No Plastic Waste

  • 30 Oct 2019 16:02
    Reply # 8083901 on 8071166

    It would be nice if it were just a case of a few problem countries.  Unfortunately it is not, nor is it easy to draw lines.  For some time, Western countries shipped our waste plastic to China.  When China closed their borders to much of the plastic, we found other places to the east to ship it.  Just because you've got someone in another country ready to spread your plastic about for you doesn't mean you're disposing of it responsibly.  With that said, although Indonesia and parts of Asia are hot spots for microplastic contamination, the Mediterranean is just as bad and the East Coast of the US is not far behind.

    All NoPlasticWaste is talking about is a small increase in the cost of plastic goods (1/10th of a cent on a disposable plastic cup), so that we re-use plastic to make more plastic rather than starting with oil. 

    Even if a person were to believe they have no role in creating plastic pollution and believe that their country was not responsible, there is still good reason to support closing the loop and reusing plastic.  We are just beginning to understand how microplastics move through ocean currents and food chains, how extremely widespread they are and how they can undermine basic biological processes, such as endocrine function. Supporting reducing plastic waste, keeps the ecosystems we sail on healthier.  The last thing we need right now is lower ocean biomass (even just to feed ourselves) and simpler ocean food chains (less stable ecosystems).  At the very least, supporting reducing plastic waste means a cleaner, more reliable food supply for you, wherever you live.

    Every week when I put my blue box out, I think about how nuts it is that a good portion of that box will just end up dumped in a landfill or shipped offshore.  Aluminum is one of the most recycled materials in the world (75% of the aluminum ever produce is still in use).  It's that way because it is cheaper to recycle than to start anew.  Why not do the same thing with plastic?

  • 29 Oct 2019 17:59
    Reply # 8082577 on 8071166

    Sure, there are some folks here in the West who have never seen a crying Indian commercial, but the vast overwhelming source of ocean plastics can be found by looking East. Worrying about some knucklehead throwing a sandwich container out his car window is like trying to repair a torn sail when your rudder is about to fall off. I am sorry, I cannot get behind a request for government intervention in anything without seeing at least a cost/benefit analysis of the suggested policy. Just because it sounds good is not enough for me. 

    "The scariest words in the English language are 'I am from the government and I am here to help you.'" - Ronald Reagan

    EDIT: Sorry, I forgot that this is primarily a UK based site. The "crying Indian" comment is a reference to a bit of Americana: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Suu84khNGY

    With my admittedly limited knowledge of European politics I believe that my Libertarian views are likely somewhat alien to most of you. As such, I will try to refrain in the future from interjecting them again. I do NOT want to start a political row in these fora. 


    Last modified: 29 Oct 2019 18:19 | Anonymous member
  • 29 Oct 2019 14:53
    Reply # 8082117 on 8079443
    Anonymous wrote:The real issue with plastic waste is in developing countries and in the far east where is casual dumping of waste is generally accepted. I hear all kinds of people saying "We should do this" or "We should do that" but have yet to hear of a single person with a way to convince the actual problem countries to change their policies. 

    Countries? It is a personal level thing. We have taken my mother in law camping and found that we had to search for garbage she would just throw to the side rather than in the bag we provided. It is a change in culture that is needed in many cases.

    Like many other things, this is personal life style and one person or company can spoil things for many people. Our choices determine what is socially acceptable for our children, grandchildren and the the companies we buy products from.

    Government policy does help to some extent but personal choices have a longer more far reaching effect over time. The ocean has been used as a dump for long enough.

  • 29 Oct 2019 14:37
    Reply # 8082098 on 8071166

    This seems like a no-brainer.  It will be interesting to see if they can get sufficient buy-in from the industry.  The energy to recycle the plastic still needs to come from somewhere, but at least it helps alleviate the avalanche of plastic pollution that we're just starting to understand the multitude of negative effects of.

    I signed the petition.

  • 27 Oct 2019 22:37
    Reply # 8079443 on 8071166

    I imagine it isn't economically viable yet - if it were then businesses would be doing it. As long as it remains cheaper to use petroleum based feed stocks then that is what will be used. 


    The real issue with plastic waste is in developing countries and in the far east where is casual dumping of waste is generally accepted. I hear all kinds of people saying "We should do this" or "We should do that" but have yet to hear of a single person with a way to convince the actual problem countries to change their policies. 

  • 26 Oct 2019 20:55
    Reply # 8078319 on 8071166
    Deleted user

    What is really beyond understanding is the fact that we have the technology for pyrolysis, and thermolytic cracking, and it is virtually the same as the processes used in refineries world wide that use oil as a feed stock.  Plastics and other solids can be reduced to the gasseous state using heat, and in the process the bonds that create polymers are broken, and the resulting materials can be condensed into liquids, or burned in their gaseous state.  These products can be reformed using catalysts into the precursors of plastics and fuels.  There is a vast body of waste that can be treated this way, begging to be used, and yet there are virtually no facilities doing  it.   It is rare indeed for people to PAY you to take fuels and feedstock. Imagine if the Saudis were so upset about oil seeping out of the ground onto the beaches (which was how it was in fact discovered), that they would pump it out and deliver it just to get rid of it............ That essentially is the case with waste plastics today.........


                                                            H.W.

  • 22 Oct 2019 09:48
    Message # 8071166

    At long last someone has come up with an idea worth creating momentum for...

    Please sign and pass it on...

    https://noplasticwaste.org/

    Last modified: 22 Oct 2019 09:57 | Anonymous member
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