Plastic waste gonemad - everybody do one thing now,!

Kivaro · 20-02-2020 11:00AM

As I drive around the country, plastic bottles are the most common item discarded on the side of the road. That is truly appalling.
What I've done for years, is use a filter jug to filter tap water, and regularly fill a re-usable drinking container, which can be taken everywhere with you. I'm sure there are a lot of people doing this, but looking at the bottles discarded on the streets and countryside, we need a lot more doing it.

I also stopped using plastic soap dispensers, which I know are convenient, and we are told that they recyclable. But what about the spring structure? And many still end up in dumps intact anyway. The alternative is simple. Buy multi-packs of bar soap, preferably wrapped in paper, which is biodegradable.
And, public service announcement: people need to wash their hands (with soap) more often; we would be a much healthier nation if we did this.

the purple tin · 20-02-2020 11:59AM

One thing that parents can do is stop buying happy meals for the kids.

Those crappy plastic toys that are being pumped out of China in enormous quantities get played with for about 5 minutes and then chucked out.
Also they are not recylable despite what McDonalds say, they end up at the landfill.

Thelonious Monk · 20-02-2020 12:10PM

Kivaro wrote: »

I also stopped using plastic soap dispensers, which I know are convenient, and we are told that they recyclable. But what about the spring structure? And many still end up in dumps intact anyway. The alternative is simple. Buy multi-packs of bar soap, preferably wrapped in paper, which is biodegradable.
And, public service announcement: people need to wash their hands (with soap) more often; we would be a much healthier nation if we did this.

You can buy these vegan bars of soap in boots, just in cardboard little box, that doesn't seem to have any dodgy ingredients. They do me for showering, hand soap, etc. Compare that to my gf who has about 200 plastic bottles of god knows what in her shower and bathroom. All this crap we don't need is pushed on us.

20-02-2020 04:24PM

The plastics on the shelf wrapping products is the tip of the iceberg..
The amount of energy and traffic to keep just one large supermarket stocked is massive but people only see the plastic on there bananas or multipacks
It’s the consumer that’s demands products availability (regardless of season or where it’s shipped from)
Products are fresh and ripe as possible
Long shelf life’s
But most of all cheap..

One example is milk...there are alternatives to plastic cartons but people still want them because it’s handy to carry...it’s simple as that..they also want a 2L carton milk with 3 weeks shelf life because it’s fresher...even though the probably consume that milk in 3/4 day...if there’s milk on shelf with less than 5 days people just will not buy it and will go somewhere else..

Another is Xmas decorations..every year where I work we get literally artic lorry loads of plastic decorations and every year the all sell..where are they all going?

When youve worked in retail you realise how incredibly wasteful we are as a consumer..it’s astonishing

Thelonious Monk · 20-02-2020 05:20PM

aaronc182 wrote: »

Another is Xmas decorations..every year where I work we get literally artic lorry loads of plastic decorations and every year the all sell..where are they all going?

When youve worked in retail you realise how incredibly wasteful we are as a consumer..it’s astonishing

Unfortunately I am of a disposition where I do think about these things. Christmas for me is a nightmare seeing all this crap produced that no one needs, which ends up seeping chemicals into the ground or floating around the sea for the next few centuries. Nothing but a complete overhaul of our lifestyles and societies could fix this mess we are in.

Harry Palmr · 20-02-2020 05:21PM

Some wit and imagination can go a long way

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/new-factory-opens-to-turn-plastic-waste-into-road-surfacing-908825.html

Toby McCartney, CEO, said: “The opening of our first ever factory is an important milestone in our mission to tackle two issues – plastic waste and potholed roads.

“Our technology means that we can not only help solve the problem of plastic waste but also produce roads that cope better with changes in the weather, reducing cracks and potholes.

“That’s because our roads are more flexible thanks to the properties of the plastic used in them, so although a MacRebur road looks the same as any other, it has improved strength and durability.

“Our technology also means there are no plastic microbeads present in the mix and we can even recycle the road at the end of its lifespan, creating a circular economy that is sustainable and cost effective.”

