September 2019 - Plastic Waste Solutions
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Andrew Forrest launches US$300m war on plastic to tackle ocean pollution – Australia
Posted on September 30, 2019 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste NewsMining billionaire’s initiative would see manufacturers of virgin plastic pay premium for doing so Source: Andrew Forrest launches US$300m war on plastic to tackle ocean pollution He said a voluntary contribution for fossil fuel-based plastics would start at US$200 per tonne...
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Let’s be truthful about Sustainable Packaging Claims on-pack – Australia
Posted on September 26, 2019 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste NewsNerida Kelton MAIP With the 2025 National Packaging Targets significantly shifting the packaging design landscape in Australia, a critical element that is coming up short is truthful and accurate environmental claims on-pack. More than ever consumers are demanding brands to...
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Plastiphalt: Recycled plastic hits the road in St Kilda – Australia
Posted on September 19, 2019 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste NewsSource: Plastiphalt: Recycled plastic hits the road in St Kilda The path to a solution for Victoria’s recycling crisis could be paved with plastic after one council resurfaced a suburban street using hundreds of kilograms of discarded auto car parts. It...
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Gillen proposes ban on intentional release of balloons in Hempstead – USA
Posted on September 18, 2019 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsGillen proposes ban on intentional release of balloons in Hempstead - New Hyde Park Herald Courier - The Island Now...
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Ireland to Reduce Waste by Cutting out All Single-Use Plastic
Posted on September 18, 2019 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsSpeaking at a Waste Summit in Dublin on Monday, the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton said the government is working on mapping out a plan to ban single-use plastic plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks, cotton buds...
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Microplastics are probably in your diet. But should you be worried?
Posted on September 17, 2019 by DrRossH in Plastic & WildlifeYou've probably got microplastics in your poo. They were found in the stool samples of all eight participants of a study published last week in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The eight healthy adults from Europe, Russia and Japan had between 18...
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Plastic alternatives could make marine pollution even worse, report finds
Posted on September 16, 2019 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste NewsBy Amy Woodyatt, CNN Compostable alternatives to plastic could worsen marine pollution and have other serious environmental impacts, a report from a committee of UK MPs has warned. The world has a plastic problem --...
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Lawmakers pass fine for releasing balloons in a Maryland county – USA
Posted on September 11, 2019 by DrRossH in BalloonsYou could have to pay for releasing a balloon in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. Source: Lawmakers pass fine for releasing balloons in a Maryland county A bill passed by the county commissioners last month would levy a $250 fine to anyone...
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Eco-friendly packaging could be poisoning our compost – USA
Posted on September 10, 2019 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste NewsPer-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, are everywhere. PFAS are useful, but the major problem with many of them is that they never fully breakdown in the environment—and some have been found to pose serious health risks. That’s why staff at...
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Compostable food containers could release PFAS into environment – USA
Posted on September 10, 2019 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste NewsCompostable food containers seem like a great idea: They degrade into nutrient-rich organic matter, reducing waste and the need for chemical fertilizers. But much of this packaging relies on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to repel water and oil. Now,...
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How many people today grab a takeaway coffee cup from the local cafe to drink on the go? We don’t know, but the number must be enormous.. Most every one of the above have a plastic top that will last 100s of years. Some cafes still use plastic cups that last a similar time. Is 10 minutes of coffee worth 100s of years of trash?
These items can be seen littering our gutters and on our streets all over the place. If they were all cardboard, they would still be littered, but they would, at least, be gone in a short time.
They do not need to be made of plastic.
On the way home from the gym last week, a distance of about 1 km (1/2 mile), I counted the items of plastic litter on the curb as I walked. In that short distance I counted 63 pieces of plastic litter. Plastic drink bottles, bottle tops, candy wrappers, plastic film, polystyrene fragments etc. That seemed to be a lot to me. I guess it is a generational thing. Our parents would have been horrified to see that amount, whereas it seems to go unnoticed by our youth of today. In another 20 years how many pieces will there be on this stretch, -- 200? What will today’s youth think of that new amount then when they are older? Will their children be so readily accepting of a higher amount of litter?