The Story Of Plastic …Part 2

Asia particularly is drowning in plastic…Trash becomes trash after it has been used…once it has served its purpose…Most solutions are consumer not manufacturer led.

Trapped in Plastic

I think this beautiful image drawn and painted by Rishika perfectly depicts my drowning in plastic comment…she really is a skilful artist…Thank you Rishika for letting me use this image…

Cleanups although admirable are not the solution they don’t make the problem go away…

Having taken the western world’s plastic for decades … Countries like China and Thailand have now stopped this practice and handed it back to western countries …But what are countries like India doing to solve their mountains of plastic now that they are still taking in some waste from abroad? Their waste mountains seem to be almost legendary around the world

The Alliance to stop plastic waste is a non-profit organisation that has partnered with companies from around the world to eliminate unmanaged plastic waste in the environment so far it is made up of thirty global companies from plastics and consumer goods …

Sadly where will it end and when…Exxon Mobil and Saudi Arabia’s SABIC have joined together to open the worlds largest plastic manufacturing facility of its kind having received billions in US tax breaks and other subsidies.  The latest estimate is that 194 billion will be invested in the US into 355 new or expanded facilities for petrochemicals primarily for plastics from now to 2025.

The facilities will convert hydrocarbons such as ethane and propane to ethylene a chemical used to make everything from polythene to antifreeze.

Ethylene, with worldwide consumption of 133 million tonnes/year, is the chemical industry’s primary building block

Can Polythene be recycled?

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) can…

HDPE plastic is the stiff plastic used to make milk jugs, detergent and oil bottles, toys and some plastic bags. HDPE is the most commonly recycled plastic and is considered one of the safest forms of plastic.

My concerns are around the manufacturing process and not the end product…For example, Propane is a relatively clean-burning fuel which is attributed to its lower carbon content.

However, its combustion produces waste…such as particle matter, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, greenhouse gas, methane and non-methane organic carbon.

These huge plants springing up are they going to be using steam fracking or green fracking? Scientists favour green fracking however due to demand will cost override environmental and human health concerns?

Because, without rigorous safety regulations, it can poison groundwater, pollute surface water, impair wild landscapes, and threaten wildlife.

Lastly, just in case the letters confuse you they sure confuse me at times although I am getting better…This older posts on the plastic symbols explains all…

https://carolcooks2.com/2018/02/15/plastic-are-you-confused/

More about that in Part 3 next week…

That’s all for today…Be well and stay safe don’t forego those precautions too quickly as many areas are seeing an increase in Covid-19 cases…It ain’t over yet folks…Better to be safe than sorry…xx

About Carol Taylor: 

Enjoying life in The Land Of Smiles I am having so much fun researching, finding new, authentic recipes both Thai and International to share with you. New recipes gleaned from those who I have met on my travels or are just passing through and stopped for a while. I hope you enjoy them.

I love shopping at the local markets, finding fresh, natural ingredients, new strange fruits and vegetable ones I have never seen or cooked with. I am generally the only European person and attract much attention and I love to try what I am offered and when I smile and say Aroy or Saab as it is here in the north I am met with much smiling.

Some of my recipes may not be in line with traditional ingredients and methods of cooking but are recipes I know and have become to love and maybe if you dare to try you will too. You will always get more than just a recipe from me as I love to research and find out what other properties the ingredients I use contain to improve our health and wellbeing.

Exciting for me hence the title of my blog, Retired No One Told Me! I am having a wonderful ride and don’t want to get off, so if you wish to follow me on my adventures, then welcome! I hope you enjoy the ride also and if it encourages you to take a step into the unknown or untried, you know you want to…….Then, I will be happy!

