September 2017 - Plastic Waste Solutions
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Careful with those helium balloons — a Perth council has just banned them
Posted on September 30, 2017 by DrRossH in Balloons, Plastic StrawsCo ttesloe Council becomes the first in WA to outlaw the release of gas-filled balloons into the sky, saying they end up harming marine life. Source: Careful with those helium balloons — a Perth council has just banned them Mr Chapple...
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The last straw? Seattle will say goodbye to plastic straws, utensils with upcoming ban – USA
Posted on September 18, 2017 by DrRossH in Plastic Straws“Strawless in Seattle”: The city will enact the ban next year for all businesses that sell food or drinks. Meanwhile, restaurants and venues have already begun making the switch as part of an effort to curb plastic waste. Source:
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Sunshine Coast store bans plastic bags – Australia
Posted on September 11, 2017 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsA Sunshine Coast supermarket bans all plastic bags almost a year earlier than the official Queensland Government ban in July next year. Source: Sunshine Coast store bans plastic bags A Sunshine Coast supermarket has banned all plastic bags nearly a...
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A ban on balloons? It could happen in one Western Washington city – USA
Posted on September 8, 2017 by DrRossH in BalloonsBAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash. (KOMO) - A city councilmember on Bainbridge Island in Washington wants to ban balloons, and is introducing the proposal at Tuesday night's council meeting.It's been something I've been thinking about for quite a while, said council Source:...
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Plastic fibres found in tap water around the world, study reveals
Posted on September 7, 2017 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste Newshttps://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/06/plastic-fibres-found-tap-water-around-world-study-reveals?CMP=share_btn_link The US had the highest contamination rate, at 94%, with plastic fibres found in tap water sampled at sites including Congress buildings, the US Environmental Protection Agency’s headquarters, and Trump Tower in New York. Lebanon and India had the...
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Opponents cite dangers of balloon releases to wildlife – USA
Posted on September 6, 2017 by DrRossH in BalloonsHARDYSTON -- A release of 100 helium-filled balloons on Saturday to increase awareness of childhood cancer is also being used by those who want to raise awareness of the hazards of what happens when those balloons inevitably return to Earth. Source:...
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Balloon ban at Palm Beach County beach parks takes effect Sept. 1
Posted on September 6, 2017 by DrRossH in BalloonsStarting Friday, it is now illegal to use balloons at Palm Beach County beachfront parks. Source: Balloon ban at Palm Beach County beach parks takes effect Sept. 1 Balloons have a negative impact on marine life, especially turtles. The Loggerhead...
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Upper Goes Green: No Smoking or Balloon Releases – USA
Posted on September 6, 2017 by DrRossH in BalloonsAn ordinance which both prohibits smoking at all municipal facilities, including sports facilities and prohibits the intentional releasing of helium balloons was approved by Upper Township Committee Aug. 28. Source: Upper Goes Green: No Smoking or Balloon Releases Referring to the...
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Proposal would ban balloons on Bainbridge Island – USA
Posted on September 6, 2017 by DrRossH in BalloonsCity Councilman floating new ordinance cites environmental concerns. Source: Proposal would ban balloons on Bainbridge Island The Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and “many...
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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?