August 2025 - Plastic Waste Solutions
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Australia’s plastic recycling rate stalls at 13% | Sustainable Plastics
Posted on August 26, 2025 by DrRossH in GeneralAustralia consumed 4 million tonnes of plastic in the 2023–24 financial year but just 13% was recycled, data from the latest Australian Plastics Flows and Fates (APFF) report shows. The figures highlight a widening gap between plastic use and...
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Experts call for change after UN plastics treaty talks fail – Geneva
Posted on August 19, 2025 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsAfter almost two weeks of tense negotiations, the INC failed to agree on a treaty text or clear plans for how the UN plastics treaty can be delivered. Source: Experts call for change after UN plastics treaty talks fail After...
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In win for industry, new plastics treaty draft drops production, chemical health – Geneva
Posted on August 16, 2025 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsThe latest draft of the global plastics treaty drops proposed limits on resin production and rules on chemical toxicity in a move sharply criticized by the European Union, Latin American nations and others who say the agreement is too weak. Source:...
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Dow pulls the plug on Böhlen chemical recycling project with Mura – Europe
Posted on August 14, 2025 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingDow has abandoned the construction of what it believes would have been the largest chemical recycling plant in Europe, reports financial data provider S&P Global. Source: Dow pulls the plug on Böhlen chemical recycling project with Mura | Sustainable Plastics
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ACCC authorises new industry-led soft plastics recycling scheme – Australia
Posted on August 14, 2025 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingA step forward for Australia’s soft plastics recycling has been announced, with the ACCC greenlighting a new, industry-led scheme. Source: ACCC authorises new industry-led soft plastics recycling scheme - Waste Management Review ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh highlighted the scheme’s significance,...
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Indian PET recyclers at risk over delayed targets – India
Posted on August 11, 2025 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingIndia’s recycled PET market is facing a major setback, the Indian Association of PET Recyclers (APR Bharat) warned in a statement.Recent changes to legislation are putting massive investments at risk as brand owners delay compliance with recycled content targets. As...
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Plastics treaty talks spotlight clash over health risks from chemical additives
Posted on August 11, 2025 by DrRossH in GeneralAs U.N. plastics treaty negotiations resume in Geneva, industry and scientists release dueling research over whether health risks from chemical additives should be part of the agreement. Source: Plastics treaty talks spotlight clash over health risks from chemical additives |...
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Athens plastic bag ban is officially dead – USA
Posted on August 8, 2025 by DrRossH in Plastic Limiting RegulationsGiven the political make-up of the Republican-dominated Ohio Supreme Court, Athens will not appeal a court decision that blocked the city from implementing a ban on single-use plastic bags. Source: Athens plastic bag ban is officially dead – Athens County...
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Ravago and Neste form chemical recycling partnership – Europe
Posted on August 4, 2025 by DrRossH in Plastic RecyclingGlobal materials firm Ravago Group plans to work with oil firm Neste Oyj to process more than 200,000 tons of waste plastics per year through chemical recycling. Source: Ravago and Neste form chemical recycling partnership | Sustainable Plastics Global materials...
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Is Silicone Better Than Plastic?
Posted on August 3, 2025 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste NewsSilicone is technically a type of plastic—and so, like all plastics, it is not completely free of environmental and health risks. Source: Is Silicone Better Than Plastic? | Plastic Pollution Coalition When one starts to look closely at the health...
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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?