Scotland could be filled without anyone noticing? )
We throw too much away, we are a very wasteful society and it needs to stop.
We need to stop shipping our waste to other countries who cannot recycle it for us, we need to make more and more recycling plants - with government assistance.
Asses need to be kicked over this, whoever is responsible needs to be sued, I'd like to sue whoever is responsible for my plastic waste not being recycled myself!
I spend enough time and effort washing and sorting it for them - damn well use it.

 

[sodthisforfun]

I guess it's just down to cost as to why we don't bother.

People need to be educated too. 30 years ago I worked in an offie and I'd refuse to give people plastic bags for their 4 cans of larger with the plastic carry ring they could carry it with instead. They'd be parked right outside the shop! We should start using more paper bags too - I know they're not more 'green' but at least they rot down.

I still see people put banana's in bags at the supermarket too - people have got to get out of the habit of not thinking about their consumption.

 

[nauseous]

I still see people put banana's in bags at the supermarket too

What's wrong with that, they're sometimes wet and smell minging, I usually find a use for the bags eventually.

 

[conny]

I'm annoyed that since moving to Suffolk I have to take my glass to a bin in a supermarket car park.
I was threatened with a fine shortly after moving here because I put a few glass jars in the recycling bin. When I went to bring it back in there was a big sticky notice on the lid and front saying it hadn't been emptied because it "contained contaminants." I had to phone up to find out what they meant and was told I can't put glass in the recycle bin!
Glass can be recycled infinitely! When it reaches the stage where it is considered too contaminated it is crushed to minute granules called cullet and used in the making of new glass.

 

[crystal ball]

I have probably harped on about this in the past, any way, in the early 90s we worked in Zimbabwe, any bottle whether it was beer, wine, olive oil had a value, all the main supermarkets had a bottle shed where you presented bottles and got a ticket for cash or money knocked off your shopping, small stores would not sell you a coke without a bottle to exchange, everyone had a couple of empties rolling round in the boot. Plastic bags were recycled by unofficial traders who hawked fruit around the streets, usually washed in the local creek if you were lucky

 

[Munroast]

Just seen an item on the news about plastic packaging being sent to Turkey for processing when they can't even deal with their own waste.

I have been appalled by my own council's response regarding recycling. Several times over the last two decades I have been writing to them asking why more materials and plastic in particular, cannot be recycled.

Other local councils seem to recycle a wider range of plastic items, but the number mine can deal with has remained unchanged in all the years the council have been recycling the stuff.

Surely it can be pelleted and added to road/ path surfaces, or reformed into plastic sign/ gate or fence posts?

Public benches, dustbins road signs and grid covers also spring to mind.

Are the human race so reluctant to do anything about this problem?

Do we send it there without there knowledge?

or, are they buying it from us or do we pay them to take it?

 

[sodthisforfun]

What's wrong with that, they're sometimes wet and smell minging, I usually find a use for the bags eventually.

Banana's come in their own bags!

I have probably harped on about this in the past, any way, in the early 90s we worked in Zimbabwe, any bottle whether it was beer, wine, olive oil had a value, all the main supermarkets had a bottle shed where you presented bottles and got a ticket for cash or money knocked off your shopping, small stores would not sell you a coke without a bottle to exchange, everyone had a couple of empties rolling round in the boot. Plastic bags were recycled by unofficial traders who hawked fruit around the streets, usually washed in the local creek if you were lucky

I hope it's still like that - it's excellent.
Used to get money from bottles handed in the UK too, in the 70's? Kids used to grab any left around - money for sweets

 

[fillyboy]

Do we send it there without there knowledge?

or, are they buying it from us or do we pay them to take it?

My understanding is that to meet recycling targets we pay them to take it and 'they' throw it into the sea, and everyone's happy, apart from David Attenborough.