The War on Plastic

[alan]

Overuse of plastic is a depressing thing about Asia. Bali beaches are very bad. I used to have to do a clean of my scene up every time I went out to shoot.

[Virgo]

The beaches looked terrible in the video, and if the story the guy told about the lifeguard saying they cleaned the beach in the morning but high-tide bringing in so much more plastic is true, it is a terrible scenario.

Kevin

[Kim O'Hara]

Here's an Aussie campaign with useful ideas for people everywhere - https://www.wwf.org.au/get-involved/pla ... o-to-waste. Check out all the info and find some handy tips to help you move away from single-use plastics.


Kim

[Kim O'Hara]

Whose fault is it?





Kim

[Kim O'Hara]

California is about to act - if the plastics lobby doesn't kill the legislation.

California just introduced a revolutionary bill that could make non-recyclable plastic a thing of the past. The plastic industry is ramping up to shut this bill down. Show your support by signing your name http://action.storyofstuff.org/sign/C... FOLLOW US: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storyofstuff/ SUPPORT THE PROJECT: https://action.storyofstuff.org/donat...

Kim

[Kim O'Hara]

A reminder ...

produce-bottles-s.jpg (57.08 KiB) Viewed 3886 times

Kim

[Kim O'Hara]

no-excuse.jpg (163.47 KiB) Viewed 3790 times

[Kim O'Hara]

Good news!

Oil Majors Face Further Pain As Plastics Fall Out Of Fashion

Oil and gas producers are preparing for a decline in demand for gasoline and diesel as electric cars replace fossil fuelled vehicles, but they have been taking solace in the thought that the petrochemicals market would still need a lot of oil as a feedstock.

But now that source of demand may be under threat as well, thanks to the global backlash against plastics from both consumers and regulators.

That’s the view of index provider and investment analyst MSCI ...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikescott/ ... f-fashion/


Kim

[Kim O'Hara]

Just quickly, a couple of positive news stories -

Business is booming for a Kiwi startup which turns plastic waste into fence posts.

Future Post invented an environmentally friendly fence post made from 100 percent recycled plastics.
As well as helping minimise plastic waste, the posts are stronger and more durability than traditional fence post designs. ...

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/rural/20 ... astic.html

This Australian company has been doing it longer and has a longer list of products.
https://www.replas.com.au/

This one's less useful, maybe, but far cooler -
https://www.wwf.org.au/news/blogs/17-co ... #gs.954ql1


Kim

[Bundokji]

https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p07r72xb ... the-planet

[Kim O'Hara]

Keeping Recycling Dysfunctional is a sub-heading of this article but it could just as easily be the main headline.

For decades, Coca-Cola has burnished its public image as an environmentally caring company with donations to recycling nonprofits. Meanwhile, as one of the world’s most polluting brands, Coke has quietly fought efforts to hold the company accountable for plastic waste.

Audio from a meeting of recycling leaders obtained by The Intercept reveals how the soda giant’s “green” philanthropy helped squelch what could have been an important tool in fighting the plastic crisis — and shines a light on the behind-the-scenes tactics beverage and plastics companies have quietly used for decades to evade responsibility for their waste. The meeting of the coalition group known as Atlanta Recycles took place in January at the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials in Atlanta’s south side.

Among the topics on the agenda for the recycling experts was a grant coming to Atlanta as part of a multimillion-dollar campaign Coke was launching “to boost recycling rates and help inspire a grassroots movement.” But it quickly became clear that one possible avenue for boosting recycling rates — a bottle bill — was off the table. ...

“I'll tell you that the answer is a big no.”

That’s Gloria Hardegree, executive director of the Georgia Recycling Coalition, an organization that receives funding from Coca-Cola. And she was sure that her organization’s longtime benefactor would be dead set against a bottle bill:

“With the investment that Coke is getting ready to make in Atlanta and in other major cities across the U.S. with this World Without Waste, it is not going to be a part of that conversation.”

The World Without Waste program, which Hardegree mentioned, is what Coke calls its “holistic plan” to recycle every bottle and can it produces by 2030. It’s a lofty goal, and many would say it’s unrealistic, especially without state or national deposit laws. But Hardegree made it clear she didn’t expect Coke to budge — and that the money was contingent on not pushing for this effective recycling strategy. ...

https://theintercept.com/2019/10/18/coc ... pollution/


Kim