February 2018 - Plastic Waste Solutions
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Why Are the Orkneys So Polluted? Pollution Solutions Online – Scotland
Posted on February 28, 2018 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste NewsSource: Why Are the Orkneys So Polluted? Pollution Solutions Online Where did it come from? Microplastics are tiny plastic particles, measuring less than 5mm in diameter. They’re broken down into different categories: Primary microplastics – Purpose-made particles used in cosmetic products...
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Melbourne council votes for balloon ban
Posted on February 27, 2018 by DrRossH in Balloons, Plastic Limiting RegulationsSOON businesses and residents in three of Melbourne’s suburbs will be banned from selling or purchasing balloons and other plastics such as disposable food containers and cups. Source: Melbourne council votes for balloon ban This is a good positive move. ...
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What to Give Up for Lent? Smoking? Cursing? How About Plastic? – UK
Posted on February 19, 2018 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsThe Church of England has issued a “Plastic Lent Challenge,” with six weeks’ worth of ideas for plastic objects to avoid, from wet wipes to toothbrushes. Source: What to Give Up for Lent? Smoking? Cursing? How About Plastic? In Wales,...
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Scotland plans to ban plastic straws by end of 2019
Posted on February 18, 2018 by DrRossH in Plastic StrawsScotland is set to become the first UK nation to ban plastic straws, as part of plans to cut down on single-use plastics. The move follows the announcement that the Scottish Government is outlawing the sale and manufacture of plastic cotton...
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California pushes for caps to be tethered to plastic bottles – USA
Posted on February 16, 2018 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsWe need these lids tethered. Technology hurdles Does the technology exist? The beverage industry's chief lobbying group says no, it's not well-developed yet. Fredericka McGee, the vice president of California government affairs for the American Beverage Association, told a Jan. 8 Assembly...
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Queen bans plastic from Royal estates after chatting with Sir David Attenborough – UK
Posted on February 13, 2018 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsIf nothing changes, plastic in the oceans will outnumber fish by 2050 Source: Queen bans plastic from Royal estates after chatting with Sir David Attenborough The Queen has banned plastic bottles from all Royal estates after speaking to Sir David Attenborough...
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Here’s why Council are looking to ban balloon and lantern releases across Borough – UK
Posted on February 7, 2018 by DrRossH in BalloonsBalloon and lantern releases often used at fundraisers will become a thing of the past as Council look to impose an outright ban on the practice. Officers from Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council have recommended that councillors agree...
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Finally, the world is talking about plastic pollution
Posted on February 4, 2018 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste NewsFor years, this issue has been under the radar, but now it's the hottest environmental topic out there. Source: Finally, the world is talking about plastic pollution Sir David Attenborough's latest TV series, Blue Planet II, horrified much of the...
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Plastics industry has known for years that it’s polluting oceans
Posted on February 4, 2018 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste NewsBut it has chosen to 'deny, confuse, and fight regulation.' Source: Plastics industry has known for years that it's polluting oceans Steven Feit, lead study author and an attorney for CIEL, said in a press release: "Unfortunately, the...
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British MPs Demand a “Latte Levy” on Disposable Coffee Cups
Posted on February 4, 2018 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsGuest essay by Eric Worrall British MPs waging a war on plastic are demanding a “latte levy”, to try to contain the growing environmental catastrophe caused by millions of latte sipping… Source: British MPs Demand a “Latte Levy” on...
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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?