Plastic Recycling

[Toria J]

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.

They've only just started collecting* it in the last few months here in Mid Wales. I think it was done for safety reasons. Lots of people still use bottle banks for glass though.

*Once every three weeks. I never remember to put it out. Anyone passing much think I'm a total alkie as the bin is well past overflowing.

 

[sodthisforfun]

. Anyone passing much think I'm a total alkie as the bin is well past overflowing.

Thou protest too much

 

[conny]

Thou protest too much

 

[Munroast]

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.

so how is that our fault?

was watching the Anti British Broadcasting Company news this evening and they were making it sound as though we are to blame - if Turkey are getting paid to take it, then it has nothing to do with us anymore.

 

[sodthisforfun]

so how is that our fault?

was watching the Anti British Broadcasting Company news this evening and they were making it sound as though we are to blame - if Turkey are getting paid to take it, then it has nothing to do with us anymore.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019...d-s-waste-does-to-people-in-poorer-countries/
We shouldn't take advantage of poorer countries. That's what's wrong with it.

 

[Munroast]

I would have thought Turkey is a grown-up enough country to be responsible for the deals it agrees too. If they can't handle it, either don't buy it or charge more to take it. We're hardly taking advantage of a vulnerable person

 

[Deleted2797112]

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

It's gone hi-tech for plastic bottles. Iceland (shop not country) is rolling out Reverse Vending Machines that take plastic drinks bottles and give you a deposit back. They've had I think nearly 1.5 million bottles back since they started. And Wee Jimmie Crankie is doing this in Scotland:

https://depositreturnscheme.zerowastescotland.org.uk/

 

[securespark]

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.

In Turkey, they dump it on land and set fire to it.

Yes, I remember collecting bottles in the 70's for the deposits.

 

[securespark]

What annoys the pants off me is that my council STILL "cannot" recycle plastic unless it is BOTTLE shaped!

There are 7 main categories of plastics, all used to make bottles, but if it's any other shape (even if the same plastic), they can't take it.

I just don't understand why not.

Other councils in this area can, why not mine?

1 PET(E)
2 HDPE
3 PVC
4 LDPE
5 PP
6 PS
7 PC (Amongst others)

 

[ReganAndCarter]

Several times over the last two decades I have been writing to them asking why more materials and plastic in particular, cannot be recycled.

You have way too much time on your hands.

 

[ReganAndCarter]

*Once every three weeks. I never remember to put it out. Anyone passing much think I'm a total alkie as the bin is well past overflowing.

That's the trouble with recycling collections - your alcohol consumption is laid bare for all your neighbours to see. Often amazed at the piles of bottles that go out every week around here. Swear one or two must be running a speakeasy - there's just too much for a retired couple and their cat.

 

[securespark]

Feline alcoholism is a major issue this decade.

 

[securespark]

You have way too much time on your hands.

Or you don't GAF about it?

 

[EddieM]

What annoys the pants off me is that my council STILL "cannot" recycle plastic unless it is BOTTLE shaped!

There are 7 main categories of plastics, all used to make bottles, but if it's any other shape (even if the same plastic), they can't take it.

I just don't understand why not.

Other councils in this area can, why not mine?

1 PET(E)
2 HDPE
3 PVC
4 LDPE
5 PP
6 PS
7 PC (Amongst others)

Unless it's changed though not all plastic packaging is identified with what it is. Anyway those are categories there are many sub categories e.g. PS is it HIPS, EPS etc?

For the record though, I'm not disagreeing with you about the principle and you're right that more effort needs to be put in to eliminate (As far as possible) any plastic waste.

 

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

Recycling in France has been de rigueur for as long as I can remember.
At one time it was sorted and deposited in the various containers doted around, glass (clear or coloured), paper, plastic (some plastic was not acceptable - clearly labelled), clothes, shoes, tins, etc.
Now everything goes in one yellow sack, into one 'recycling bin' so the method of sorting at wherever it ends up, must have been suitably refined.

The various bins still exist dotted around, but are much less used nowadays.