Should we be more worried about plastic than global warming?

[Mrs Ex-Ascot]

Found this good article on the beeb online; http://www.bbc.com/news/business-41188462 It raises some very good points as regards to recycling and the long term effects of plastic materials decomposing in landfill sites.

We can't live without plastic it seems (until we run out of oil ) so it would be good if more was recycled or destroyed by better means. One company in Zambia collects plastic water bottles from people who stuff them with plastic bags and packaging. They are then used to build walls and probably even houses. I think it is an excellent way to be environmentally friendly and help poor people at the same time.

[AtomKraft]

I'm certainly more concerned about plastic than global warming.

But it's not because I'm concerned about plastic.

[Slasher]

We recycle our free plastic shopping baggery by using 'em to put our household garbage in. Saves having to going out and buy the commercial stuff for the bins.

[BenThere]

That's what we do at our house, too. We have a cloth bag stuffer that holds 40-50 plastic shopping bags. When we come home from Kroger, we stuff the bags as we empty them, then remove them from the bottom when we need a bag. It's a system that works.

[Capetonian]

It appears that Philip Hammond has decided to do something about plastic pollution.

Let's hope he gets on with it a bit faster than the rest of the ditherers seem to deal with things.

[John Hill]

...just a little gavel I made from recycled milk and shampoo bottles etc.

[BenThere]

That's pretty cool, John Hill. How'd you do it?

[John Hill]

I used my Kiwi know how.

[BenThere]

Please expand on that. How did you bind and form the materials into a solid gavel. I'm interested in primitive manufacturing evolution and your achievement is potentially notable, using flotsam as viable material.

[John Hill]

There is nothing primitive in my manufacturing.

[Slasher]

Mr Hill sir - if you don't want to share your technique just say so. No one will think the less of you for it.

[John Hill]

Oh well, nothing to it really.......

1. Collect HDPE (high density polyethylene) scrap, the recycling symobol is .
In this country milk 'bottles', some bottle caps (good for the colours), small bottles for shampoo etc, blow moulded cases for tools etc (usually black), 200 litre barrels (usually blue), beer crates (all colours) etc etc. Just check for the above symbol.

Plastic scrap should be chopped in to small pieces. The smaller the pieces the more 'speckled' the colours of the finished product.

2. Place plastic in heat resistant dish in a small oven heated to 170C.

3. Add more plastic as hot plastic slumps in dish.

4. Don leather gloves and tip softened plastic mass onto a wooden surface.

5. Knead hot plastic while wearing your leather gloves to mix colours and expel air. Use wooden rolling pin if gloves do not provide enough insulation. Return to oven if necessary and to add more plastic.

6. In my case I place the hot plastic in to about a foot of 3" water pipe with a capped end and I force a wooden plug into the other end of the pipe applying as much pressure as I can muster with a 12 ton jack.

7. Leave to cool which will take an hour or more returning every ten minutes or so to re-apply pressure as the plastic cools and contracts.

Some people make wooden moulds and use multiple G clamps to apply the pressure.

Note: This is a relatively slow process but you must resist the temptation to use too high a temperature which will char the plastic.

Easy way to remove labels from bottles etc is to fill the bottle with boiling water and easily peel the labels off.

You need a lot of scrap to make a kilogram ingot of plastic.

This stuff is a dream to machine in a lathe or a mill etc.

Easy to thread.

Easy to friction weld as in the case of this gavel.

I look forward to seeing the product of your efforts!

[Mrs Ex-Ascot]

An interesting article from the beeb http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-42190678

Even if the main culprits don't participate in efforts to tackle plastic pollution at least the subject will be discussed in a manner that hopefully will increase awareness worldwide.

[Mrs Ex-Ascot]

So it seems that Brexit is yet again the excuse for no Governmental forward planning......

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ution-rise

....or indeed anyone else coming up with any forward planning .....

[Capetonian]

For years I have used a cardboard box, usually a wine case or similar, in my study for paper, magazines, etc to be recycled. Every couple of months when the box get tatty or dirty, it is itself recycled or burnt and replaced with another one.

Does anyone see a problem with that?

SWMBO decides it needs to be replaced .......... with a PLASTIC bin.

[Mrs Ex-Ascot]

More plastic on it's way from the USA. ...apparently it is supposed to be good plastic saving energy and fuel. ....an interesting read for those who worry that the World is going to end up totally engulfed

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... ging-binge

[BenThere]

Ah, yes, the US is the culprit. That's the Guardian's story and they're sticking to it.

https://www.fastcompany.com/3051847/mos ... -countries

http://bigthink.com/robby-berman/where- ... m-try-asia

[Mrs Ex-Ascot]

It seems that Teresa May is on an anti plastic mission; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... -cups.html

A reduction of plastic packaging, plastic bags and disposable cups and cutlery Worldwide would be a step in the right direction in my opinion.

[Capetonian]

Indeed, but one wonders how many changes of cabinet/direction/strategy/underwear/policy there will be before she gets on with it.
I had a lot of respect for her at the start but unfortunately the way she has dithered and blundered through Brexit, in the process alienating half of her own cabinet, does not leave me with much hope that she will achieve anything.

[CharlieOneSix]

From BBC News Scotland: The sale and manufacture of plastic-stemmed cotton buds is to be banned under new Scottish government plans. The move follows concerns about the number of buds being washed up on beaches after being flushed down toilets.

Most major retailers have already switched to paper-stemmed buds following a campaign but plastic ones are still being sold.