Millicently · 20-02-2020 06:18PM

Switching from glass bottles to plastic and paper packaging to plastic has been a disaster. We were told it would be much better for the planet but it's made things much worse. We produce far more plastic than it's possible or practical to recycle and the market for recycled plastic is drying up.

topper75 · 20-02-2020 06:39PM

risteard7 wrote: »

It's just the cool Hipster trend atm, it'll go away shortly. The same with Veganism

It is merely the brown and orange curtains of our time, or the pine wall panelling, or the framed confirmation pictures.

One of them anyway.

Thelonious Monk · 20-02-2020 06:41PM

topper75 wrote: »

It is merely the brown and orange curtains of our time, or the pine wall panelling, or the framed confirmation pictures.

One of them anyway.

Not sure if you're serious, but you think rampant destructive consumerism and pollution is some kind of trend that will go away sooner or later?

topper75 · 20-02-2020 06:45PM

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Not sure if you're serious, but you think rampant destructive consumerism and pollution is some kind of trend that will go away sooner or later?

The trendy veganism shytehawkery and its accompanying existence guilt cult will not be around in a few years. People will move on. Like they did from leather jackets with loads of zippers, towelling headbands, and keytars.

Thelonious Monk · 20-02-2020 06:49PM

topper75 wrote: »

The trendy veganism shytehawkery and its accompanying existence guilt cult will not be around in a few years. People will move on. Like they did from leather jackets with loads of zippers, towelling headbands, and keytars.

Right. Words fail me.

railer201 · 20-02-2020 07:04PM

Millicently wrote: »

Switching from glass bottles to plastic and paper packaging to plastic has been a disaster. We were told it would be much better for the planet but it's made things much worse. We produce far more plastic than it's possible or practical to recycle and the market for recycled plastic is drying up.

Taking milk for example, is there any reason why we couldn't bring our 'handy to carry' washed empty 3 litre milk bottles back to supermarket and refill them from a bulk supply - which would have to be installed of course.

So why don't supermarkets look into this type of arrangement and so make a substantial improvement that everyone will in turn comply with ?

Thelonious Monk · 20-02-2020 07:20PM

railer201 wrote: »

Taking milk for example, is there any reason why we couldn't bring our 'handy to carry' washed empty 3 litre milk bottles back to supermarket and refill them from a bulk supply - which would have to be installed of course.

So why don't supermarkets look into this type of arrangement and so make a substantial improvement that everyone will in turn comply with ?

In fairness why would they bother upsetting the status quo?

Millicently · 20-02-2020 07:30PM

Take a look at all the plastic tat for St Patrick's Day in the shops now, then factor in the tat that was there for Valentine's Day and the plastic tat that will be around for Easter. There is no need for it and most of it is shipped in from thousands of miles away. It's all there because there's a huge market for it and the only way to stop it is if people stop buying it.

railer201 · 20-02-2020 07:39PM

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

In fairness why would they bother upsetting the status quo?

Good point but why hang it all on the end user ? - more of a case of them acknowledging their role in cutting down on facilitating plastic waste and doing something about it.

I use a 3 litre bottle of milk perhaps once a week, but they supply thousands of new plastic bottles daily. The supermarkets along with the dairy suppliers are in a position to implement substantial change in one fell swoop.

dublinman1990 · 20-02-2020 07:42PM

A few things about reusing/replacing products being made from/with plastic should give you an education on the subject.

A retail business which buys new cash registers for it's business can make good use of it's resources once it reaches it's end of life. Frequent software/firmware updates which are provided free of charge or by subscription from a software provider should allow the business to use the cash registers for longer than expected once it stops working completely i.e. no longer able to function. A lot of the software provided for these cash registers is by Microsoft Windows business software products. They should last for a good long while.

If you use pens for work, school or college. Use a cartridge pen with ink cartridges which can last for an adequate amount of time until the tip of the pens break on you. Ink cartridges should have separate cartridges for black ink & red ink if you need it for that purpose. Get an adhesive label maker to label your individual cartridge pens with blue ink, black ink & red inks respectively. Give up using plastic biros as they cannot be refilled once they go empty. The ink inside them can have the ability to dry up quickly when the biros are not used frequently. The only option for them is they have to be thrown away into a bin.

