pgandy
Moderator
Senior Forumite
Posts: 10,296
|
Post by pgandy on Apr 8, 2020 21:17:42 GMT
When I go to the store they sell me drinks in plastic bottles, food in plastic, meat wrapped in plastic, plastic straws for the drinks sold in plastic, chips in plastic, nuts in plastic, candy in plastic, plastic eating utensils, oils, soaps, skin care products, bleaches, the list goes on and on but you get the idea and put this in plastic bags for me to carry home. But the government says for the sake of the environment that I must put this junk in biodegradable plastic bags that soon fall apart spewing this mess wherever plus leaving bits of plastic from the bags to pick up. You figure it out. Obviously the government finds it easier to control the little man in the street than big business. And is trying to brain wash me into thinking that the administration is doing their part.
|
|
LeMal
Member
Posts: 1,108
|
Post by LeMal on Apr 8, 2020 22:21:00 GMT
My own opinion? (Though not wholly uninformed after decades of teaching science.) I'd like there to be an affordable home unit, electric powered, that "melts down" a huge range of plastics--regardless of type--into "bricks."
Then these, encased in cement, asphalt, whatever, could be used as very basic building materials for walkways, single story walls. Hell, unencased, used in the old style shelving where planks are placed across cinder blocks--etc. You get the idea.
|
|
|
Post by treeslicer on Apr 8, 2020 22:32:16 GMT
When I go to the store they sell me drinks in plastic bottles, food in plastic, meat wrapped in plastic, plastic straws for the drinks sold in plastic, chips in plastic, nuts in plastic, candy in plastic, plastic eating utensils, oils, soaps, skin care products, bleaches, the list goes on and on but you get the idea and put this in plastic bags for me to carry home. But the government says for the sake of the environment that I must put this junk in biodegradable plastic bags that soon fall apart spewing this mess wherever plus leaving bits of plastic from the bags to pick up. You figure it out. Obviously the government finds it easier to control the little man in the street than big business. And is trying to brain wash me into thinking that the administration is doing their part. My own opinion? (Though not wholly uninformed after decades of teaching science.) I'd like there to be an affordable home unit, electric powered, that "melts down" a huge range of plastics--regardless of type--into "bricks." Then these, encased in cement, asphalt, whatever, could be used as very basic building materials for walkways, single story walls. Hell, unencased, used in the old style shelving where planks are placed across cinder blocks--etc. You get the idea.
Good concept, doesn't violate the laws of thermodynamics, and it isn't bullsemprini. Much superior to common recycling ideas. Some places, like India, are implementing it in a big way. And you could do it locally as an emergency source of sword oil.
|
|
|
Post by howler on Apr 8, 2020 23:28:13 GMT
When I go to the store they sell me drinks in plastic bottles, food in plastic, meat wrapped in plastic, plastic straws for the drinks sold in plastic, chips in plastic, nuts in plastic, candy in plastic, plastic eating utensils, oils, soaps, skin care products, bleaches, the list goes on and on but you get the idea and put this in plastic bags for me to carry home. But the government says for the sake of the environment that I must put this junk in biodegradable plastic bags that soon fall apart spewing this mess wherever plus leaving bits of plastic from the bags to pick up. You figure it out. Obviously the government finds it easier to control the little man in the street than big business. And is trying to brain wash me into thinking that the administration is doing their part. From the movie The Graduate, the future is one word...plastics.
|
|
|
Post by RufusScorpius on Apr 9, 2020 0:19:47 GMT
I am plenty old enough to remember back in the 70's when environmentalist proclaimed that plastic was going to save the planet because we weren't going to be using any more paper in the future.
So let it be written, so let it be done....
|
|
|
Plastic
Apr 9, 2020 15:29:10 GMT
via mobile
Post by paulmuaddib on Apr 9, 2020 15:29:10 GMT
When I go to the store they sell me drinks in plastic bottles, food in plastic, meat wrapped in plastic, plastic straws for the drinks sold in plastic, chips in plastic, nuts in plastic, candy in plastic, plastic eating utensils, oils, soaps, skin care products, bleaches, the list goes on and on but you get the idea and put this in plastic bags for me to carry home. But the government says for the sake of the environment that I must put this junk in biodegradable plastic bags that soon fall apart spewing this mess wherever plus leaving bits of plastic from the bags to pick up. You figure it out. Obviously the government finds it easier to control the little man in the street than big business. And is trying to brain wash me into thinking that the administration is doing their part. My own opinion? (Though not wholly uninformed after decades of teaching science.) I'd like there to be an affordable home unit, electric powered, that "melts down" a huge range of plastics--regardless of type--into "bricks." Then these, encased in cement, asphalt, whatever, could be used as very basic building materials for walkways, single story walls. Hell, unencased, used in the old style shelving where planks are placed across cinder blocks--etc. You get the idea.
