PlasticLess.com

I look for news about plastic reduction regularly. Today Fox is talking about how ConAgra, the makers of many different brands of TV dinners is making a change to recycled trays. This should result in 8 million fewer pounds of trash.

Convincing consumers to stop buying these convenience meals would have a much bigger impact. Making meals from scratch is almost always cheaper and more nutritious than a TV dinner. There is this thing called a sandwich that can be created, stored and consumed without the use of plastic.

This blog is about reducing our personal consumption of plastic. So far, it has been a hodgepodge of old ideas and new ideas. Old ideas can make a lot of sense, most of the time. Plastic has only become a ubiquitous part of our lives in the last few generations. Before that, other materials were doing just fine at meeting our needs… or were they?

You need to be very cautious about antique items that contain dangerous materials like lead and mercury. I would suggest a ‘better safe than sorry” approach with regards to old cookware, utensils and serving dishes. Even decorative antiques can pose health risks. Looking into the issue of lead poisoning was very depressing for me. I did not know that a proposed ban on lead paint went before the US House of Representatives in 1910 and that it took 68 years before the Consumer Product Safety Commission eventually banned it. Over 4000 tonnes of lead paint had been slapped on walls and toys and various other things in the interim.

I wonder if the push and pull related to chemicals leaching from plastic drinking containers will drag on that long? Actually, I am certain that it will not. Things move faster in the information age. Several companies removed products containing Bisphenol A as soon as the issue started making headlines. Interestingly, I think the scandal about lead in products made in China may has sensitized the media and consumers in such a way as to catalyze the reaction to Bisphenol A.

Another depressing issue involves the modern low watt light bulb. Al Gore et al. want to ban incandescent light bulbs in homes. The present alternative is a CFL that contains mercury. They also contain more plastic than a typical incandescent bulb.

Proponents of these efficient bulbs say that the fact that they contain more hazardous materials and the fact that they take more energy to produce are more than offset by the energy savings. I am worried about the environmental impact of their production because they are presently made in China. I am also worried about the mercury. There have been advances, with some bulbs having 1/5 the amount of mercury of typical CFLs.

I have personal experience with cheap CFLs that did not have the long life that is touted by their promoters. The answer might be higher standards. Right now, they are trying to compete with standard light bulbs. When legislation kicks in this will be less of an issue.

First off, I want to welcome a new blog to my blogroll… Plastic Bag Watch is a very focussed blog dealing primarily with banning campaigns throughout the UK. Here is a neat map that he used to show many of these campaigns:

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The most interesting post on this blog for me was a commentary on EU laws standing in the way of outright bans of plastic bags. I myself am quite perturbed that the EU is forcing Malta to stop requiring local beverage companies to use returnable glass. This will be a step backwards as far as I am concerned as the businesses will undoubtedly go for the cheaper plastic. This will only add to the already prevalent problem of litter.

Bisphenol A is a chemical that is present in small quantities in liquids that are bottled using plastic. It is presently under scrutiny because of health risks, especially for children. The province of Ontario in Canada is studying the issue and a province wide ban is not off the table. Some private companies that are branded as green are not waiting for government action. MEC pulled plastic drinking bottles off the shelves long ago and Lululemon Athletica Inc. has acrylic bottles made without Bisphenol A arriving in 2008 to replace the plastic bottles that they are selling now. They have not taken bottles off the shelves. While studies are linking the chemical to problems such as infertility and cancer, manufacturers and retailers counter that consumers would never be exposed to dangerous levels of the toxin through normal use of their products. I’m having a feeling of deja vu … remmber the lead in the miniblinds last century?

Source:Canadianpress.google.com

I have to admit that I lack insight with regards to the socio-economics and culture of this part of the World. I read the Wikipedia entry for Kerala and I am now fascinated with the place. The law related to plastic bags and food containers has a totally different rationale then other laws that I have discussed.

This state in India has had an epidemic of viral disease and scientists have pointed to mosquitoes as a major vector. One of the major breeding areas for these insects has been found to be in the shelter of discarded plastic containers. A new law is very broad reaching and severe. It will be interesting to see how effective the law can curb plastic use regardless of the reasoning. I hope that the law will help reduce disease.

News item: NewsPostIndia.com

Authors of a respected book on infant care have come out against plastic baby bottles in the most recent edition of Baby 411.

There concern is largely related to studies on the effects of low levels of Bisphenol A on developing humans. The first year or two of a human beings life produces a lot of plastic waste. Much of it is created in the name of convenience.

I have a few tips for parents, but I want to preface them by saying that it has been over a decade since I have been up to my elbows in infant care.

Breastfeeding is good in so many ways. If you have reasons why you don’t plan to breastfeed, examine them carefully to see if they are valid.

Glass bottles are not perfect, there is a risk of injury in the unlikely event of breakage. When you think about how much childproofing goes into a baby’s environment though, there might not be anything hard to bang a bottle against.

If you find that your best option is to use plastic bottles go here to find advice on how to minimize your child’s exposure to the harmful chemical.

I applaud the legislators in Melbourne Australia who have just brought in a law requiring shoppers to pay 10 cents per plastic bag at points of sale. I am not sure whether this step will work in their economy. I have heard of similar efforts that were short lived. In a competitive environment, retailers may start eating the cost in an effort to gain customers from the competition. Eventually nobody is charging for bags.

I like the idea of cashiers always asking if you brought you own bag. My local grocer gave me a tall reusable bag with wheels on the bottom last year. It is just the right size for 2 days worth of food for a family of four. The wheels come in handy when I am getting a watermelon.

Source: inhabitat