Scientists may have found a way to make biodegradable plastic from algae, a development that could potentially diminish the harmful effects of microplastics that linger for thousands of years. ABC News reports: https://flip.it/mizbsY #Science#Plastics#Environment
J'ai tenté avec de la UHU Plast de recoller des morceaux coupés sous le plateau (il y a le nombril du moulage), mais au final ça restait mou et j'ai sorti l'air chaud à 200°C pour former ça.
C'est assez moche car j'ai commencé par vouloir faire ça avec du papier autour, mauvaise idée car des fibres restent. Mais bon, c'est suffisant, et ça tient.
Just got groceries delivery today and I realised just how much soft #plastics packaging are still being used everywhere even for things that don't need it like bread. Soft plastics aren't #recyclable everywhere and most will surely end up in a landfill. How is this OK?
By the age of six, many children already have negative feelings about the word “chemical”.
Ask the average person what a chemical is, and they’re likely to tell you it’s something bad. Products advertise themselves as “chemical-free” – an assertion that makes no scientific sense (since everything in the world is made of chemicals) but resonates with the consumer."
Countries remain divided over whether a plastics treaty should seek to restrict single-use #plastics, ban chemicals that raise health concerns, or limit production of plastics? Plastics production could triple by 2060, making the task more urgent https://buff.ly/3UoYYic#petchem
56 Companies Responsible for Half of Global Plastic Pollution That Researchers Could Trace
A new study on plastic pollution in 84 countries has linked half of branded plastic pollution to only 56 firms, with about 24% of the branded plastic waste analyzed connected to only five companies, including The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Nestlé, Danone and Altria.
⚠️ "Half of all plastics ever manufactured were produced in the last two decades, and production continues to rise at an alarming rate, from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons in 2015. "
👉 "..the amount of plastics is expected to double by 2050, with irreversible pollution on land, air and waters, including the ocean. "
👉 Russia, Iran, Cuba, Saudi Arabia are holding hostage the U.N. Treaty against plastics
The exponential increase in plastic production from a mere two million tons in 1950 to over 450 million tons annually today represents a dire environmental crisis requiring immediate action.
"The production of plastic, which is made from #FossilFuels, is greenhouse gas-intensive.
By the middle of the century, global #emissions from #plastic production could triple to account for one-fifth of the Earth’s remaining carbon budget, an analysis has found.
The report was released before the 4th Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC4) meeting for a global plastics treaty set to start next week in Ottawa, Canada."
"We’re in the midst of an energy transition. Renewable power and electric vehicles are getting cheaper, the grid is getting greener, and oil and gas companies are getting nervous.
That’s why the #FossilFuel giants are looking towards petrochemicals, and plastics in particular, as their next major growth market."
And of course:
"fossil fuel and petrochemical companies are relying on emerging economies in Asia and Africa to drive growth."
I recently had the misfortune to travel past Shell's huge new plastic factory at Pittsburgh PA, fed by ethane from nearby fracking. And:
"Saudi Arabian Oil, the world’s largest oil company, plans by 2030 to send about a third of its oil to chemical plants, mostly to be used for #plastics.
#Chevron, whose CEO has said that no large-scale fuel refinery will ever again be built in the U.S., is constructing two major chemical plants —one in Texas and one in Qatar."
OK, so people interested in my #MasterRecycling experience - I also got certified as a “Community #Plastics Collector” last week. In our county in Oregon, that means we collect #2 HDPE lids, bottles smaller than a tennis ball, & tubs (& a few other things); #4 LDPE, mostly lids; and #5 PP lids, tubs, etc. (it’s mostly lids and dairy). Those go to Oregon’s Denton Plastics in Portland. They have to be absolutely dry and ABSOLUTELY free of food contamination or mold. (YIKES.) (1/ ? )
Yesterday, I got to take part as a volunteer for a #plastics collection event in one of the recreation districts in the city - this one was at River Road/Emerald Park. It was SUPER interesting. For one thing, there are 800 zillion different kinds of yogurt containers, and in Eugene, people apparently eat THOUSANDS OF TONS OF YOGURT. & they’re all #5 PP, y’all. All of them. OK, maybe like one type is a 2 or 4? But RARE. Here are some things I learned. (2 / ?) #MasterRecycling
It does not matter how often we say on posters that #plastics must be clean and dry. People will bring dirty plastic. You MUST have rags to wipe off dirt. One of our county waste management people created hand-made rags for all of us!
People cannot dump their plastic & leave. They will leave volunteers with moldy-ass plastic. Sigh.
There’s an education component. The person next to me was maybe German & educated, uh, sternly. (More on that in the next one.) #MasterRecycling (3 / ? )
3a. I don’t like being stern, and also I don’t believe in blaming individuals for systemic issues, so 3b. I would say things like, “I sure wish producers would take responsibility for their #plastics, but since they don’t, we must be really careful with what we take to Denton, so please CLEAN YOUR PLASTICS THOROUGHLY.” and that means
4. Use the dishwasher if you’re going to recycle plastics. Might feel counterintuitive! BUT see the link. #MasterRecycling https://news.umich.edu/fighting-climate-change-at-the-sink-a-guide-to-greener-dishwashing/ (4 / ?)
OK, if you’re a person who doesn’t use dishwashers because you thoroughly believe you’re more efficient (er, see previous link!), please do not buy little Yoplait containers. There are about 40 ridges in them where it’s nigh-on impossible to get the yogurt remains out. They were almost all either wet or moldy or not fully cleaned. Pick a tiny yogurt container w/o ridges, esp on top (though again, it’s not anyone’s individual fault).
#Plastics that say # 5 PP+ and/or “Cryovac” are very hard to recycle. If you pay for a TerraCycle box (my neighbors and I do), you can put them in there, but … whew.
That’s often to-go food containers, for instance. Anything where different kinds of plastics are melted together = much more work to recycle/reuse. (Again, it’s not anyone’s individual fault, but we can all try do what we can, so check your plastics for “cryovac” & try to avoid if possible.)