Good concept, doesn't violate the laws of thermodynamics, and it isn't bullsemprini. Much superior to common recycling ideas. Some places, like India, are implementing it in a big way. And you could do it locally as an emergency source of sword oil. Wow, treeslicer, I’ve never even heard of this technology before. Wonder why the ‘environmentalists’ haven’t been shouting from the rooftops about this. I know but would have to get political and don’t want to do that. Hope this gets more exposure and development in the future.
|
|
|
Plastic
Apr 9, 2020 15:39:09 GMT
via mobile
Post by pellius on Apr 9, 2020 15:39:09 GMT
|
|
pgandy
Moderator
Senior Forumite
Posts: 10,296
|
Post by pgandy on Apr 9, 2020 16:29:32 GMT
I remember the commercial and the last line of the linked “Chicago Times” report hit the nail on the head; “Too often, individual actions like recycling and green consumerism have provided Americans with a therapeutic dose of environmental hope that fails to address our underlying issues”. Not that I’m ignoring the plastic problem, on the contrary it’s severe. I remember how glad I was when the companies switched from glass to plastic because at that point a bottle would only bounced when thrown from a car or dropped. All of that broken glass and there was plenty begun to disappear. Now it looks like a greater problem exists. All that I mentioned in the OP are non-biodegradable except possibly drinking straws in some localities but not the packaging material they come in. So if the government is trying to convince me that if I put all of that non-biodegradable crap in my biodegradable trash bags it will disappear and I’m going to save the planet is BS. The only advantage I see is commercialism; I buy more bags to replace the deteriorating ones supporting the manufacturer, retailer, and the logistic chains along the way. The underlying problem has not been addressed.
|
|
|
Post by MOK on Apr 9, 2020 21:28:24 GMT
The problem with plastic is really very much like the problem with sugar - it's so cheap, easy and readily available that it gets used for everything, but it's not the kind of stuff you can use for everything without causing real problems...
|
|
|
Post by Dandelion on Apr 10, 2020 6:51:33 GMT
The problem with plastic is really very much like the problem with sugar - it's so cheap, easy and readily available that it gets used for everything, but it's not the kind of stuff you can use for everything without causing real problems... Very well said! Happy easter to all of you by the way, here in Germany its what we call "Karfreitag", very high held christian holiday.
|
|
|
Plastic
Apr 10, 2020 12:49:10 GMT
via mobile
Post by pellius on Apr 10, 2020 12:49:10 GMT
The problem with plastic is really very much like the problem with sugar - it's so cheap, easy and readily available that it gets used for everything, but it's not the kind of stuff you can use for everything without causing real problems... Very well said! Happy easter to all of you by the way, here in Germany its what we call "Karfreitag", very high held christian holiday. Wishing you and yours a blessed Good Friday, and a happy Easter.
|
|
|
Post by Dandelion on Apr 10, 2020 12:52:53 GMT
Very well said! Happy easter to all of you by the way, here in Germany its what we call "Karfreitag", very high held christian holiday. Wishing you and yours a blessed Good Friday, and a happy Easter. Thank you!
|
|
pgandy
Moderator
Senior Forumite
Posts: 10,296
|
Post by pgandy on Apr 10, 2020 15:49:59 GMT
Very well said! Happy easter to all of you by the way, here in Germany its what we call "Karfreitag", very high held christian holiday. Wishing you and yours a blessed Good Friday, and a happy Easter. And so it is that time again. Easter is our most revered holiday, more so than Christmas which has become commercialized. During Semana Santa some businesses close all week and all the final part. This year with no parades, churches closed, busses halted, all businesses except for a few mama/papa operations, cars restricted to every other day depending on tag number, gatherings banned, curfew from 1700-0500, I lost track of the time. Happy Easter and be safe. Felices Pascuas
|
|
|
Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Apr 10, 2020 16:04:07 GMT
Frohe Ostern!
|
|
|
Plastic
Apr 10, 2020 17:58:57 GMT
via mobile
Post by paulmuaddib on Apr 10, 2020 17:58:57 GMT
From plastic to Easter. 🤔
|
|