Refuse collections

[davecttr]

It gets worse. a lot of people are using recycled drinking water. If you live in London guess how many digestive systems your water has been through before you drink it!

[Silver_Shiney]

It gets worse. a lot of people are using recycled drinking water. If you live in London guess how many digestive systems your water has been through before you drink it!

around a dozen, isn't it?

[Onelife]

SS
different plastics are processed differently, and cannot be mixed, also they are sorted and separated in different ways
for example milk bottles are made from Poly-ethylene, which floats, so they use flotation plants to separate that type of plastic from say PP or PVC which contain minerals, thee minerals make them heavier than water, so this aids the sorting
the milk bottle polymers are then used to make a whole array of other products and , oddly enough more milk bottles
some plastics can be recycled many times, some only once or twice, so it is important that ploymers are not mixed
screw tops contain not only metal but plastics to form the seals and also contain other additives which are harder to reclaim

My gawd DK... such knowledge ...We also purchase the “New Scientist” but as you've probably already guessed, I only look at the pictures: lol:

[Silver_Shiney]

SS
different plastics are processed differently, and cannot be mixed, also they are sorted and separated in different ways
for example milk bottles are made from Poly-ethylene, which floats, so they use flotation plants to separate that type of plastic from say PP or PVC which contain minerals, thee minerals make them heavier than water, so this aids the sorting
the milk bottle polymers are then used to make a whole array of other products and , oddly enough more milk bottles
some plastics can be recycled many times, some only once or twice, so it is important that ploymers are not mixed
screw tops contain not only metal but plastics to form the seals and also contain other additives which are harder to reclaim

My gawd DK... such knowledge ...We also purchase the “New Scientist” but as you've probably already guessed, I only look at the pictures: lol:

That's one of the joys of a forum like this - the opportunities to learn something new from other members' knowledge and experience. Good, innit!

[Onelife]

SS
different plastics are processed differently, and cannot be mixed, also they are sorted and separated in different ways
for example milk bottles are made from Poly-ethylene, which floats, so they use flotation plants to separate that type of plastic from say PP or PVC which contain minerals, thee minerals make them heavier than water, so this aids the sorting
the milk bottle polymers are then used to make a whole array of other products and , oddly enough more milk bottles
some plastics can be recycled many times, some only once or twice, so it is important that ploymers are not mixed
screw tops contain not only metal but plastics to form the seals and also contain other additives which are harder to reclaim

My gawd DK... such knowledge ...We also purchase the “New Scientist” but as you've probably already guessed, I only look at the pictures: lol:

That's one of the joys of a forum like this - the opportunities to learn something new from other members' knowledge and experience. Good, innit!

Sure is Mr Shinny...I’ve learnt more on this forum than I ever did at school

[Dark Knight]

squeaky keefy
I had you down as a Razzle or Fiesta man?

[Onelife]

No DK...I’m not into car magazines...cheeky sod! I think you've mixed me up with Stephen

[Admiral of the Humber]

Dear Keefy.

Kev can also tell you a great deal about tattoos.

But not Christmas lights.

HO
HO HO

[Onelife]

Just as I thought Admiral...He’s got thug written all over him

[Admiral of the Humber]

no...I think it was a galleon.......

[Admiral of the Humber]

For God's sake Keefy...if you ever meet him do not ask to see his tats...his trousers will be round his ankles in the blink of an eye...

[Onelife]

I think I’m getting that sinking feeling..he hasn’t?

[Admiral of the Humber]

I can say no more..

NIGHT NIGHT

[Onelife]

Question time beckons....sleep well Robbie

[Kendhni]

It gets worse. a lot of people are using recycled drinking water. If you live in London guess how many digestive systems your water has been through before you drink it!

Technically speaking all water is recycled.
Similarly the air we breathe has already been breathed thousands of times over

[david63]

Not technically Ken but factually.

In fact everything that we have is recycled. If I remember correctly from my school days "matter cannot be destroyed but can be changed from one form into another"

[Kendhni]

Well I shall take a little bit of responsibility for my little bit of Planet Earth and will continue to recycle recycle recycle because well all is said and done I still believe that that is better than doing NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING.

I agree that in most cases recycling is better than doing nothing, but not always, sometimes the environmental impact of recycling is higher than the benefit of the recycled material produced and often it is cheaper to create new product than it is to create recycled product ... but it is about preserving the worlds resources. Much of our recyclables goes over seas (at high environmental cost).

I was looking at a report earlier in the year that showed the point at which we exhaust the worlds resources in a given year. This is quite a new index but shows how ineffective current policy is. When I was born we only used about 65% of available natural resources per annum. Over the years this has grown and I first became interested in environmental issues towards the end of the 70's/early-80's when this index showed that we were approaching 100% of available resources per annum. Despite the lip service being paid to the environment worldwide, the issue is growing exponentially, this year we (globally) used up our share of available resource by mid August. The projections are that by the middle of this century, even if we continue with our current policy, we will be using 2 years worth of resources every year (and rising). That is one of the driving factors for current activity towards Mars.

If we have any respect for the next generation (that is, our children and grand children) then it is important to move forwards and away from patting ourselves on the backs for the mediocrity of recycling and move towards the relevance of REDUCE.