Thank you once again for reading this post I hope you all have a fabulous week and stay safe these are troubling times xx

 

 

42 thoughts on “The Story Of Plastic …Part 2”

  1. dgkaye

    Pretty scary stuff. Also what the US is doing with pulling back on environtmental protections, their pollution becomes addon to global polution. As we can see with those who don’t wear masks, some people don’t get it til it’s too late. 😦 xx

    Liked by 2 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      It is Debby… I have gone through many different emotions when I do my research mainly just the total lack of disregard for both the environment and human health.. It is mind numbing Hugs xxx

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Pingback: CarolCooks2…weekly roundup 2nd August -8th August 2020…Climate Change, Recipes, Health, Whimsy, and Tigers… | Retired? No one told me!

  3. amreade

    Why doesn’t it surprise me that the US is providing such huge tax breaks to companies that pollute the environment? What we need to be doing is providing financial incentives for companies that do exactly the opposite. I wish more people in power would listen to the science and see for themselves the damage that plastics are doing to the earth. Thanks for again highlighting this epidemic. We rely too much on plastics and I’m just as guilty as the next person—we have to do better.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      I have given up being surprised, Amy…I am just so disappointed that in all walks of life there is so much greed and duplicity…It makes me scared at times for the future..Yes we do have to do better but then so do they …By that I mean those in charge who should have a duty of care for the people who elect them …

      Like

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Thank you, Debbie.. It is shocking… I am reading Sugar, Salt, Fat at the moment about the food industry and that is shocking… About people learning… I have finally released most won’t.. ❤️… I love that image I really do and am so happy that you and others also love it ❤️

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Pingback: The Story Of Plastic …Part 2 | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Thank you, Sally.. My brain is adled at the sheer scale of the complicity… I have listened and read so much it is a minefield but we do need plastic in some cases.. Hospital incubators for example.. Just not all this difficult to recycable or non recycable stuff.. Thank you.. for sharing my drum banging Hugs xx

      Liked by 1 person

  8. petespringerauthor

    I also like Rishika’s artwork! Trapping a character inside a plastic water bottle makes quite the statement.

    I had no idea that countries like India had such a plastic problem. How tragic that they are compounding things by their actions! Thank you for fighting the good fight to provide education, Carol.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      They are but they are tackling it …see Part 3 but it is a mammoth task..it must be dreadful to live that that, Pete…I am pleased you like it… I thought it was brilliant she is quite a talented artist…I love it!

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Sue Dreamwalker

    This is such an important post in highlighting the HUGE amounts of plastic that are accumulating, Our own plastic recycle plants in UK often sending their piles of plastic overseas… For others to deal with it.. Where its choking the environment and the people… As the oceans and rivers are polluted.. fish now being found to contain micro balls of plastic within them…
    The Image and Artwork from Rishika just amazing…
    Love and well wishes dear Carol… and Bless your heart and Rishika for caring so much about our Earth Mothers Creatures and Environment… 💖🙏💖

    Liked by 2 people

  13. Sue Dreamwalker

    This is such an important post in highlighting the HUGE amounts of plastic that are accumulating, Our own plastic recycle plants in UK often sending their piles of plastic overseas… For others to deal with it.. Where its choking the environment and the people… As the oceans and rivers are polluted.. fish now being found to contain micro balls of plastic within them…
    The Image and Artwork from Rishika just amazing…
    Love and well wishes dear Carol… and Bless your heart and Rishika for caring so much about our Earth Mothers Creatures and Environment… 💖🙏💖

    Liked by 2 people

  14. Jim Borden

    never realized how much plastic is produced and where it ends up. I feel bad for India. And I’m surprised that there are still new plastic manufacturing plants being built…

    thanks for raising my awareness…

    Liked by 1 person

  15. marianbeaman

    ASIA is drowning in plastic, oh, my! So are other parts of the world.

    Thanks for the rich material here, including all the videos. You DO your research, Carol.
    I’m happy to say my recycling bin is at least 4 times as full as the trash bin.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. CarolCooks2 Post author

      Thank you, Marian unfortunately we can’t be sure that what we are recycling is being dealt with as it should be …I am at loss here as I don’t think mine is 🙂

      Like

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