Plastic Waste environmental emergency

[Eirikur]

On a side note When I was a kid it was all about the CO2 causing a hole in the ozone layer - but I never hear about that anymore. I assume that was all solved.

It wasn't that's total BS or an other indicator about the extremely bad British education system
It was about CFCs which are now banned and the hole has started to shrink in recent years

[d000hg]

The speed at which it's gained mass-awareness is certainly very sudden but people having been talking about it for ages as a Big Problem. Sometimes there's just a tipping point.

If you stop to think about just how much plastic never even gets the chance to be recycled it's pretty mind-blowing. The scale of the planet makes "obvious" answers whether it's actually bad hard to verify but just walking anywhere it's depressing on a small scale how much crap there is.

Maybe the surprise is how long this wasn't a big deal.

I'm still amazed at the lack of progress into proper biodegradable plastics. How hard can it be

[WTFH]

CFCs were replaced with hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are a bit less nasty. These, too, are due to be phased out in the next 5 years.

[saptastic]

It's amazing how bad science confuses things.

When you were a kid, all aerosols and fridges were full of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These were phased out after the Montreal Protocol in the late 80s, and since about the mid 90s, no CFCs have been manufactured.
Since then the ozone layer has recovered to a degree.

Thanks - that saved me looking it up. Job Done.

[WTFH]

On a side note When I was a kid it was all about the CO2 causing a hole in the ozone layer - but I never hear about that anymore. I assume that was all solved.

It's amazing how bad science confuses things.

When you were a kid, all aerosols and fridges were full of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These were phased out after the Montreal Protocol in the late 80s, and since about the mid 90s, no CFCs have been manufactured.
Since then the ozone layer has recovered to a degree.

[WTFH]

Isn't hemp a biodegradable alternative?

And cornstarch "plastic".

[Jog On]

No, they can easily be made of cardboard, and that would be far safer anyway.

What always baffles me is why someone can't develop a biodegradable plastic, or at least a simple way to render plastic waste biodegradable, even if the plastic is not before it is disposed of.

Even a strong UV source would weaken most forms of plastic and start breaking it down, I would have thought.

Isn't hemp a biodegradable alternative?

[SueEllen]

No, they can easily be made of cardboard, and that would be far safer anyway.

See second post in thread - they already do that and have done for decades. However plastic clearly is cheaper.

What always baffles me is why someone can't develop a biodegradable plastic, or at least a simple way to render plastic waste biodegradable, even if the plastic is not before it is disposed of.

Even a strong UV source would weaken most forms of plastic and start breaking it down, I would have thought.

See post above yours

[OwlHoot]

As you all are the fountain of all knowledge and I don't trust what I google - is plastic waste suddenly an environmental emergency?

Plastic straw and cotton bud ban proposed - BBC News

Do I have to give up Cotton Buds? ..

No, they can easily be made of cardboard, and that would be far safer anyway.

What always baffles me is why someone can't develop a biodegradable plastic, or at least a simple way to render plastic waste biodegradable, even if the plastic is not before it is disposed of.

Even a strong UV source would weaken most forms of plastic and start breaking it down, I would have thought.

[Hobosapien]

Relax, nature finds a way.

Recycling hope for plastic-hungry enzyme - BBC News

Scientists have improved a naturally occurring enzyme which can digest some of our most commonly polluting plastics.

[Jog On]

As you all are the fountain of all knowledge and I don't trust what I google - is plastic waste suddenly an environmental emergency?

It's TM's latest virtue signal as part of her doomed local election campaign. Maybe she could publish her share portfolio to show us all just how much the cares about the environment.

[vwdan]

is plastic waste suddenly an environmental emergency?

Nope. It has been for years - just because you weren't paying attention doesn't mean it's only just happened.

[scooterscot]

It has become an emergency because China is not taking our crap anymore.

We're doomed.

[SueEllen]

Cotton wool buds can be brought with the stem made some sort of paper substance and you can get paper straws.

I'm sure that:
1. In the past I have had cotton wool buds where the middle was some sort of paper or card, and,
2. I definitely use to be given paper straws as a kid for a couple of years.

I think they were scrapped as plastic is cheaper.

(A quick Google reveals you can get both. Sainsburys sells the cotton wool buds. )

[saptastic]

As you all are the fountain of all knowledge and I don't trust what I google - is plastic waste suddenly an environmental emergency?

Plastic straw and cotton bud ban proposed - BBC News

Do I have to give up Cotton Buds?

Or cant we improve landfill sites?

On a side note When I was a kid it was all about the CO2 causing a hole in the ozone layer - but I never hear about that anymore. I assume that was all solved.