October 2024 - Plastic Waste Solutions
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Fortum produces biodegradable plastic from captured carbon in world first – Finland
Posted on October 29, 2024 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingFortum says it captures 90% of carbon dioxide emissions from incineration of non-recyclable waste Source: Fortum produces biodegradable plastic from captured carbon in world first | Sustainable Plastics The energy company started operating a pilot for CO2-based plastics in April...
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EU recycled 41% of plastic packaging waste in 2022 – Europe
Posted on October 28, 2024 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingSlovakia recorded the highest recycling rate at 60%, followed by Belgium (54%), Germany and Slovenia (51%) Source: EU recycled 41% of plastic packaging waste in 2022 | Sustainable Plastics Eurostart has released the latest...
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Packaging targets will not be met – here’s why – Australia
Posted on October 25, 2024 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingIn 2018 the Australian Government established the 2025 National Packaging Targets. The four targets to be achieved by 2025 were. Source: Packaging targets will not be met - here's why - Inside Waste Surely if we want to create a circular...
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Erema launches biggest ever polyolefin recycling machine – Europe
Posted on October 16, 2024 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste NewsErema is launching its biggest ever polyolefin recycling machine at Fakuma Source: Erema launches biggest ever polyolefin recycling machine | Sustainable Plastics “I think there will be a consolidation in the market. Someone who is selling virgin material today has...
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Malaysia to introduce mandatory EPR scheme by 2030
Posted on October 9, 2024 by DrRossH in GeneralThe Malay Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) has announced it will make its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme mandatory in the next three to five years Source: Malaysia to introduce mandatory EPR scheme by 2030 | Sustainable Plastics He...
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Judge’s ruling on plastic bag ban ignores science on microplastics – USA
Posted on October 9, 2024 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsTurning plastic bags into park benches, as Judge McCarthy's ruling suggested, is like applying a Band-Aid when a tourniquet is needed. Source: Judge's ruling on plastic bag ban ignores science on microplastics – Athens County Independent Numerous countries around the world...
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Tetra Pak launches tethered caps on cartons | Tetra Pak Australia & New Zealand
Posted on October 8, 2024 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting Regulations, Plastic RecyclingThe new caps have been designed to prevent litter and accelerate transition to renewable materials. Source: Tetra Pak launches tethered caps on cartons | Tetra Pak Australia & New Zealand Tethered caps play an important role in preventing litter, as...
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New soft plastics stewardship scheme set for trials – Inside Waste
Posted on October 1, 2024 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingThe trials are being undertaken a newly created independent stewardship scheme, Soft Plastics Stewardship Australia (SPSA). Source: New soft plastics stewardship scheme set for trials - Inside Waste A soft plastics recycling trial based in Queensland is set to test different...
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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?