October 2022 - Plastic Waste Solutions
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Single-use plastics still being distributed at markets years after Darwin city council ban – Australia
Posted on October 31, 2022 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsSource Introduced to stop plastic from Darwin's popular markets being used for a few minutes before harming the environment for centuries, the 2019 ban required retailers to turn to biodegradable or compostable alternatives instead. He said many affordable solutions simply melt...
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National commitment to circular economy by 2030-Australia
Posted on October 27, 2022 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste NewsSource The Australian Council of Recycling (ACOR) has welcomed the pledge from the Environment Ministers Meeting (EMM) to work with the private sector to design out waste and pollution, keep materials in use and foster strong end...
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Australian beaches going plastic free
Posted on October 19, 2022 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsSource The Federal Government has teamed up with the Boomerang Alliance to take Australia’s beaches one step closer to being plastic free, with a new $600,000 Plastic Free Beaches program. The Boomerang Alliance has been funded to support local cafés and...
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Expansion of container types essential for CDS – Australia
Posted on October 18, 2022 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingSource ‘NSW and Victorian government studies show there is overwhelming support from the community to this expansion to include wine, spirits, juices, cordials and larger containers,’’ said Angel. ‘‘Not only will it significantly increase high value recycling, reduce more litter...
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Study: Chemical recycling better for climate than virgin resin, landfills – USA
Posted on October 14, 2022 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingSource The CCNY study, however, did not seem to directly compare chemical recycling processes to traditional mechanical recycling technologies. Other studies have found a lower carbon footprint for mechanical recycling for plastics, vs. chemical recycling. A late September study from Zero Waste...
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Tethered caps used to help bottled water brands stand out
Posted on October 14, 2022 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste Newssource Tethered caps, which stay attached to beverage containers while in use, already have become widely adopted in Europe even though European Commission regulations do not require implementation until July 3, 2024. That's when all beverage containers 3 liters and...
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Definition of ‘recycle’ in play
Posted on October 14, 2022 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsSource Schaumburg, Ill. — Everybody knows what recycling is, right? Not so fast. Language is a living thing, changing and evolving over time, sayeth thou linguists. And, now, even the definition of the word "recycle" is coming into play as an upcoming change...
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Curtin University study highlights barriers to success of WA CDS – Australia
Posted on October 10, 2022 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsSource A study titled The Uptake of Container Deposit Schemes: A Case Study in Perth, Western Australia from Curtin University’s Sustainability Policy Institute, has outlined some of the positives and barriers that have come up during their research. Curtin University authors Ciara O’Dwyer,...
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End of line for disposal plastic cups for cold drinks in WA – Australia
Posted on October 6, 2022 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsSource The sale or supply of single-use plastic cold beverage cups has been banned from today (1 October) in Western Australia, completing the first stage of the state’s Plan for Plastics. The bans will save 430 million single-use plastics from landfill...
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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?