Plastics

Discussion on living for a better and more responsible future
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lancashire lass
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Re: Plastics

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Freeranger wrote:Reading the thread about the paper bags and them being discontinued because of deforestation, I guess the problem is that there are so many of us on the planet that when we all chose to do something it's going to have a huge impact,


I have been pondering this for a while too - I agree that plastic pollution needs to be dealt with and seems the only way to tackle it is by not producing anymore otherwise any clean up operations and projects are useless in the long term. I feel committed to doing my part and have joined a number of eco groups on FB to see what I can do as an individual (my eco warrior days are for a younger generation so I'll just try to clean up my own act) and started to wonder if we are just moving consumerism from one bad product to having impacts elsewhere. For example, cotton is a natural fibre so you'd think it would be a good switch but in case you were not aware, cotton cultivation and textile manufacturing is very bad for the environment - WWF

Cotton’s most prominent environmental impacts result from the use of agrochemicals (especially pesticides), the consumption of water, and the conversion of habitat to agricultural use. Diversion of water and its pollution by cotton growing has had severe impacts on major ecosystems such as the Aral Sea in Central Asia, the Indus Delta in Pakistan and the Murray Darling River in Australia.


So what are the alternatives .... this is when other "eco" suggestions are made but as these are still small scale, would they not themselves start to have an environmental impact once they are industrialised to meet the demands of the consumer after plastic is gone? Palm oil production is well known as having a bad image due mainly to large scale deforestation to make way for plantations but as a product, greater yields are acquired than any other oil producing crop and has multiple uses. So when looking for alternatives to plastics, suggestions like bamboo keep coming up .... are we about to see another environment nightmare unfold as everyone ditches plastic for natural products instead? Seems to me that plastics are only part of the problem - consumerism seems to play a major part.
Last edited by lancashire lass on 18 Jun 2019, 09:51, edited 1 time in total.
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lancashire lass
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Re: Plastics - BBC "War on Plastic"

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I watched last night's episode of the BBC's "War on Plastic" and was astounded by the mountain of wet wipes from just one town's sewage plant ... astounded that so many people still flushed them down the toilet despite previous horror stories of fatbergs that are frequently in the news. But the graphic dumping of just 3 days of accumulated wipes was an eye opener. I don't buy wet wipes for the home so didn't think it applied to me but then it got me thinking - we use them at work because of the convenience (as a health & safety product, not for personal use) and I have on occasion bought dashboard wipes for the car, so perhaps not so innocent after all though I could plead ignorance to their plastic content.

As for plastic air pollution and microfibres from clothing in waste water - I'm not sure what can be done about it as this is much bigger than switching products. I can't help feeling this should be dealt with at government level because it has future health issues - do we have to wait for a disaster like the London Smog and the 1956 Clean Air before something is done?
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KathJ
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Re: Plastics

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Totally agree Lancashire Lass - it is a problem on a massive scale and there is no easy solution. I watched the programme Stacy Dooley made about cotton production which again was a real eye opener and worth a watch.
Haven't watched Hugh's programme last night yet but looking forward to it.
I think we can all only do 'our bit' and spread the word when we can. Programmes like this do help but I think people soon forget if the momentum isn't continued }hairout{
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lancashire lass
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Re: Plastics

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KathJ wrote:Programmes like this do help but I think people soon forget if the momentum isn't continued


or:

(i) it is too overwhelming to contemplate any other way out - so business as usual and leave it for future generations to figure out (if the planet is still viable by then)
(ii) constant reminders become a turn off and not worth taking notice any more
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Mo
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Re: Plastics

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lancashire lass wrote: Seems to me that plastics are only part of the problem - consumerism seems to play a major part.

