Fing Plastic

If you've ever been in the Pacific ocean, you may have noticed how much plastic trash is floating around. I spent 4 months at sea in the Pacific and there wasn't a single time I could look out and NOT see some trash floating around.

This plastic breaks down overtime and becomes "microplastic". It has been estimated that on average, you consume 250 grams of micro plastic every year. And it's only getting worse.

Bon Appétit.


Link

Microscopic pieces of plastic have been discovered in the most remote locations, from the depths of the ocean to Arctic ice. Another place that plastic is appearing is inside our bodies. We’re breathing microplastic, eating it and drinking plastic-infused water every day.

Plastic does not biodegrade. Instead, it breaks down into smaller pieces, and ultimately ends up everywhere, including in the food chain. Pieces that are less than five millimeters in length, around the size of a sesame seed, are called “microplastics.”

This affects wildlife as well.


Link

All over the world, researchers like Magadini are staring through microscopes at tiny pieces of plastic—fibers, fragments, or microbeads—that have made their way into marine and freshwater species, both wild caught and farmed. Scientists have found microplastics in 114 aquatic species, and more than half of those end up on our dinner plates. Now they are trying to determine what that means for human health.

Every year five million to 14 million tons flow into our oceans from coastal areas. Sunlight, wind, waves, and heat break down that material into smaller bits that look—to plankton, bivalves, fish, and even whales—a lot like food.

Studies so far have shown that the plastics mostly stay in the gut and do not move to muscle/fat, parts of fish we eat which is good news.

But I hear ya barking big dog. "I recycle my plastic"

Well, of the over 8 BILLION tons of plastic that has been produced, only 9 percent has been recycled. In fact, the vast majority of it is not even possible to recycle.

Everyone has seen these recycle symbols on all plastic containers.



Those symbols being required were pushed by, you guessed it, plastic companies and companies like Coke and Pepsi. It gives the illusion that all the plastic is recyclable.

Smith went out to the piles of plastic and started flipping over the containers. All of them were now stamped with the triangle of arrows — known as the international recycling symbol — with a number in the middle. He knew right away what was happening.

"All of a sudden, the consumer is looking at what's on their soda bottle and they're looking at what's on their yogurt tub, and they say, 'Oh well, they both have a symbol. Oh well, I guess they both go in,'

Link

the makers of plastic — the nation's largest oil and gas companies — have known this all along, even as they spent millions of dollars telling the American public the opposite.

NPR and PBS Frontline spent months digging into internal industry documents and interviewing top former officials. We found that the industry sold the public on an idea it knew wouldn't work — that the majority of plastic could be, and would be, recycled — all while making billions of dollars selling the world new plastic.

I'm sure many remember the commercial of the Indian crying about littering. (Actually he's an Italian actor, not Native American).


That commercial was paid for by plastic producing companies.

"If the public thinks that recycling is working, then they are not going to be as concerned about the environment," Larry Thomas, former president of the Society of the Plastics Industry, known today as the Plastics Industry Association and one of the industry's most powerful trade groups in Washington, D.C.

Link

So what happens to all our plastic trash? We used to ship it to China. But a few years ago they stopped taking the worlds trash. So now we either burry it or pay 3rd world countries to take it. They either bury it or burn it causing harm to their own citizens.

Here we have some US plastic in Malaysia. This one town has 19 thousand tons.


Link

Last summer, a small town in Malaysia grew accustomed to the smell of burning plastic. At night, the putrid scent would waft into homes in Jenjarom, a community of around 30,000 residents.

Today, the fumes have mostly dissipated, but their source — nearly 19,000 tons of waste piled in high heaps — is still around.

Burning plastic can release toxic chemicals like mercury, dioxins, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) into the atmosphere, which poses a threat to human health.

A 2016 study found that burning plastic waste could increase the risk of heart disease and cause damage to the nervous system. The study also noted side effects like rashes, headaches, nausea, and worsened asthma.

Now what happens when these countries stop taking this trash? It seems they are already on the path to end it.

The Malaysian government is hesitant to ban plastic imports, given the lucrative nature of the business, but it recently announced that it would send 3,000 metric tons of plastic waste (or over 6.6 million pounds) back to exporting countries such as the US, Japan, France, Canada, Australia, and the UK.

