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? BPF slams new oxo-biodegradable recycling claims | Plastics News
Posted on August 11, 2016 by DrRossH in Plastic Waste NewsSource: BPF slams new oxo-biodegradable recycling claims | Plastics News
The BPF commented that it was “very concerned” if oxo-biodegradable products get into the recycling system.
There is no way to be certain that the recyclate is only going to be used in (specific) products. Previous reports have also looked at specific uses of film containing oxo-biodegradables and not addressed the scope of potential products, which include films with long-term uses such as damp proof membranes.
“It is very important to understand that the quality of recyclate is the top priority for recyclers and even the perception that these materials could find their way into the recycling stream could undermine the reputation and the integrity of this sector.
The BPF is absolutely correct. We can’t have plastics that are going to fragment being used to make general products. Saying they could be used in a strict limited number of items is as BPF say is nonsense. Recyclers cannot control what goes where. The oxo plastics are not marked as oxo either and recyclers do not have time to sort though the recyclate. This is another desperate attempt by the oxo industry to try to justify their product. IT can’t be main stream recycled, the plastic just fragments into little bite size pieces and blows and flows around the environment where it is dangerous to wildlife. Surely we can put the health of our wildlife above a few manufacturers who are looking after themselves.
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