If you work in a school canteen or kitchen. Kitchen or school staff can use drinking glasses more often than having soft drinks in plastic cups. Drinking glasses can be used by people to soft drinks for staff students & parents throughout the school week. Once the glasses are completely finished; they can be returned, washed & dried and re-used again for more drinking by more people. I think the government have implemented a rule a few years ago that single-use plastics like plastic cups are banned for use in the Irish public service buildings. I wonder though does that ban officially extend itself to within schools & colleges around the country?

Thelonious Monk · 20-02-2020 07:58PM

Millicently wrote: »

Take a look at all the plastic tat for St Patrick's Day in the shops now, then factor in the tat that was there for Valentine's Day and the plastic tat that will be around for Easter. There is no need for it and most of it is shipped in from thousands of miles away. It's all there because there's a huge market for it and the only way to stop it is if people stop buying it.

This is why we need some kind of regulatory body that decides if this rubbish can be sold in the first place

Buford T. Justice XIX · 20-02-2020 08:41PM

railer201 wrote: »

Taking milk for example, is there any reason why we couldn't bring our 'handy to carry' washed empty 3 litre milk bottles back to supermarket and refill them from a bulk supply - which would have to be installed of course.

So why don't supermarkets look into this type of arrangement and so make a substantial improvement that everyone will in turn comply with ?

Quite a few reasons, actually. Who's going to take responsibility for washing the dispenser in the shop/supermarket? It will require a detergent wash every 3 days at least and a descale at least once a week before one of the detergent washes. Are retailers able to dispose of any washes safely?

Who is responsible for the milk remaining in the dispenser if it has to be dumped prior to washing? Who has responsibility if a power outage occurs and the milk sours before sale? How do the dispensers get refilled? Who is responsible for ensuring no tampering is done to the milk stored in the dispenser? How is that dispenser rendered tamper proof?

Milk in sealed, single use containers is favoured by both the public and retailers as it's a fresh, relatively long life product and any tampering is easily visible on inspection by both the retailer and consumer.

sbs2010 · 20-02-2020 08:53PM

Get some of these:

beenaturalireland.com

No more cling film.

sbs2010 · 20-02-2020 08:57PM

The overall problem will eventually be sorted (in the EU anyway) by legislation.

Everyone knew plastic bags caused awful litter problems but how many stopped using them before the tax came in?
Once it was legislated for everyone just adjusted and got on with it.

Will be the same with single use plastic. Bring in the legislation and make it happen. People will complain for a while but quite soon we'll adjust and get on with things.

railer201 · 20-02-2020 09:12PM

Buford T. Justice VI wrote: »

Quite a few reasons, actually. Who's going to take responsibility for washing the dispenser in the shop/supermarket? It will require a detergent wash every 3 days at least and a descale at least once a week before one of the detergent washes. Are retailers able to dispose of any washes safely?

Who is responsible for the milk remaining in the dispenser if it has to be dumped prior to washing? Who has responsibility if a power outage occurs and the milk sours before sale? How do the dispensers get refilled? Who is responsible for ensuring no tampering is done to the milk stored in the dispenser? How is that dispenser rendered tamper proof?

Milk in sealed, single use containers is favoured by both the public and retailers as it's a fresh, relatively long life product and any tampering is easily visible on inspection by both the retailer and consumer.

Bulk distribution of milk, direct to households was a feature of Dublin life up to the 1950's as I remember it, so, if it could be done then it can be done now.

This was the system before the bottled milk deliveries arrived and basically consisted of each house having a stainless steel container which was filled from a large container/churn in the van or cart.

No reason at all, why supermarkets could not return to such a system and add the required enhancements such as chilling. The modern equivalent would be a pallet size sealed and chilled container.

There would be no dispensing equipment to clean as each pallet sized milk container would have its own tap and sit in a chilled cabinet.

Kivaro · 20-02-2020 09:21PM

aaronc182 wrote: »

When youve worked in retail you realise how incredibly wasteful we are as a consumer..it’s astonishing

That's it in a nutshell.
As consumers (collectively), we can influence how retailers, supermarkets, and other businesses address the use of single-use plastics. They will only respond to this issue when there is a financial consequence not to.
Education is a major component on how society can change their habits. And we should start educating the consumer at a very early age.