Yeo told Reuters in May that 60 containers of trash had been illegally imported at Port Klang. "If you ship to Malaysia, we will return it back without mercy," she said.

The point is that oil and plastic companies spend millions every year on making you believe that this isn't a problem. They've been doing it since the 80's.

The feeling was the plastics industry was under fire — we got to do what it takes to take the heat off, because we want to continue to make plastic products," he says.

"The basic question on the table was, You guys as our trade association in the plastics industry aren't doing enough — we need to do more," Freeman says. "I remember this is one of those exchanges that sticks with me 35 years later or however long it's been ... and it was what we need to do is ... advertise our way out of it. That was the idea thrown out."

So began the plastics industry's $50 million-a-year ad campaign promoting the benefits of plastic.

I encourage anyone to read the full PBS article.

Pretty soon these problems will be too big to advertise their way out of. I'm sure all those millions they've spent lying could have been better spent on finding an actual solution.

Mmmm... Microplastic....

Just kidding. Yes, plastic is both a blessing and a harm. It has made our lives much easier, and nearly everything is made of plastic now. The genie is out of the bottle now, no putting it back.

I am not sure what the solution is though, but there are alternitives.

Back in the late 30s, early 40s, they found that a biodegradable plastic could be made from Soy. Not sure why that was never put to use. Probably cheaper to use oil.

a reply to: FauxMulder

Don't look up PFAS/C-8. You'll lose your mind about how even more pervasive that **** is.

a reply to: MrRCflying

Plastic is a byproduct left over from making fuel.
Honestly most people have no clue what is made from all the petrochemical byproducts.

originally posted by: MrRCflying

I am not sure what the solution is though, but there are alternitives.

I don't think there will be any one catch all solution. Probably need to do a bunch of little things. For example, stop putting every product in a vacuum sealed plastic package.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

It's awesomely in the blood of 98% of Americans according to the CDC. Must be good for us.

There are so many alternatives, but its all about the money.
Wax coated cardboard
Soy plastics (noted by MrRCflying)
Glass

We are never going to be able to fix the damage we have done.
And the whole "climate change" screeching, is to deflect from this type of mess we have made, with our disposable lifestyles.

Great topic here's the thing, in this great reset why is this not a priority #1. See below hemp plastic has great promise. But the plastic industry no doubt has friends in Congress and elsewhere. Not to be overly dramatic but taking care of and replacing plastic is more important than this COVID BS. Plastic though is rarely discussed except in broad terms like recycling etc. Instead of throwing out wild ideas concentrate on this one issue.

Hell in this day and age people will use whatever their stuff comes in. Did people stop eating Big Macs when they changed from styrofoam to paper cartons? This is one problem strictly up to the industry and politicians, the end consumer will use whatever they put out there.

The companies and the politicians could do this, but there is s a couple of caveats #1 initial # is going to cost more as they transition from old to new and number two let's just work on those disposable products first, bottles, bags, and packaging. Then move to the other products but as has been mention there are some things made of plastic that is going to be hard to replace at least initially


hemporganic.net...

6 WAYS IN WHICH HEMP PLASTIC IS BETTER THAN CONVENTIONAL PLASTIC


Plastic pollution has been a cause of concern lately and its replacement has been a worldwide dilemma. Thus, in this section, we are going to list 6 ways by which hemp plastic is a better replacement for regular plastic in detail.

PLASTIC FORMED FROM HEMP IS ABSOLUTELY BIODEGRADABLE
The most important reason why plastic is avoided and is considered toxic is that it has a long span of life. A normal plastic water bottle may be used only for a few minutes, but its decomposition may take many years. Apart from that, the involvement of plastic in grocery bags, Tupperware, buttons, packaging as well as electronics are other reasons why the plastic population is exceeding time.

Meanwhile using hemp plastic can be useful when it is prepared with biodegradable polymers.

Unlike normal plastic which we use in daily life, hemp plastics are not responsible for producing pollution.

If it is provided with the right environment, it takes around 3 to 6 months to get decomposed which is remarkable when compared to conventional plastics for daily use.

Even on recycling, conventional plastic may still secrete certain harmful substances which may contribute to pollution. One such harmful substance is BPA.

Plastics that are prepared by hemp does not secrete these toxins and thus are free from such pollution as well.

