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recycling

This tag is associated with 7 posts

Plastics, recycled plastics, and dangerous chemicals

Okay, so I want to start this post by saying that we need to reduce plastic use overall and that the message in the research I’m going to discuss is not that recycled plastics are the problem. But there are consequences of viewing plastic recycling as the thing that will save us from our plastic … Continue reading

We need to change how we use and recycle plastics to achieve sustainability

Plastics are everywhere. For decades they’ve been cheap and disposable. But plastics are made mostly from crude oil. So between the impacts of the oil and the impacts of the waste plastics, particularly incinerating these wastes, release huge amounts of carbon dioxide. This makes plastic a huge issue for climate change. But, you might ask, … Continue reading

Reducing plastic is going to take more than recycling but that’s the extent of most corporate commitments

I think many people have been left with the feeling that not only is recycling enough but it’s also the responsibility of the end user to do the recycling. But corporations have a huge responsibility to reduce plastic waste in all areas of the supply chain. And a large number of companies globally indicate that … Continue reading

What does the label actually mean?

Anyone else confused by the stamps on different types of plastics? You know the ones that look like a recycling symbol with a number inside? What about the idea that a plastic is biodegradable but only under certain conditions? Or perhaps which ones are going to breakdown into microplastics? I work into sustainability and about … Continue reading

Saving the Metals From Batteries

Batteries are incredibly useful technologies and key to many sustainable technologies. Unfortunately, the chemicals in batteries pose a huge environmental problem themselves. But a new study by Xiao et al (2021) may have a solution or at least an improvement over the current situation. Ultrasound is a relatively common imaging technology. It uses sound waves … Continue reading

It’s more than just single use plastics

It’s great to see the increasing range of options to reduce single use plastic use. While reusable water bottles and cloth shopping bags have been around for many years, there is now a growing range of options from stores where you can bring in your own reusable container (at least you could before Covid) and … Continue reading

What makes you recycle?

Okay, first thing first. Recycling is not the way to go. We need to reduce the amount of waste we generate first. Strategies like carrying a reusable mug, metal water bottle, and cloth grocery bags are simple places to start on the reduce front. Other strategies like buying clothes that last longer (both fashion wise … Continue reading

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