RE: Ship it back and break free from plastics

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RE: Ship it back and break free from plastics

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freedomshift in #cleanplanet • 7 years ago (edited)

I am first a Chemical Engineer by education and by my first profession.
My first project was to turn /convert / process coal to clean-burning natural gas.
We had to be accountable for all discharges from the process for proper disposal.

So, where is the accountability for the use of plastics? Worse yet - materials such as styrofoam.

Perhaps it's too late because there are floating "islands" of plastic-styrofoam wast miles wide. When they breakdown into microscopic particles, it is near impossible or very costly to clean up from the world's oceans.
And then there's tons upon tons of them in the ground ...
Add to that all the electronic devices - where do they go?

No one government wants to pay any attention to such problems while global warming sucked away all the money, media time, and political influence.

So sad for the human race.

7 years ago in #cleanplanet by freedomshift

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macoolette 7 years ago

We had to be accountable for all discharges from the process for proper disposal.

This is exactly what is being asked of those large polluting corporations. If only they follow through their plastic packaging up to its whole life cycle and not just when they have dispatched their products for consumer distribution. What a wonderful world this would be if that happens.

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freedomshift 7 years ago

The manufacturers of the plastics are ultimately accountable but they can only do what the global government agreed on.

There are biodegradable shopping bags now and they will disintegrate in just a month or so.

But then, when there are no longer these plastic shopping bags that last, we will then need to buy plastic trash bags. hmmm ...

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macoolette 7 years ago

I don't think we will need plastic trash bags. Sometimes when we do not have plastic shopping bag to reuse as trash bag, we use empty biscuit cans. And the cans will last much longer because we re-use.

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freedomshift 7 years ago (edited)

I hope that you realize that I am all for a cleaner environment and responsible use by everyone.

However, as a chemical engineer, I was trained to look at the total picture and the processes therein. Knowing where to draw the boundary is often the key to success and drawing the wrong boundary leads to wasted efforts and resources.

Big money spend a lot of money lobbying governments - legally or corruptly. So should the environmental movements and organization to pass laws that make positive changes.

Many places require tied plastic bags to contain trash.

empty biscuit cans

Packaging in the US is mostly paper or plastic. I think only Asia or Europe uses metal cans.

cans will last much longer because we re-use

it won't work in my neighborhood

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macoolette 7 years ago

Huh? I wonder why cans won't work there assuming there are available. Will the neighborhood collect them for scrap? 😄 In here, it can be sold in junk shops but very few are keen about it because of the pittance price.

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