HEMP PLASTIC IS CONSIDERABLY NON-TOXIC IN NATURE


As we all know, plastic is toxic to our health. It contains endocrine disruptors such as BPA that can interfere with the endocrine system of the human body.

Once these get inside the body, endocrine disruptors act like the hormone estrogen. This imbalance in hormonal levels of the body can cause tumours inside the human body.

Apart from that, it is also linked with other defects like learning disabilities, cancer as well as birth defects.

These endocrine disruptors can also steep into the soil and groundwater and devastate the natural environment and as well as our health.

HELPFUL IN SAVING WILDLIFE
Plastic is responsible for polluting the ocean at an alarming rate. According to a study done by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization and Imperial College of London, it was noted that 60 per cent of seagulls had plastic within their guts.

The amount of speed, in 2050 around 99 per cent of the seagulls will have plastic inside their gut.

When plastic is exposed to sunlight during the day, it breaks into smaller pieces and these small pieces end up being consumed by marine animals.

These small and tiny pieces of plastic disintegrate and move down to the food chain. Apart from that ingesting plastic can lead to many health effects which we are not aware of.

However, on the other hand, hemp plastic is biodegradable in nature, it is non-toxic and does not fill the seas with deadly petrochemical plastics. Including that it can be recycled safely by taking a sustainable initiative.

EXTRAORDINARY AND VERSATILE
Did you know that you can make various normal daily life plastic substances with hemp? Moreover, you can mould it into any shape as well. Here is how you can use hemp plastic effectively in your daily life:

Electronics
Containers
Toys
Cosmetics
Bottles
Bags
Car Parts
Boats
Furniture
These are some of the objects in which you can replace petroleum plastic with hemp plastic. Moreover, manufacturing hemp plastic is cheaper, cost-effective and environment-friendly than the petrochemical plastics.

HEMP PLASTIC CAN DECREASE ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS


With times, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing at an alarming rate.

With the rise in carbon dioxide, the earth’s atmosphere is getting warm as well. And with the rise of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, fossil fuels can decrease with time.

Well, conventional plastics are made from petroleum and this is the reason why plastic is a huge contributor to the rising level of carbon dioxide emissions.

On the other hand, hemp plastics has the potency to reduce the CO2 in the environment. This is because hemp can absorb carbon dioxide and convert it into oxygen. Additionally, the toxic compounds generated by hemp is negligible in amount.

Hemp plastic is a sustainable product and is completely opposite to petrochemical plastics. It is even comparatively stronger than petroleum-based products.

The plastic made from hemp is stiffer and stronger than the common types of plastic formed by polypropylene.

Apart from that, it is also quite light and thus this makes hemp unique than other manufacturing materials.

Apart from that, there are no health risks associated with its use like conventional plastics.

Therefore, it can be concluded that hemp plastics are not only stronger but also safer on use as well. It is lightweight and provides all the benefits that you can get from conventional plastic use.

HEMP IS A RENEWABLE RESOURCE
Hemp is outstanding for the environment from the moment we sow its seeds in the soil. It is a sturdy plant which has deep roots and thus it can provide relief from soil erosion which in return helps in preventing and reducing water pollution.

Moreover, you can cultivate hemp in the same soil for years without harming its quality. It has to be manufactured into plastic, then it continues to remain sustainable and it is also considered 100% biodegradable.

This means with the right conditions and environment, hemp will decompose within a few months.

On the other hand, conventional plastics are not worth taking the risk. More so, because we have a better alternative of it right in front of us.

There are no other such natural resources that can be as capable as hemp and provide the benefits in lesser amount and time.

If we see, we will notice that from the beginning to its end, hemp plastics are absolutely biodegradable. It is a nice initiative towards a better, cleaner, and a more refreshing environment.

Plastic has trapped our environment in many ways and thus replacing it with hemp is an effective and outstanding way to move one step towards a cleaner, greener, and better environment.

a reply to: FauxMulder

One of the most concerning issues of today, they knew it was not going to go away back in the 60's but the material was seen as a miracle material so they just kept on churning it out.

