South Pacific plastic patch

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frankv

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#1831842 26-Jul-2017 20:49

Fred99:

I wouldn't "ban" plastic bags - but tax the crap out of them to the point that they're more expensive than biodegradable alternatives.

I think taxing the crap out of them is the wrong approach... what's needed is to do some calculation of the lifetime cost of a plastic bag (including disposal and/or recycling), and then tax them so they cost that much. Otherwise you'll be using biodegradable alternatives which use more resources and/or do more environmental damage (trees cut down for paper bags, energy use and environmental damage in processing the wood to paper, transportation) than what they replace.

gzt

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#1832558 27-Jul-2017 22:05

I googled the plastic bag recycling project. It does all soft plastic. It has a locator to see which stores have the receptacle:

http://www.recycling.kiwi.nz/soft-plastics/store-locator

My local stores are listed. Either that's incorrect, or the receptacle is well hidden. I'll go have a look for it.

Edit: add NZ to the search box.

k1wi

484 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1832591 28-Jul-2017 01:14

My understanding is that 90% of the waste in the ocean originates from developing countries, as they do not have the full stream waste processing services that are prevalent in the West. A quick google suggests 60% of plastic waste in the ocean comes from China, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand [oceanconservancy.org]. If our plastic patch is the size of Greenland, how large are theirs?

I'm not saying we shouldn't reduce our waste footprint, excess packaging is the bane of my existence and I abhor people who don't make the effort to keep NZ tidy, but the biggest bang would have to be reducing that 90% proportion surely.

Batman

Mad Scientist
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#1832593 28-Jul-2017 03:49

MikeB4:

formula to reduce plastic. Ban use of plastic shopping bags+plant trees.

If one has worked in a big firm, one would know that banning supermarket shopping bags won't do much for the amount of plastic consumed is only a fraction compared to plastic use by major businesses. Like hotels. Hospitals. Airlines. Law firm. Accounting firm. Car dealer. Restaurants. Oh have I mentioned your Apple factory in China? Plastic plastic plastic everything!

Even my neighbours' newspaper delivery are wrapped in plastic!

Most recyclables are actually not recyclable because if it's waterproof then it has a plastic liner and it's chucked into the dump. LIke the paper coffee cups you coffee drinkers use.

jonherries

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#1832595 28-Jul-2017 04:46

frankv:
Fred99:

I wouldn't "ban" plastic bags - but tax the crap out of them to the point that they're more expensive than biodegradable alternatives.

I think taxing the crap out of them is the wrong approach... what's needed is to do some calculation of the lifetime cost of a plastic bag (including disposal and/or recycling), and then tax them so they cost that much. Otherwise you'll be using biodegradable alternatives which use more resources and/or do more environmental damage (trees cut down for paper bags, energy use and environmental damage in processing the wood to paper, transportation) than what they replace.

Plastic bags cost 5p in Northern Ireland. Everyone now brings their own, the supermarkets sell reusable ones for 10p (and replace them for free) and for “dairies” and sandwich shops they will give you a paper bag. Has made a massive difference here...

Jon

dickytim

2514 posts

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#1832600 28-Jul-2017 06:13

darkasdes2:

frankv:

Plastic waste in the ocean is probably important, but this is nonsense reporting which really tells you nothing.

I don't see how this is nonsense reporting.

Its another reminder that everyone needs to do more to recycle plastic, cans, bottles, etc.

How many Geekzoners take their soft plastics back to the supermarket to be recycled?

It is sensationalised reporting, which much like global warming is causing more issues that doing any good.

1, Plastic bags in the Ocean are bad, no-one can deny that, and to be honest if this is remotely true then we need to do something about it, I for one will start using reusable bags, we mostly do anyway but the odd trip when I haven't been home first I will buy a pac n save bag, these are always reused as rubbish bags later on.

2, With global warming 20 years ago we were all meant to be underwater by now, it was sensationalised back then, it is worse now. There may be a human effect to global warming, there is certainly a natural flux with it, but with all the sensationalism around it the facts get lost and distorted.

dickytim

2514 posts

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#1832601 28-Jul-2017 06:14

jonherries:
frankv:

Fred99:

I wouldn't "ban" plastic bags - but tax the crap out of them to the point that they're more expensive than biodegradable alternatives.

I think taxing the crap out of them is the wrong approach... what's needed is to do some calculation of the lifetime cost of a plastic bag (including disposal and/or recycling), and then tax them so they cost that much. Otherwise you'll be using biodegradable alternatives which use more resources and/or do more environmental damage (trees cut down for paper bags, energy use and environmental damage in processing the wood to paper, transportation) than what they replace.

Plastic bags cost 5p in Northern Ireland. Everyone now brings their own, the supermarkets sell reusable ones for 10p (and replace them for free) and for “dairies” and sandwich shops they will give you a paper bag. Has made a massive difference here...

Jon

The problem in NZ is a plastic bag costs 10c but a reusable one over $1 when this is 10c and 20c reusable is a no brainer.

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Fred99

13684 posts

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#1832715 28-Jul-2017 10:33

dickytim:

With global warming 20 years ago we were all meant to be underwater by now, it was sensationalised back then, it is worse now. There may be a human effect to global warming, there is certainly a natural flux with it, but with all the sensationalism around it the facts get lost and distorted.

None of that passes a fact check.

I'd give you only a partial pass on the claim that "20 years ago we were all meant to be underwater by now" - but that was in a very poorly made Kevin Costner movie.

dickytim

2514 posts

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#1832737 28-Jul-2017 11:12

So global warming and cooling hasn't been happen since the earth was spewed out of gods mouth or whatever happened?

gzt

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#1832826 28-Jul-2017 12:33

Let's not do global warming in this topic please.

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