May 2024 - Plastic Waste Solutions
-

Australia’s oceans drowning in plastic waste –
Posted on May 30, 2024 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting Regulations, Plastic Waste NewsThe inquiry into plastic pollution in Australia's oceans has ended and the report has been tabled in parliament. Source: Australia's oceans drowning in plastic waste - Inside Waste The Committee’s final report tabled in Parliament makes 22 recommendations aimed at...
Continue reading this entry → -
Are compostable coffee cups actually any better for the environment? – Australia
Posted on May 26, 2024 by DrRossH in BioPlasticsSold and marketed as environmentally friendly, compostable food packaging has been exploding in popularity in Australia. But is it any better than the plastic it's replaced? Source: Are compostable coffee cups actually any better for the environment? - ABC News Coffee...
Continue reading this entry → -
Most ‘home-compostable’ plastic doesn’t fully break down in compost bins, UK study finds
Posted on May 26, 2024 by DrRossH in BioPlasticsMost certified "home-compostable" plastics do not fully break down in home compost bins, a citizen science project finds. Source: Most 'home-compostable' plastic doesn't fully break down in compost bins, UK study finds - ABC News Over two years, more than...
Continue reading this entry → -
Minnesota EPR law a ‘fair compromise,’ packaging group says – USA
Posted on May 24, 2024 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingSource: Minnesota EPR law a ‘fair compromise,' packaging group says | Plastics News Minnesota became the fifth state to enact an extended producer responsibility program requiring companies to pay for recycling of packaging waste, when Gov. The plan, which is supported...
Continue reading this entry → -

New Research Sheds Light On How Compostable Packaging Breaks Down
Posted on May 22, 2024 by DrRossH in BioPlastics, Plastic Waste NewsAccording to the study, compostable packaging breaks down successfully at composting facilities that meet reasonable operational parameters. Source: New Research Sheds Light On How Compostable Packaging Breaks Down But Anita Spiller, ESG vice president at Tru Earth, which produces eco-friendly...
Continue reading this entry → -

Plastics just the tip of the iceberg – Australia
Posted on May 21, 2024 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingA worthy topic given the damage that both fossil fuels and the lifecycle of plastics are doing to the planet Source: Plastics just the tip of the iceberg - Inside Waste What this discussion has highlighted is just how...
Continue reading this entry → -
Plastics treaty talks in Canada end with some progress but many challenges ahead
Posted on May 3, 2024 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsThe latest round of the plastics treaty talks ended in Canada early on April 30 with compromises to keep the negotiations moving but with no one seeming entirely happy. Source: Plastics treaty talks in Canada end with some progress but...
Continue reading this entry → -

APCO – sending old logo stock to landfill not an option – Australia
Posted on May 2, 2024 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingAustralian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) talks about the entity's stance on the use of the Australian Recycling Label Source: APCO - sending old logo stock to landfill not an option - Inside Waste In response to an recently published article...
Continue reading this entry → -
Revised PPWR approved by parliament – Europe
Posted on May 1, 2024 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsThe European Parliament today adopted new measures to make packaging more sustainable and reduce packaging waste in the EU. The regulation, was approved with 476 votes in favour, 129 against and 24 abstentions. Source: Revised PPWR approved by parliament |...
Continue reading this entry → -

Australia-first recycling facility turns plastic, e-waste into building materials –
Posted on May 1, 2024 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingMelbourne’s west is now home to Australia’s first production facility recycling soft plastics and e-waste into building materials. Source: Australia-first recycling facility turns plastic, e-waste into building materials - Waste Management Review It will turn hard-to-recycle items into a new...
Continue reading this entry →

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?