Thing's though only really got to there worst once we started to use it as food wrapping/packaging material, I remember potato chips (Crisps) in paper bags and also chocolate bars and in fact they tasted better than they do today, fizzy drink's in steel can's and glass bottles and none of those nasty plastic bottles we have gotten so used to, yes people dropped them and yes there was a hell of a lot more glass waste but glass just turn's back into silica sand while some of this plastic will be around for ten's of thousands of years.

There are microbes that have been discovered that eat it so there is yet hope.

But not as long as Asia and Africa just dump there waste into the ocean and less than respectable waste recycling firms in the west send there's to be processed in Asia.

originally posted by: FauxMulder
It's awesomely in the blood of 98% of Americans according to the CDC. Must be good for us.

It's like having Pam Cooking Spray for blood since you're all now filled with Teflon.

a reply to: FauxMulder
I was talking about this in another thread,and I calculated that based on the recent revalation that humans eat approximatley 1 credit cards worth of plastic each week,that by the time we reach 70years old we have eaten around 20KG of plastic...

A 1.5litre empty plastic water bottle weighs roughly 32grams,so that means as a way to visualise how much plastic a 70year old has ingested during their life-

20 000 grams divided by 32 grams = 625 1.5litre plastic bottles.

But don't forget-unborn babies of ALL species on earth are getting a head start on that number as micro plastic particles are transferred to fetuses thoughout pregnancy!
Bonus plastic,for free!


Insert "this is fine" meme here..

a reply to: putnam6

Hemp would be a great alternative. I see the MJ industry getting bigger every year so this might eventually be something that is used.

Plastic though is rarely discussed except in broad terms like recycling etc.

Like I said in the OP, the plastic industry spends millions every year convincing everyone this isn't a problem and makes it look as if most of it IS being recycled.

originally posted by: FauxMulder
Like I said in the OP, the plastic industry spends millions every year convincing everyone this isn't a problem and makes it look as if most of it IS being recycled.

Coke and Pepsi, who helped contribute to the mentality that all their packaging gets recycled, are the two largest recipients of SNAP/EBT money spent by those who are on the plans so they are poisoning you at both ends of the process.

a reply to: FauxMulder


Ummm...disgusting...isn’t it...?


A number of years ago I fired off some e-mails to the UN Environment assembly asking why something wasn’t being done about this...I also included some ideas on robotic plastic collecting scows...etc for filtering out the micro plastic...and collecting the larger pieces before they broke down...I also included thoughts on taxing the polluter nations to pay for the effort...I had a whole plan man...

The only response I got was...crickets...nada...

I even thought a foundation of some sort might be the way to go...and looked into that...but the hurdles were so damned huge that I gave up and went back to my 9:00 to 5:00 and promptly compartmentalized the issue...


Frankly...I wish I could have done more...had more resources to lobby for action...but the need to eat...and pay my bills...and maintain that credit score got in the way...and here we still are...














YouSir

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: MrRCflying

Plastic is a byproduct left over from making fuel.
Honestly most people have no clue what is made from all the petrochemical byproducts.

Yep. I just said 'oil' to keep it short.

On one hand it makes sense. Instead of discarding all the byproducts, turn them into plastic. On the other hand, it still pollutes. Either way, you end up disposing of something.

originally posted by: Silcone Synapse
a reply to: FauxMulder

But don't forget-unborn babies of ALL species on earth are getting a head start on that number as micro plastic particles are transferred to fetuses thoughout pregnancy!
Bonus plastic,for free!

That PFAS/C-8 Augustus mentioned is found in breast milk as well.

is right.

originally posted by: FauxMulder
That PFAS/C-8 Augustus mentioned is found in breast milk as well.

is right.

Yeah, it's like the crack babies of the chemical world.

a reply to: YouSir

There is a kid that has raised 30 million and is making a machine to collect plastic in the ocean. Pretty cool.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: FauxMulder
Like I said in the OP, the plastic industry spends millions every year convincing everyone this isn't a problem and makes it look as if most of it IS being recycled.

Coke and Pepsi, who helped contribute to the mentality that all their packaging gets recycled, are the two largest recipients of SNAP/EBT money spent by those who are on the plans so they are poisoning you at both ends of the process.

I have to admit I've always been a big Coke drinker. But I've more and more been trying to drink tea instead of soda. That ish is delicious though.

If you ask me, oil should only be burned for space exploration