What Price Plastic?

[Cliff Hatton]

http://www.fishingmagic.com/news_ev...he-ocean-from-humanities-worst-addiction.html

This is a really interesting article from Joe Thomas, something to make us all think about our personal 'plastic habits'. Thanks, Joe, for this very thought-provoking piece.

 

[john step]

I agree with the sentiments of the article. However like many others, I am not addicted to plastic. Its what the manufacturers have found convenient to use and to push onto everyone. Its what is available.

I am of an age where I can remember that something made of plastic was a novelty or something considered cheap and inferior.

Good luck with campaigning.

 

[greenie62]

... Its what the manufacturers have found convenient to use and to push onto everyone. Its what is available...

I quite like the karma of the idea that the over-packaging should be returnable to the vendor and it's then their responsibility to deal with it! Might see some changes then!

 

[Cliff Hatton]

It all boils down to lack of firm leadership, doesn't it...the ability to recognize that omelette-making requires the breaking of some eggs. Yes, it's dead easy for us lay people to make decrees from the comfort of our armchairs but perhaps it is our very freedom from other matters that helps us see the wood from the trees...ok, Draconian measures imposed upon the plastics industry might cost jobs and a dive in sales but they would precipitate a huge rise in paper-bag manufacturing and cardboard sales. Such measures would have an enormous beneficial impact on the planet, at a stroke. Call me naive but isn't this what's called a 'no brainer'?

 

[no-one in particular]

How about a crime against humanity case,
50 years in Spandau prison with just a plastic bag in their cell; that might perk their ideas up a bit. !

 

[laguna]

Its a truly massive problem.
Sadly as with most 'new' things, though you can hardly call plastic new these days, it benefits mankind and yet somehow ends up hurting the environment one way or another.

Even the manufacture of paper bags hurt the environment but of course they are more EF than some plastics, not all are the same though. You can make plastic out of crude oil, nasty chemicals or even milk or corn starch.

"Plastic" is suitable and convenient or a hazard or feedstock for microbes and covers a whole range of different things for different purposes.
I'm all for reducing our negative impact but frankly its difficult to suggest other ways of reducing our footprint other than by recycling or producing more expensive biodegradable. The 5p carrier bag initiative has had little effect from what I hear with thieves nicking millions of them to save forking out whereas in the USA they still use a lot paper to carry groceries but they're not immune from the problem either far from it..

I think one of the biggest problems is the use of excess packaging and especially expanded polystyrene. The best alternative is peanuts packaging that dissolves in water, the kind anglers sometimes use for rig foam. It also makes an excelent glue for sticking up posters and things on walls.

Two of the most best/safer for the environmental plastics ever invented are Cellophane and Poly Vinyl Alcohol. But when it comes to robust and useful structural plastics, UN-plasticised Poly Vinyl Chloride is probably as good as you will find. That and perhaps the toughest; Polyoxymethylene (Delrin/acetal) used widly as an engineering plastic.

Plastic has its place, it is only the irresponsible human element that is to blame for its devastating effects on the planet. As anglers we are more than aware of that such as our concern for wildlife. The best thing we can do is to continue to dispose of it all properly and teach others to do the same.

---------- Post added at 12:51 ---------- Previous post was at 12:45 ----------

How about a crime against humanity case,
50 years in Spandau prison with just a plastic bag in their cell; that might perk their ideas up a bit. !

Spandau lol I did 2 years in Spandau!









Okay so I was only guarding Rudolf Hess but I was definitely there

 

[Cliff Hatton]

Really, Chris???

 

[laguna]

Really, Chris???

Yep stationed in Spandau Berlin 1979-1981
I only saw him occasionally from my watch tower tending his green house and garden, Hess never spoke to the ordinary rank and file.

 

[robertroach]

I think in Germany and in one or two other European countries they have compulsory deposits on plastic bottles.
This would at a stroke reduce the amount of plastic thrown away. Kids would go round looking for them to make pocket money.

I wish our politicians were a bit more concerned about these things. It's so easy to do, just like making it compulsory to charge 5p for a supermarket bag.

Laguna you're wrong about the effects of the 5p charge. There were some stats published just recently - there has been a massive reduction in the use of plastic bags.

 

[no-one in particular]

There was Rob but the figures were taken from the first 6 months when the 5p was introduced. With all the publicity I expect it worked but it will be interesting to see how much that figure goes down in time as all the publicity died down. And it hides the fact there are still an awful amount of plastic bags still going onto waste sites. It will probably be the case that all the powers at be will think problem solved; its not!
Its a bit of a pessimistic view but I would rather be realistic.
And then there's all the disposable razors, tooth brushes, bottles, wrapping etc, plastic bags are only a small part of the problem.
I am all for plastic when and were it is the best solution and it should only be used when this is proved but mostly its used just for cheapness to enhance company profits. And I am damn sure they will still make healthy profits if they were forced to use bio degradable materials without passing it on to the public.
I don't understand why its a crime to pollute a water/sea/fish with anything poison liable to fines/prison and this isn't .

Talking of prison, you were probably considered a sub human Laguana ! Nazi to the end; old git, impressive CV though; fascinating.

 

[laguna]

Laguna you're wrong about the effects of the 5p charge.

It was what I read months ago.
We sometimes get our groceries delivered from Morrison's, but they still charge 5p per bag - and refund you the same when you hand back the old ones. I have no doubt charging is a step in the right direction, perhaps if kids collected old bags and took them back like we used to do with pop bottles, it would certainly help more. But as it stands currently, its only possible if you get home delivery.

---------- Post added at 18:49 ---------- Previous post was at 18:45 ----------

Talking of prison, you were probably considered a sub human Laguana ! Nazi to the end; old git, impressive CV though; fascinating.

I reckon Hitler would have been proud, looking after his defector as we did... especially the Russians, they hated him.

Ich bin ein Berliner!

---------- Post added at 19:07 ---------- Previous post was at 18:49 ----------

Actually it wouldn't be at all a bad initiative that. Could even start a whole new industry of recycling whereby - we get paid for recycling our plastic waste!

I can see it now... Gypsies horses laden with plastic bags, botttles and polystyrene packaging raided from our dustbins!

 

[robertroach]

Do you know what, your vision of gypsies laden with plastic may not be too far off the mark.
I spent a year in the USA a while ago. At that time there were loads of people collecting aluminium cans from wherever they could find them. They could be seen with great bundles and even home made trolleys full of cans. The scrap value made it a profitable past time.

 

[Alan Tyler]

A fine article; the line from the last paragraph is particularly encouraging when looking at the gloomy "Big Picture":
"...and the battle is won one person at a time".