A very interesting read …
'Loophole' will let UK continue to ship plastic waste to poorer countries
Post-Brexit regulation doesn’t match new EU rules to tackle ocean pollution, despite UK being Europe’s largest plastic waste producer
A very interesting read …
The following popped up.
Post-Brexit regulation doesn’t match new EU rules to tackle ocean pollution, despite UK being Europe’s largest plastic waste producer
From 1 January, shipments of unsorted plastic waste from the EU to non-OECD countries were banned.
But Britain will continue to allow plastic waste to be exported to developing countries, despite a Tory party manifesto commitment to banning the practice, and promises of no regression of environmental standards post-Brexit.
Jim Puckett, director of the Basel Action Network, said it was known as early as April 2019 that the EU planned to ban exports of dirty and unsorted plastic waste.
“We had assumed the UK would at least follow the EU, and so it is a shock to find out now that instead they choose to have a far weaker control procedure, which can still permit exports of contaminated and difficult-to-recycle plastics to developing countries,” said Puckett.
“They are talking the talk, but they have failed to walk the walk.”
Tim Grabiel, environmental lawyer at the Environmental Investigation Agency, said: “We would have liked to see the UK show leadership and align with the EU in going the extra step and banning plastics to non-OECD countries. If 27 states of the EU can do it, then the UK certainly can. We hope in time the UK will reconsider its position.”
That’s ridiculous, such hypocrisy
Much as I despise Johnson, though, to be fair he has got a point here and is siding with what a lot of the environmentalist say
There’s a lot of greenwashing that goes on with recycling, trying to shift the blame onto the consumer to cover up what the plastic producers and those who profit from what it’s made out of, oil and are doing
Of course we should all do our bit but in truth it won’t make much difference unless those profiting from producing it stop or cut down
Sometimes people point out protesters and environmentalists buying a coffee or travelling in a car and say they are hypocrites. But that’s just falling for the greenwashing con by the profiteers from plastic to shift the blame onto litterbug and make us feel we are doing something by recycling and it will be OK . It really won’t.
We are all just human beings trying to exist in the world as it is. Us recycling individually or collectively or travelling by bike isn’t going to save the world and the environmentalists are on the right track demanding world government action, even if they do it while drinking out of plastic cups!
This guy says it much better than I can
I see his point …
Plasticise the world and recycle it is not the answer.
And this recycling of household waste is overrated:
It just doesn’t happen, householders can’t be bothered, binmen can’t be bothered, recycling plants separate some, it get dumped in a third world country where it gets dumped in the sea.
When on holiday in Europe I have noticed that their veg and fruit has been offered loose in supermarkets for years. It doesn’t look as fresh though. There must be a middle ground where you can have packaging but without the plastic waste.
FWIW there was a plastics company near Swindon that made plastics out of waste. It was a large extruder. I remember the vast wastes of waste material. Think it was about 1975.
@Besoeker , Yes it can be mixed with sawdust and extruded
into various sizes of timber of virtually any length required !!
This timber / plastic does not rot and is ideal for outside
use without any further treatment !
I have no idea why it never caught on ??
Most likely established vested interests ??
Donkeyman!
That could be. I’ll try to remember the company name - Aphasia still afflicts me…
@Besoeker , Yes it can be mixed with sawdust and extruded
into various sizes of timber of virtually any length required !!
This timber / plastic does not rot and is ideal for outside
use without any further treatment !
I have no idea why it never caught on ??
Most likely established vested interests ??
Donkeyman!
not profitable?
@AnnieS , Do you mean plastics would not be profitable if
this caught on Annie ??
The machinery to produce this plastic/wood is identical to the
machinery for plastics, but the materials are for free !!
In fact people may even pay you to take them away ??
The waste plastics used don’t even need sorting out ?
Can you imagine your window frames and outside decks
lasting forever and not need treating every year !!
Maybe that is the problem ???
Donkeyman!
@AnnieS , Do you mean plastics would not be profitable if
this caught on Annie ??
The machinery to produce this plastic/wood is identical to the
machinery for plastics, but the materials are for free !!
In fact people may even pay you to take them away ??
The waste plastics used don’t even need sorting out ?
Can you imagine your window frames and outside decks
lasting forever and not need treating every year !!
Maybe that is the problem ???
Donkeyman!
I’m guessing it never caught on because it was not considered profitable.
There’s a cost/benefit for the planet too if something recycled is going to have a bigger carbon footprint than not bothering. Do people want plastic wood on their patio? It seems a bit like artificial grass.
@AnnieS , Not so Annie, this recycled plastic/timber is nothing
like the plastic window frames we use allready and cannot be
recognised as plastic without touching it( it is slightly more
flexible than most natural woods, ) lts colour is mahogany but
probably can be anything, and it is colour fast and does not
fade or swell with the weather!!
Its main disadvantage imo is that too many companies are
involved with producing traditional wood products and
preservative treatments etc for them ??
May l ask you, do you have plastic double glazing on your house?
Donkeyman!
Yes it can be mixed with sawdust and extruded
into various sizes of timber of virtually any length required !!
This timber / plastic does not rot and is ideal for outside
use without any further treatment !
I have no idea why it never caught on ??
Most likely established vested interests ??
It was abandoned due to the highly toxic fumes from a house fire. A good replacement product is Marley’s Eternit which I know is very durable as I have my music workshop clad with it. APP20180018_5_Brochure for cladding.pdf (burnley.gov.uk)
I suppose in all this Boris paranoid chatterGuardian, Remainer inspired hatred, would it be too much to point out that the the point he was trying to make was; Many sorts of plastics are only able to go be recycled three or four times before they become useless and have to be thrown away. Far better to reduce our dependence on plastics all together.
Surely you don’t actually expect the Guardian to report anything as it was intended by the orator.
Many sorts of plastics are only able to go be recycled three or four times before they become useless and have to be thrown away. Far better to reduce our dependence on plastics all together.
That is true of paper also. There are processes that use this plastic at the end of it’s life even if it is only something like road base.
Then what? Doesn’t that rather prove my point Bruce?
We live in hope
Yes it can be mixed with sawdust and extruded
into various sizes of timber of virtually any length required !!
This timber / plastic does not rot and is ideal for outside
use without any further treatment !
Not just sawdust Donks. Even on its own, scrap plastic (even mixed colours) can be extruded into lengths and used as planks to make decking or fence panels.