Premeditated Joke · 20-02-2020 09:34PM

Whenever I've bought something in a store, and if I see that the cashier is about to give me a bag that I didn't ask for, I will stop them. I everybody did this one thing it would be very good.

But no, I'll continue to buy milk.

moonshadow · 20-02-2020 09:38PM

Crock Rock wrote: »

Why don't we have a return system for plastic and glass like on most of the mainland?

20c a bottle adds up.

I agree with your thoughts , but where is this mainland you speak of ?
We are an island... a republic ...we are our mainland.

gary550 · 20-02-2020 09:52PM

Kivaro wrote: »

That's it in a nutshell.
As consumers (collectively), we can influence how retailers, supermarkets, and other businesses address the use of single-use plastics. They will only respond to this issue when there is a financial consequence not to.
Education is a major component on how society can change their habits. And we should start educating the consumer at a very early age.

I think it would be more efficient to start incentivising businesses to use less plastics sooner rather than the customer having to call it out. Also any smart business will cop on that using and advertising the use of ecofriendly packing as a marketing tool will be quite effective going into the future (to those who care of course)

We have started ourselves by replacing bubblewrap with a paper packing alternate and only use recycled boxes but still use plastic tape because the paper alternate is much more expensive but its next on the list.

In all honesty we have had zero complaints from customers when using bubblewrap, maybe some were bothered by it but obviously not enough to tell us.

Timistry · 20-02-2020 11:09PM

This issue shows how lax we are when it comes to tackling environmental damage. Should aim to phase out all single use plastics globally within 2 years. It would make a huge difference. Will never happen though, the oil lobby is too powerful

Ipso · 20-02-2020 11:13PM

sbs2010 wrote: »

The overall problem will eventually be sorted (in the EU anyway) by legislation.

Everyone knew plastic bags caused awful litter problems but how many stopped using them before the tax came in?
Once it was legislated for everyone just adjusted and got on with it.

Will be the same with single use plastic. Bring in the legislation and make it happen. People will complain for a while but quite soon we'll adjust and get on with things.

The plastic bag ban may not solve all problems.
https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4711

21-02-2020 02:35AM

Day Lewin wrote: »

Better, but it still does get binned.
"Binned" is not "disappeared forever" - it's just gone someplace else.

Everything gets binned eventually. The point I'm making is that you're aiming your shakey fist in the wrong direction if you're starting with long-life plastics like cash registers.

Why isn't everyone annoyed at Hollywood? Why aren't people out protesting everytime an action film comes out? They literally create and destroy, set fire to, blow up, etc. full building sets, cars, etc. and no one bats an eyelid.

In Terminator 3, if i recall correctly, they built a full, massive, big long street, and then they smashed it in bits a few days later by driving a crane through it. Nobody cared. People thought it was amazing the level of creativity required.

I appreciate CGI is used a lot more nowadays, but the point is still valid. People pick and choose the wrong things to get upset about.

Long life, re-usable plastic bottles would be fine with me. I wouldn't have an issue with that at all. Shops should all just have those drinks dispensers like restaurants use, and you pay by inserting a coin/tapping your card. Everyone's a winner.

Millicently · 21-02-2020 09:46AM

Lidl have introduced very handy net bags a pack of 2 is under a euro and they are large enough to get as much fruit/veg/rolls etc as you'd like into them. I buy a good few things loose and would easily have used at least 6 little plastic bags each time I went shopping but apart from the fact that these are reusable they are much stronger than the flimsy plastic ones in supermarkets.

1 thing that isn't helpful is that it's cheaper in supermarkets to buy a large bag of vegetables in plastic packaging than it is to buy just the small amount that you need loose. That's just making the problem worse, if I want 3 or 4 carrots and a couple of onions it would cost me at least 3 times as much as buying a bag of about 12 carrots and 6 onions. I don't need them and they'll only get binned but people want the cheap option.

21-02-2020 12:13PM

Whatever about packaging, i hate paper straws
So manky

Plastic waste gonemad - everybody do one thing now,!

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