To think its time we went back to the old pop bottles banned most plastics??

[LanaKanesLeftNippleTassle]

Reading an artcle in The Guardian this morning....

www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/27/plastic-debris-inundates-remote-uk-coasts-endangering-wildlife

From the article:

A Greenpeace research ship has spent the past two months touring the Scottish coast and islands assessing the impact of plastic waste.

Marine scientists on the Greenpeace ship Beluga II will undertake a detailed analysis of the results over the next two months. But the initial findings from the voyage paint a bleak picture:

Plastic waste, from bottles to bags and packaging, was found on every beach surveyed

Microplastic and other plastic fragments were found in the feeding grounds of basking sharks, seals and whales

Plastic bottles, bags and packaging were found in birds nests at internationally significant seabird colonies, in areas such as the Bass Rock, Isle of May and the Shiant Isles

Last month scientists found nearly 18 tonnes of plastic on one of the world’s most remote islands, an uninhabited coral atoll in the South Pacific.

The tiny landmass in the eastern South Pacific, was found to have the highest density of anthropogenic debris recorded anywhere in the world, with 99.8% of the pollution plastic.

It's a fucking environmental disaster.

We need to do something about this, strting with forcing drinks companies to completely change their packaging.

Added to the fertiliser run off poisoning our seas, plus all the other crap we leave floating about there, and I'm frankly surprised there is any sea life left at all.

What can we do MN??

For years Denmark have used the system of reusable glass for drinks. It's thick glass and is supposed to last forever. The beer companies deliver a new crate to your home and collect the empties.
Reusable is even better than recycling.

I remember the days of pop and beer bottles being returned, it seemed to work well at the time, though for instance breweries were often local, pop was often delivered to the door.
I think the Co-op had a scheme for returning jam jars, and the rag & bone man collected them too.

I'd go back to the door step delivery of milk in glass bottles, but doubt many others would be able to.

I was looking on the BBC earlier at a video clip about a young Dutchman, Boyan Slat, who has created a way of clearing the sea of floating plastic waste. His work is amazing, and gives me a lot of hope that we can start to control the amount of plastic waste we generate.

Attitudes need to change a great deal too though, perhaps more drinking fountains or free water stops in towns so that people didn't feel the need to carry plastic water bottles with them each day,

Oh I should have read your post more carefully kateemo as you also mention Boyan Slat and the Ocean Clean Up.

It's really amazing, isn't it Ada! Agree, a lot of things need to change, get us away from this culture of convenience. It's no good for anyone in the end.

My only contribution to this topic is to express my outrage that certain tampon manufacturers have started making tampons in plastic applicators when cardboard has worked just fine forever. This is only in the last few years as well, when everyone is fully aware of the damage that non-biodegradable plastics are doing to the environment. Such a needless, irresponsible use of plastic!

Rainbunny - I thought the same, until I found out how much methane is produced by biodegradeable waste (food and paper/card) that ends up in landfill - and people don't recycle tampon tubes.

Most companies have made huge strides in reducing packaging over the last 20 years, just that in doing so what is left is the packaging the consumer sees that's resilient enough not to need the extra retailer and wholesaler levels of packaging that used to be needed, not to mention huge reductions in food waste.

As someone pointed out upthread, the biggest leaps will come from the Chinese and Indian middle classes demanding much stricter anti-pollution measures in their own countries. There's haze over Hong Kong that wasnt there 10 years ago - the wealthy inhabitants won't put up with that for long.

Have a look at some of the zero waste groups on Facebook, they're pretty good for tips etc.

DD is starting Reception in September so parents were invited for a school lunch today. All the drinks and desserts are served in disposable plastic cups and the bin was overflowing. Not sure if the catering staff would appreciate a shift to reusable cups however.

Employ one more person, that's all it would take.

I doubt the school could afford it!
I was at a garden recently and they had what like plastic cups, but the writing on them said they were fully biodegradable.

www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/28/a-million-a-minute-worlds-plastic-bottle-binge-as-dangerous-as-climate-change