SBS broadcast ‘Plastic Paradise’ this arvo, and it is now available on SBS >OnDemand.
It really is depressing how much plastic is going into the environment and how little concern there is from the industrial producers of the stuff. As pointed out in the program, the only way to stop everything being smothered in it , is to stop producing it. For that to happen, consumers have to stop buying it, particularly single use plastic.
Recycling is really only a small patch-up measure, and is not making much difference to the unfolding environmental
disaster that plastic has become.
Much of “Australian recycling” has consisted of shipping waste off to China.
But now that has come to an end with China enacting a plastic waste import ban before the end of 2017.
Mainly hard plastics. Paper and card/cardboard is laegely consumed within Australia by packaging and print paper producers, such as Visy. It is interesting to visit and have a tour of such plants if one gets a chance as they are interesting, especially to see how the paper/card is reprocessed into new product.
Steel is usually recycled locally and reformed into other products. Likewsie glass. Where supply of recycled materials exceeds demand or the price of recycled bulk materials are low, they are stockpiled waiting for future use. Generally steel and glass is too expensive to export as the freight/handling costs are high but the raw bulk price is low…especially glass as it can be made readily in most coutried from local raw materials.
Recycled hard plastic market in Australia is limited and that in excess to local demand is compressed, baled and generally exported.
Soft plastic market is also limited and there are only a few companies who reprocess the materials. The main market is for ‘plastic’ outdoor wood.
China’s decision if it is actually fully implemented will most likely result in development of hard plastic recycling in Australia or export to another country like India. The problem with Australia developing such industry is it also need the manufacturing industries who consume such products. Generally recycled hard plastics can’t be used for tg6e food or beverage industry.
The recycling issue/problem is again being reported on via the ABC. In the article it makes apparent our reliance on the removal from our shores of recyclable material, if someone won’t take it is either stockpiled or landfill.
The gas is non-toxic, colourless, odourless, tasteless and lighter than air. It may smell due to natural impurities or odourants added deliberately. If a confined space filled with methane you might asphyxiate due to displacement of oxygen or meet your maker by striking a light if the mix of methane and air was right. It would not collect in hollows even in very calm conditions but mix and disperse into the air. There is the obvious risk of fires and explosion of leaky pipelines and facilities but such are rare. As others have said the main problem with methane released into the atmosphere is as a greenhouse gas, something the boosters of methane as a transition fuel from coal don’t want to talk about.
The stories you have heard may refer to naturally occurring carbon dioxide. There are well documented cases of lakes suddenly out-gassing and asphyxiating people as CO2 is heavier than air and does exclude oxygen in hollows. Here is one such.
Yes, as a community we possibly have become to complacent with the local government recycling programs…assuming it was all healthy and the status quo would last forever.
Many are blaming the Chinese, but they are possibly the last to blame. The Chinese are only responding to the quality of recyclables they were receiving.
Having visted several MURF, I was surprised at the amount of contaminants present in the recycled bins collected under the council program. There seems a considerable number within our community which don’t share the recycling ethos may other aspire to. Many recycling bins appear to be treated as a second general waste bin.
These contaminants get caught up in the recycled materials at the end of the processing line, reducing their value.
Many State government plan to or are in the throws of implementing a container deposit scheme…which primary aim is to marginalky increase the recycling rates which currently exist…with other secondary purposes as to reduce litter by making the empty container valuable. With no resolution yet on what happens to recycled materials in Australia (ezp. hard plastics), maybe the state government should defer these schemes until it is resolved. If they don’t and plastic container collected as part of the container deposit scheme are landfilled as there are no medium term recycling options, it will impact on the communities acceptance of the scheme and it long term success.
Recycling is a farce, the Chinese not wanting our contaminated waste has brought it into the headlines. I saw a report on ABC the other day about the issue and not once was there a serious suggestion of not creating the waste in the first place.
We have to get rid of plastic packaging as much as possible and go back to glass/paper/cardboard.