Yes, that's just it. Firms want to make money. Governments want to tell people they can have a 'good' life.
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Re: Plastics

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I paid a visit to some friends yesterday and was asked if I wanted a cup of tea to which I answered I would rather have water, please.
My friend disappeared and I wondered where she had gone, only to see her come back with two bottles of water...............
I said I would rather have a glass of tap water, please. The look on her face was incredulous. I then explained that I had watched the Hugh programme on tv and also mentioned the possibility of plastic in the bottled water...........nothing, no comment other than, well we take them to bed at night and they wont get knocked over.
I replied then if that is the reason why dont you drink the water from the bottles that you have bought, then fill them up with tap water..............nothing!!
I thought I knew these people, but apparently not.
It is not very often I am gobsmacked, but I certainly was yesterday.
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KathJ
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Re: Plastics

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Interesting Gwen, obviously some people just aren't aware or don't care }hairout{
Watched half of Hugh's programme so far and totally gobsmacked by the wipes thing. Just looked online at eco versions and they're at least double the price even more in a lot of cases. No wonder people won't change as the majority of eco products are more expensive yike*
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lancashire lass
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Re: Plastics

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KathJ wrote:No wonder people won't change as the majority of eco products are more expensive


Yes - I've noticed that. A site I visit suggests alternate products like using soap bars in the shower instead of gel (I don't have a shower so not something for me to think about) but I found some of the plastic free deodorant and hair shampoo bars an interesting option but when I looked at the prices, I could buy 4 of my usual brand for just one of those (okay, they might last longer but when on a limited budget, £6 for a bar of whatever can only be described as essentially just fancy soap + considered a luxury item) as well as not have to pay postage.

I used to make my own soap and there was a recipe for a shampoo bar but I didn't like how my hair felt afterwards - you need something like beeswax to make the soap solid otherwise the bar would mush up in water, and after a few hair washes, I gradually got a build up of wax (and oil) on my hair which wasn't nice. I'm interested making the deodorant stick but not so keen on some of the ingredients ...
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Re: Plastics

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What I want to know is, why do we have to use these wipes.
Hasn't anyone thought to use a flannel, muslin square or something similar to wipe things with. I always used to take muslin squares with me especially when the children were young.
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Re: Plastics

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Never heard of 'wipes' in my young day. Corner of a damp hanky did the job. Know as a 'lick and a promise'
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Re: Plastics

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Oh, I remember that, Mo. My mother used to spit on it first though...……...yuk, yuk, yuk...…..but it worked. {rofwl}
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Re: Plastics

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My mum still does it if she gets a chance and I'm 53 now yike* yike*
I buy wipes to wipe my doggies feet when we come in from a walk but no longer. I've got some old tea towels that I'm going to cut into squares and run under the tap. I'll wash them with his old towels each week but it doesn't matter if they don't come properly clean.
I've started to use a shampoo bar, it does take a bit of getting used to but my hair is pretty short so doesn't get in a 'tangle' anyway. And I'm afraid I'm a sucker for these lovely soaps you can get online mainly because I want the ones that use natural ingredients. I've thought of having a go at making some myself and have bought some beeswax. I'm might give it a go when I'm next off work.
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lancashire lass
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Re: Plastics

Post by lancashire lass »

Gwenoakes wrote:My mother used to spit on it first though...


Oh yes, I remember the spit wash {rofwl}

Mo wrote:Never heard of 'wipes' in my young day.


I have been racking my brain for what we used before wipes, sponge cloths and scouring pads and all other plastic things ever came into daily use - I remember wire wool, scrubbing brushes (with natural stiff bristles, no idea what they were made of, on a wooden base, sweeping brushes with soft bristles on wood with wooden handles), a straight sided block of green soap was in the kitchen (it wasn't for handwashing - I seem to remember it was used for lots of things like rubbing onto stubborn stains on clothes before putting in the (twin tub) washing machine, or even using it on the wooden scrubbing brush to clean the floor ... not that I want to be getting on my hands and knees to do that again!), and cloths and mops were .... wait for it, old knickers and vests that had gone past their best but too good to throw away. Buckets (and mop buckets) were zinc or enamel, floor mops made of string. Which takes me back to ironmongers shops - before Wilkos and supermarkets, a lot of these were from the hardware store and they used to have a distinctive smell about them (along with the paraffin and paraffin lamps) Sigh, fond memories.
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KathJ
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Re: Plastics

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I remember my nan using old knickers as cloths, not that long ago either {rofwl}
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Re: Plastics

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I remember my nan using knickers and her saying the darker the knickers the better, never did understand what she meant then, but now I presume it meant that if they stained it wouldn't show up.
I always used to get down on my hands and knees and use a scrubbing brush to wash the floor then I would use old tea towels or even better old towelling nappies if they were past their sell by date.
Thinking about the above I was pretty frugal as I used to use the water from doing the washing for washing the floor too.
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