Reducing the use of Plastics

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Reducing the use of Plastics
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Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15968

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 6:41 am Post subject:

Good idea to have non-plastic packaging for the plant company. We are trying to think of ways of cutting out plastic in our company, but it isn't easy. We currently sell logs in plastic net bags; a requirement is that the customer can see what they are buying, and with a plastic laminated label as they are sometimes stored outside. We are thinking of a re-useable plastic baby dumpy bag, but that is going to be complicated with deposits paid to our outlets, but we will offer it to some of them next winter. Still plastic, but not as bad.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8920
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 8:20 am Post subject:
Can you get non-plastic net bags?

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 11:41 am Post subject:

gz wrote:

Can you get non-plastic net bags?

Sounds like a challenge to all the weavers on the forum

Henry

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 1:40 pm Post subject:
I seem to remember Jamsam making some!

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 1:43 pm Post subject:
Like these net shopping bags? https://weefolkart.com/market-bag-patterns-crochet-knit-sew/

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 1:44 pm Post subject:

Slim wrote:

But they're also for packaging items for moving house!

I don't think you can say no.

Gimme 4 weeks and I'd love a box!

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8920
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 2:05 pm Post subject:

Fee wrote:

Like these net shopping bags? https://weefolkart.com/market-bag-patterns-crochet-knit-sew/

good, but possibly not suitable/economic for kindling?

Bebo

Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 12590
Location: East Sussex

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 7:19 pm Post subject:
To avoid using chuck away plastic spoons / forks, I carry a titanium spork around in the backpack I use for work. The next target should be plastic straws. No need to find a replacement, just drink without using a straw.

Slim

Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6612
Location: New England (In the US of A)

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 7:49 pm Post subject:

Bebo wrote:

To avoid using chuck away plastic spoons / forks, I carry a titanium spork around in the backpack I use for work.

The next target should be plastic straws. No need to find a replacement, just drink without using a straw.

Some folks can't drink easily without a straw. But there are metal straws that can be purchased, same as your metal spork.

Bebo

Joined: 21 May 2007
Posts: 12590
Location: East Sussex

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 7:59 pm Post subject:

Slim wrote:

Some folks can't drink easily without a straw. But there are metal straws that can be purchased, same as your metal spork.

True, but they are few and far between. My uncle has Parkinson's and is one of them (his hands shake to much for him to pick up a glass or cup without chucking the contents of it in his face).

I seem to recall most straws were waxed paper when I was a kid. Why not go back to those.

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 8:47 pm Post subject:
One can still buy waxed paper straws. Henry

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9881
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Tue Mar 27, 18 11:27 pm Post subject:
riverford write about their efforts to reduce plastic, making some interesting points, like some foods need extra protection, and most biodegradable plastic won't biodegrade in the ocean, or sometimes not in the home compost heap

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 18 12:08 am Post subject:

Bebo wrote:

Slim wrote:

Some folks can't drink easily without a straw. But there are metal straws that can be purchased, same as your metal spork.

I nearly always use a straw. I have insanely sensitive teeth, and I can’t drink anything hot or cold without one. I carry a metal water bottle with an integrated silicone straw and use silicone straws at home. I try to carry a silicone straw with me, but inevitably there are times when I have forgotten to put it back in my bag after washing. Then I use plastic.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 18 12:23 am Post subject:

This is not a defence of single use plastic, and I’m definitely on board with reducing single use plastic as far as possible. But why is it such an issue?

I was thinking it’s a finite, oil intensive resource, but surely that applies to metal as well? But then I thought metal is recyclable, but so is plastic, isn’t it? Why is single use plastic any worse than single use metal? (food or drinks cans, for example). Is it because it’s not so economic to recycling it, and its more likely to get dumped? I know soft plastics are less recyclable, and many schemes don’t take them, so is the issue that the infrastructure isn’t there to recycle them? Or that it’s not economical? If so, could these also be tackled as well?

Like I said, I am absolutely in favour and actively trying to reduce plastic consumption in our house. I just find myself wondering why it’s more of an issue than any other finite resource, and if so, are there lessons that would be helpful as to why they aren’t such big issues. Or are they, and we’re just not hearing about it? So are the oceans/rainforests/sensitive dessert environments also full of dangerous metal rubbish, but it wasn’t on Blue Planet?

Shane

Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Posts: 3467
Location: Doha. Is hot.

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 18 2:55 am Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

Bebo wrote:

Slim wrote:

Some folks can't drink easily without a straw. But there are metal straws that can be purchased, same as your metal spork.

I'm seeing more and more of these popping up at eco-minded food outlets

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