I grew up with glass milk bottles, which were re-used over and over, has industry forgotten how to wash bottles so they can be re-used? How else can the need to smash glass up to sand sized particles and mix it into bitumen for roads (as reported in the ABC article) be explained? Now milk comes in a mix of plastic and cardboard, much of which will end up in landfill.
I think the environment as a whole, including humanity, is doomed to drown in plastic… if global warming doesn’t wipe half of us out first, unless we get our act together ASAP.
Or a comet - won’t worry Greg - he missed the stop sign ! sadly I think you are right. We are just about to start recycling here - for some reason they think it will work in the middle of nowhere …
I personally think that Australia should move towards the Pfand system like that in Germany…however, companies/manufacturers will resist as they use bottle shape as a marketing tool (sexy looking bottles or trendy coloured ones sell better). As consumers we should be fighting any resistance to change from the container/food industry and fully support a Pfand system.
Recycling isn’t the eldorado that we once thought for many materials (esp. plastics) and to truly minimise environmental footprints, multiuse is the only real option.
If we are serious about waste, then multi or reuse must be supported over recycling. Currently the system encourages recycling over multiuse as it is politically the easier option and also is seen as doing something for the environment.
Clear receptacles started to combat miscreants leaving bombs and appears to be evolving to publicly shame those who could be shamed. Is that a solution? If someone has a full or almost empty bin what does it mean? The ‘trolls’ will know and could come out in force.
Bet it still ends up in landfill somewhere. It is up to 50% contaminated so 1 in 2 bins of recycling rubbish cannot be recycled anyway. A 2% rate rise to help save humanity and the planet was too much to contemplate. Sorry but it is just galling apathy. They need to reduce the contaminants but an education campaign, & really clear and simple guidelines I’m sure could help turn the wastage around…is that too hard/difficult?
The public attitude is still halfhearted - only so much effort is given to recycling or proper disposal of rubbish. Lack of commitment from the public means no admission of responsibilty, and it continues all the way up the chain to federal government.
Some people are just plain lazy when it comes to recycling. They must think that their bin load won’t make any difference in the big scheme of things, or they just don’t care as long as they can get rid of their rubbish. I’ve seen it in my own Street. Recycling bins overflowing with regular rubbish. Education is key. Tv advertising too.
My council (Nillumbik) occasionally does a check. I received an ‘atta boy’ sticker on my recycling bin. A new neighbour got the equivalent of an infringement notice stuck to his bin after moving in and it was not collected. He learnt quickly. My area is leafy and populated by mostly a reasonable and socially conscious demographic.
There has been enormous education (TV and radio) programs in the past in relation to local government recycling schemes. Councils also regularly send out information to residents with rates or letterbox drops as well.
I believe that contamination is possibly a result of the type of recycling bins used in Australia…they are lidded and also opaque. A person can in effect anonymously place contaminants in the recycling bin and no one will really know unless they open the bin and closely look at the contents. The collecting trucks can’t also see what is in the bin unless, as you indicated, the bin is overflowing with general waste. If a recycling bin is overflowing with general waste, it shouldn’t be collected as the community pays for the actions of an individual residence. Not collecting the obviously contaminated recycling bin, the problem becomes that of the individual residence.
In some countries they have a multiple number of coloured open bin/crate type system where the contents of the container can be seen by the recycling truck driver/collector. If the driver sees contamination in any of the containers (e.g. waste in the paper or plastics container), the container is left uncollected. Leaving the container uncollected sends a strong message to the residence and also creates a peer pressure as neighbours would also see that the bin wasn’t collected due to contamination.
Even their public recycling bins are semi-transparent to allow one to see what others have placed in the bin.
Maybe Australia local governments should consider adopting similar systems in Australia rather than the discrete one lidded bin for all type approach.
Government action is needed to support manufacturing of recycled goods. Overseas, firms are using eg recycled plastic to make building products and furniture items. Manufacturing of this type should be encouraged in Australia.
sadly I think you are right. We are just about to start recycling here - for some reason they think it will work in the middle of nowhere …
