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Plastic bags - are they that bad?

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    #11
    Originally posted by cosmic View Post
    Yep I agree! Don't believe in climate change because of humans. It's a natural process.

    On recycling is a load of b.s.. 90% isn't recycled and bin ment won't take most types of plastics or wont take it if bottle have lids on or ittle bin box for cardboard is overflowing so don't bother now. We don't know what plastics is or isn't recyclable so to encourage recycling all plastics should be allowed and at the sorting office that can decide.
    Erm. I never said anything like that. I just pointed out a bit of basic science.
    'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

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      #12
      Originally posted by DoctorStrangelove View Post
      There was a programme earlier in the year that poked about in landfill of different ages: the bin bags were like new and some of the 50 year old newspapers were still readable.
      Unlike most of the newspapers of today...

      His heart is in the right place - shame we can't say the same about his brain...

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        #13
        Originally posted by cosmic View Post
        On recycling is a load of b.s.. 90% isn't recycled and bin ment won't take most types of plastics or wont take it if bottle have lids on or ittle bin box for cardboard is overflowing so don't bother now.
        Hmmmm....

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          #14
          Talking about supermarket bags. I used to have a collection of single use bags, and tried to reuse most as bin liners etc. Still had too many left over from shopping so some were a year old or so. Given long enough they literally fell apart into shreds when picking them up. I dont know if it was because they were in a warm cupboard but they do actually break down (by design?).

          Reusable bags on the other hand, I'm not so sure. I imagine the ones that just end up in landfill - or worse the ocean - aren't going to break down quite as easily. I think the figures show that reuse is increasing with the bag charge etc. but I suspect these ones could be more damaging to the environment.

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            #15
            Originally posted by DoctorStrangelove View Post
            There was a programme earlier in the year that poked about in landfill of different ages: the bin bags were like new and some of the 50 year old newspapers were still readable.
            I saw that programme. It was really quite interesting.


            It's annoying how different councils have different recycling policies. HWMBO's council accepts foil and has food waste composting. Mine doesn't do either. His doesn't collect glass, mine does.

            Then there's all the crap about the right plastic. And you can't include shredded paper so a lot of my paper waste can't be recycled because I shred most documents before disposal.

            The trouble is, is that there isn't a market for recycled plastic that makes the process economically viable. Recycled plastic isn't as durable as new and costs more to produce. Really the answer to to work out what to use instead of single use plastics. And the simple way to do that is to look at the pre-plastic era, take a few lessons and make improvements.

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              #16
              Originally posted by cosmic View Post
              We don't know what plastics is or isn't recyclable so to encourage recycling all plastics should be allowed and at the sorting office that can decide.
              Originally posted by ladymuck View Post
              It's annoying how different councils have different recycling policies. HWMBO's council accepts foil and has food waste composting. Mine doesn't do either. His doesn't collect glass, mine does.
              This is why it's a nonsense that we all have to become instant experts on all the different types of plastic and whether they are recyclable by our local authorities.

              Aside from the fact that most of it goes to landfill anyway, they could/should employ recycling "experts" at the depot. Then we just put anything with a recycling symbol into the blue bin and let them decide.

              Personally I just chuck it all in the blue bin and let them worry about it

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                #17
                Originally posted by TwoWolves View Post
                The problem with these sorts of arguments is that they start from assuming that the environmental argument revolves around carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas that is driving climate change.

                If you start from the premise that CO2 is not, in fact, driving climate change and focus on environmental pollution and resource exhaustion as the great existential threats the whole equation inverts and paper becomes the best option (as long as we don't bleach it), or even hemp.

                Once it becomes obvious that we are heading into a new solar minima we are going to see a lot of people flip their arguments without missing a beat.
                If you start from a premise that flies in the face of what the entire scientific community is arguing, you can claim whatever you like.
                Originally posted by MaryPoppins
                I'd still not breastfeed a nazi
                Originally posted by vetran
                Urine is quite nourishing

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                  #18
                  There are other gases that have a more harmful effect on global warming. Methane is one and there's at least one other but I can't remember at the moment. If we all went meat free and stopped farting, that would help.

                  My personal bug bear is the demand to go 'zero-carbon' which is literally impossible. We are made of carbon, we eat carbon, we excrete carbon. There will always need to be a certain level of carbon in the environment in order for it to function. All life cycles rely on there being carbon in various forms.

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                    #19
                    Originally posted by ladymuck View Post
                    There are other gases that have a more harmful effect on global warming. Methane is one and there's at least one other but I can't remember at the moment. If we all went meat free and stopped farting, that would help.
                    The methane fields under Siberia are thought to have been a significant contributing factor to the end Permian extinction event.

                    There’s a danger that if we reach levels of warming where the permafrost melts it may set off an unstoppable chain reaction.

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                      #20
                      Originally posted by meridian View Post
                      The methane fields under Siberia are thought to have been a significant contributing factor to the end Permian extinction event.

                      There’s a danger that if we reach levels of warming where the permafrost melts it may set off an unstoppable chain reaction.
                      Or if MF lets one off.

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