If we don't the costs will be prohibitive in monetary, environmental and (ultimatey) survival. We already are paying significant amounts of money in fines for not achieving what were very low environmental targets and over the next decade or so there are even tougher targets and heavier fines if we do not achieve them (amounting to several hundred pound per household per annum). Waste management is one of the biggest issues councils have at the minute.

[Kendhni]

Not technically Ken but factually.

In fact everything that we have is recycled. If I remember correctly from my school days "matter cannot be destroyed but can be changed from one form into another"

That is why I said 'technically' in relation to water because water molecules do come into existence from other sources ... so, technically speaking, new molecules that have never been drunk before will also exist ... or is that getting overly pedantic

[Kendhni]

An old cree proverb

Only after the last tree has been cut down,
Only after the last fish has been caught,
Only after the last river has been poisoned,
will you realize that money cannot be eaten.

[Admiral of the Humber]

Well I shall take a little bit of responsibility for my little bit of Planet Earth and will continue to recycle recycle recycle because well all is said and done I still believe that that is better than doing NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING.

I agree that in most cases recycling is better than doing nothing, but not always, sometimes the environmental impact of recycling is higher than the benefit of the recycled material produced and often it is cheaper to create new product than it is to create recycled product ... but it is about preserving the worlds resources. Much of our recyclables goes over seas (at high environmental cost).

I was looking at a report earlier in the year that showed the point at which we exhaust the worlds resources in a given year. This is quite a new index but shows how ineffective current policy is. When I was born we only used about 65% of available natural resources per annum. Over the years this has grown and I first became interested in environmental issues towards the end of the 70's/early-80's when this index showed that we were approaching 100% of available resources per annum. Despite the lip service being paid to the environment worldwide, the issue is growing exponentially, this year we (globally) used up our share of available resource by mid August. The projections are that by the middle of this century, even if we continue with our current policy, we will be using 2 years worth of resources every year (and rising). That is one of the driving factors for current activity towards Mars.

If we have any respect for the next generation (that is, our children and grand children) then it is important to move forwards and away from patting ourselves on the backs for the mediocrity of recycling and move towards the relevance of REDUCE.

If we don't the costs will be prohibitive in monetary, environmental and (ultimatey) survival. We already are paying significant amounts of money in fines for not achieving what were very low environmental targets and over the next decade or so there are even tougher targets and heavier fines if we do not achieve them (amounting to several hundred pound per household per annum). Waste management is one of the biggest issues councils have at the minute.

Dear Ken,

The mantra of REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE is not a difficult one to grasp. I can click onto my local authority website and glean a terrific amount of information on the subject. The environment is not going to be saved at government level whilst there are greedy new economies like China and India and old ones such as the USA devouring the worlds natural resources as they are. If the planet has a chance, which is probably doubtful, it will be the efforts of caring normal people that make the difference. My efforts and the efforts of other people like me, no matter how small, and I admit they are tiny efforts in the global picture, are positive efforts and should be belittled by no one.

Regards
Rob aka AOTH

[Kendhni]

Dear Rob,
I agree that REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE is not difficult to grasp .. so why is it so many people get it so wrong?
It is not a case of belittling .. but, as it has been for over many years, pointing out that most peoples tiny contribution is just that ... minimal, despite their claims of how environmentally friendly they consider themselves to be (and I include myself in that). We can all do more and, as I said, if we care one jot about the next generation we should all be doing a lot more.

You have a point though about emerging economies (although when you look at the net biocapacity footprint, both India and USA are better than the UK and China). However your argument about 'caring normal' people is doomed to failure because if you leave 'caring normal' people to their own resources they will do the absolute minimum and only if it has minimal cost and effort (as history has proven). This has to be driven by governments (globally) and 'inflicted' on the peoples of this world ... and it has to be expected to be painful including significant rises in pricing for energy and waste management.

Regards
Ken aka kendhni

[Admiral of the Humber]

Dear Ken,

I don't believe that the environmental issue will never be taken up by governments on a multilateral level until unfortunately it is too late. I do believe there is more chance of the penny dropping with individuals and those individuals embracing the issue themselves. Sadly I don't believe that this will happen until environmental disaster is actually visible to people within a couple of generations. Until then, until they can see it significantly affecting their children and their children's children, the majority will simply ignore it...politicians and little people alike.

The planet is toast Ken but at least I will go to my grave knowing that at least I made an effort.

Regards
Rob aka AOTH

[Kendhni]

I can agree with a lot in your first para ... but hopefully we can get governments to take it more seriously before it is too late.

[haveabeer]

I contacted our council with regard to why they could not collect certain item ie juice cartons milk cartons yougert pots plastic trays all of which carry the recycle logo
they said that the manufactures are the only ones with the facility to recycle these items and could not be colleted at kerb side but would need to be taken to the recycle centre
Now its three miles to our centre and only open 4 days a week we do try to save them and when someone going that way we take them but quite often they end up in landfill bags

[Jacknian]

That's obviously not true for all councils as we can put all of those items in our recycling bin. I think they are telling you a little lie about the fact that only the manufacturers can recycle them ! I think it all depends on what sort of recycling facility the council has.