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Science/nature/environment

A game changer for plastic waste

(17 Posts)
Parsley3 Tue 05-Mar-19 16:30:30

BBC news today reported on a company called MacRebur that is opening a factory in Lockerbie to make asphalt from plastic rubbish that would otherwise go to landfill.
What a great idea. This has been trialled in other countries and if it proves to be successful long term, then it sounds like a realistic solution to gettting rid of our plastic waste. I love it when people come up with ideas for solving such a huge environmental problem.

Baggs Tue 05-Mar-19 16:50:34

I saw that too, parsley. Another idea is about making car parts out of recycled plastic bottles. I do love human ingenuity and, after all, adapting to problems Nature and our own mistakes (if plastic can be called a mistake—it's made out of what was originally organic material, after all) is how Life works.

M0nica Tue 05-Mar-19 16:51:59

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Wheniwasyourage Tue 05-Mar-19 17:38:34

Sounds good. I have seen park benches made out of reused plastic and they look attractive and do seem tough enough for the job.

M&S used to sell fleeces which were labelled as having been made from plastic bottles, as, apparently, many fleeces are. I understand that they had to stop labelling them like that because a lot of people are so stupid that they don't want to think they are wearing old bottles! Presumably they prefer to think that their plastic fleeces are made from new oil derivatives. angry

GrannyGravy13 Tue 05-Mar-19 18:04:19

Every carpet in my house is made from recycled plastic.

Anything which can help to alleviate the devastation in our oceans and the never ending landfill situation I am totally in favour of.

Fennel Tue 05-Mar-19 18:09:35

Excellent news. I hope more companies follow them.
That's the kind of enterprise the govt. should be donating to.

MiniMoon Tue 05-Mar-19 19:33:42

It's been trialled on the roads in North Cumbria. I'm so pleased to hear that it's going into commercial production. Good for them.

GabriellaG54 Tue 05-Mar-19 21:08:27

My recently bought radios arrived double boxed within plastic bagging which (it's writ large) is recyclable.
I was disappointed to find that the radios themselves were embedded in polystyrene casing and unrecyclable plastic.
Let's hope some bright spark can come up with a casing made of something suitable which not only prevents breakage but can be recycled.

MiniMoon Tue 05-Mar-19 21:42:44

I've just watched Inside the Factory. They were making pizzas for Iceland. Currently the pizzas are wrapped in plastic and then put into boxes, but shortly, (they didn't say when) they will be wrapping them in a product made from starch.
It can be done.

jeanie99 Wed 24-Apr-19 14:23:58

I love the idea of recycling plastic but this does not stop the use of plastic.

M0nica Wed 24-Apr-19 15:38:44

Ther will always be uses for plastic. It cannot be uninvented and in many cases enables us to do things or make things safer - disposable hospital equipment, such as gloves, previously these weren't worn at all and needles and syringes, which were previously sterilised and not always effectively.

phoenix Wed 24-Apr-19 15:43:25

There was a programme on Radio 4 yesterday about a plant that has been built (not in the UK) that recycles used disposable nappies.

M0nica Wed 24-Apr-19 15:52:45

yes, I heard some of that.

Sineadsgrandma Fri 21-Jun-19 13:38:28

This is certainly something that I am interested in, I have looked at the contents of my bathroom, and 95% of the containers are single use plastic.
I am determined to eradicate most of this by the end of 2019.
One of the products I use a personal lubricant is only available in a plastic tube, I have contacted my supplier who have told me they have no intention of changing this.
Does anyone know of a plant oil based product, that is available in a glass jar.?

Grammaretto Fri 21-Jun-19 14:05:30

DGS got an award yesterday for his save the planet initiative! He wants everyone to bring packed lunches to school in washable containers and have zero litter and no plastic. He has started a club and they've put homemade posters around the school.
Already at age 7 he has been on many beach clean-ups so he understands better than most about the damage we humans are doing to the earth.
Needless to say we are very proud of him.

3dognight Fri 21-Jun-19 15:11:44

That's lovely Grammaretto!

You should be justifiably proud of the little chap for his acheivements.

There's nothing like a beach clean up to give a wake up call to our grandchildren .

BlueBelle Fri 21-Jun-19 15:26:14

I was pleased to see the Coop has green biodegradable carrier bags now that’s really good I believe Netherlands have been using the roads