January 2017 - Plastic Waste Solutions
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What is the New Plastics Economy Initiative? -UK
Posted on January 30, 2017 by DrRossH in GeneralSource: What is the New Plastics Economy Initiative? Pollution Solutions Online After the publication of a comprehensive report that same month, the New Plastics Economy team set about trying to convince major players in all manner...
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Atlantic City votes to join three other beach towns in helium balloon ban -USA
Posted on January 27, 2017 by DrRossH in BalloonsAtlantic-City-joins-three-other-beach-towns-in-helium-balloon-ban. Atlantic City has moved to join its neighboring beach towns of Ventnor, Margate, and Longport in banning the outdoor release of helium balloons, and attaching a $500 fine to the ban. The Atlantic City Council voted for the ban, which...
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Industry urges Ikea to reconsider phasing out EPS – USA
Posted on January 27, 2017 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste NewsExpanded polystyrene producers have called on furniture supplier giant Ikea to reconsider its plans to phase out oil-based EPS foams from its packaging.The Swedish affordable furniture manufacturer announced in its sustainability report in December, that it was progressing towards...
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Milton Keynes schoolchildren celebrate MK50 with mass balloon release – UK
Posted on January 25, 2017 by DrRossH in BalloonsChildren at Greenleys First School celebrated MK50 earlier today, by each releasing a green helium filled balloon into the sky. Source: Milton Keynes schoolchildren celebrate MK50 with mass balloon release This is such an irresponsible thing to do. The school should...
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Jersey Shore towns take aim at balloons -USA
Posted on January 25, 2017 by DrRossH in BalloonsThe city of Ventnor has joined Margate and Longport in banning the release of helium balloons outside, and attaching a $500 fine to the ban. Source: Jersey Shore towns take aim at balloons The evidence is very clear and simple...
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Balloon Council USA – Balloon ban idea misguided
Posted on January 25, 2017 by DrRossH in BalloonsIn the interest of fair and balanced news coverage, let’s address some inaccuracies about ball... Source: Letter: Balloon ban idea misguided The Balloon Council shares Palm Beach’s passion for the environment and welcomes the opportunity to join the effort to educate...
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P&G project turns beach plastic into shampoo bottles – USA
Posted on January 20, 2017 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste NewsProcter & Gamble Co. is teaming up with recyclers TerraCycle Inc. and Suez Environnement SA to create the first-ever shampoo bottle containing up to 25 percent recycled beach plastic.P&G is rolling out plans for the limited edition container for its...
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Brownsville Ends Plastic Shopping Bag Fee – USA
Posted on January 17, 2017 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsBrownsville is removing its $1-a-bag fee on plastic shopping bags in exchange for the Texas Attorney General's Office dropping a lawsuit against the Rio Grande Valley city. Source: Brownsville Ends Plastic Shopping Bag Fee So now the city looses the...
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Kenya Pitted Against Rwanda, Tanzania Over Ban on Plastic
Posted on January 17, 2017 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsKenya is headed for a showdown with its regional partners as it seeks to protect jobs in plastic manufacturing, with Rwanda and Tanzania pushing for a ban on plastic bags in the region. Source: Kenya Pitted Against Rwanda, Tanzania Over...
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Make-up products containing tiny plastic microbeads to be banned by Govt – National – NZ Herald News
Posted on January 17, 2017 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsEnvironment Minister Nick Smith says a crackdown on harmful plastics which make their way into New Zealand's waterways will not extend to plastic bags. - New Zealand Herald Source: Make-up products containing tiny plastic microbeads to be banned by...
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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?