Recycling plastic
September 22, 2008
Plastic recycling – hows it done – click here to see 
Turning plastic rubbish into picnic benches and all manner of other uses for recycled plastic lumber
Recycling plastic into funky boards to be used for all manner of things – to see the yogurt pot coffee table click here
Plastic Problems – disposal solutions
September 21, 2008
What we do with plastic rubbish now…
Landfill – plastic in landfill is a big problem – because it doesn’t rot, it is there for ever. Consequently the landfill is filling up.
Plastic litter as individually dropped, wind borne or deliberately tipped into rivers and the sea ( boats are allowed to dump their rubbish into the oceans) is a huge environmental problem
Burning plastic – in small fires or incinerators either way its a hot debate with very wildly opposing opinions expressed strongly by all involved
Recycling - melting down plastic rubbish to make new plastic products is a better way of dealing with our plastic rubbish and needs to be promoted more
Degradable Plastic the industries solution – an addative that causes plastic to degrade faster
Plastic eating microbes - can they eat all that plastic rubbish?
Crafty Plastic – using old throwaway plastic rubbish to make something new and beautiful
OR ….just stop creating plastic rubbish. Dont be part of the plastic problem join the plastic boycott – take a look round my blog for plastic free products and check out these Anti Plastic Campaigns .
Find other plastic free products with the >>>A-Z<<< plastic free index
Pastic facts
September 19, 2008
Plastic can be made from plants or oil.
Petroleum based plastic are by far the most used plastics in the world today.
What is plastic and how is it made –
oil to plastic
Plastic Lifespan
How long does plastic last?
Some things you might want to know
Biodegrading – what is it and how long it takes
Degrading – why leaves rot and plastic doesnt
Where does dead plastic go?- Once your bottle is in the bin what happens to it?
Types of Plastic – including information on
Polythene, PVC and others
Clingfilm
The plastic codes – those numbers you find on the base of your shampoo bottle
Degradable Plastic – the new wonder plastic that breaks down more quickly – hmm
Chemicals In Plastic -
chemicals in you?
Non oil based plastics
Plant based plastics
What is plastic?
September 15, 2008
Plastic can be made from plants or oil. Petroleum based plastic are by far the most used plastics in the world today.
How Plastic Is Made
Plastic Lifespan
Plastic does not biodegrade because it is a combination of elements extracted from crude oil then re mixed up by men in white coats. Because these combinations are man made they are unknown to nature. Consequently there is no natural system to break them down. However it does rip, tear and break up into smaller pieces. This process is called degrading. This can take centuries depending on the type of plastic and conditions Plastic never really dissappers. It continues to break down until it is invisible plastic dust. In effect it lasts for ever.
Know your plastic
Plastic codes - The numbers you find on the base of your shampoo bottle identify the type of plastic it is made from. Types of plastic incude
-
- Biaxially Oriented polypropylene -BOPP – BOPP for short
- HDPE (High-density polyethylene) plastic code 2 link as found in plastic bags & plastic code
- LDPE (Low density polyethylene) plastic code 4 as found in plastic bags & plastic code
- PET or PETE (Polyethylene terephthalate) plastic code 1
- Polythene or polyethylene as found in plastic bags
- PP (Polypropylene) plastic code 5 as found in plastic bags
- PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) plastic code 3 plastic code
- PS (Polystyrene or styrofoam) plastic code 6
- Clingfilm
- Other kinds of plastic
- Chemicals In Plastic – chemicals in you? Where does dead plastic go? Once your bottle is in the bin what happens to it? Alternatives Plant based plastics
Crafty Plastic
September 11, 2008
Dont get me wrong – plastic recycling is good but these guys are my kind of people – they dont throw plastic rubbish away as the bad people do, but they dont recycle it either. No they cut out the middle man and reuse plastic rubbish to make other wonderful and useful things
The Fusers - they fuse together sevral flimsy plastic bags together to create one strong sheet that can then be sewn into all manner of things
The knitters knit their old plastic bags up into all sorts of fantastic things
The Squirel Bafflers fool those furry bird seed stealers with this cunning foil
The junk boaters – sail round the world on a boat made from plastic bottles
In the building trade plastic bottles and candy wrappers have been used to make bricks
Plastic Free Categories
July 7, 2008
Bags - where ever possible I use reusable bags … but sometimes packaging needs to be disposable – in which case it should be biodegradable. There are all kinds of bags to be found in this section from carrier bags to reusable produce bags to compostable corn starch bags
Bio Plastics - the plastic free plastic if you like – and you probably don’t
Celebrations - parties, birthdays and a plastic free all hallows
Cleaning plastic free brushes and soaps
Drinks
Food
Gardens
Health and Beauty – this section includes shampoo, q tips, stuff like that. Grooming plastic free does require some planning mainly because it involves making stuff. On the other hand making your own body lotion and face cream is good fun and they can be adapted to suit.
HOMES……..For plastic free houses
2007 – To see what I gave up in my first plastic free year, follow the link
The plastic free shopper is under development
Want to cut down on your plastic rubbish? – you can find other plastic free products with the >>>A-Z<<< plastic free index
Pratfalls
June 10, 2008
I dont want you running away with the idea that I am perfect, a shining light in a naughty world. No Pam too has her problems. Not only was there was the terrible bell ringing incident and she has occasionally fallen by the plastic wayside. Plastic pledges have been broken – there there have been unexpected friends, hunger in strange places or difficult shop persons.
I am not blaming others or even myself. Living without plastic needs a certain amount of planning and plans going astray is a fairly common kind of thing. And of course the more I give the more pitfalls there are.
So here are my plastic bloopers
Home, Office, Parties and Gardens
June 5, 2008
Washing the pots
dish cleaning brushes pan scrubs Washing Up Liquid
Liquid Cleaners
LAUNDRY LIQUID, FABRIC SOFTENER,
MULTISURFACE CLEANER, TOILET CLEANER
Rubbish
Binliners and how to do without them.
Zero Waste – how to reduce your rubbish
Parties
GARDENS
Gardens too can generate a lot of plastic
- what about all those plastic plant pots?
Food & Drink
June 2, 2008
There are now so many plastic free products I have started and A to Z plastic free index.
Health & Beauty
May 20, 2008
Health – well I have given up smoking
Beauty plastic free does require some planning – this is not as easy as other life style choices mainly because it involves making stuff. On the other hand making your own body lotion and face cream is good fun and they can be adapted to suit. For instance my skin is so sensitive I couldn’t put on cream after swimming or even washing sometimes. I have found that leaving out the preservatives in products solves this problem.
Click on the product to find out more about plastic free…..
Creams and Lotions
self tan lotion
Suppliers
Pots and ingredients can be bought from
