| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Environmental Audit Committee Calls for Deposit Return System on Plastic Bottles | |
| Posted by: | Raymond Havelock | |
| Date/Time: | 06/02/18 10:58:00 |
| Black plastic tubs and pots for growing are not for ornamental purposes that is a complete bonus but not the reason why. They are often coloured for a reason. The terracotta, blue and yellow colours being the only one that is for traditional appearance. It is to do with temperature control and irrigation for certain varieties of plants It is also to do with durability and temperature, climate, disease control and transit resistance. It might be trendy at the moment to attack the use of plastics but the fact is there are 60 million people in this country alone and they need to be watered, fed and provided for. And it's all about money. Right down to the last drop of water. Plastics of variable form have enabled affordability, sustainability and a wide range of produce and goods that would otherwise be completely inaccessible to much of this huge populous, not to mention all those in other countries. The plastic bottle has brought fresh water to places in the world where glass containers was simply not practicable on a mass scale. Yes it is frustrating that technology has not yet caught up with the practical issues - just like diesel engines. But knee-jerk reactions will simply increase costs, reduce choice and with that reduce production and thus job viability and then we will experience shortages. In India and some states in Africa,the custom is to destroy a plastic bottle immediately after use, to prevent it being resold with contaminated water. The real problem is again money. The unwillingness of recycling companies to invest in means of recycling plastics. Plant pots can be reused, but they do have a limited life before they become brittle. In urban areas a return to using the milkman would be great, but only if the milkman is really early. Our work patterns are now so different with many of us away a day here and there and often at short notice that waste would be an issue. But one has to ask why the street clogging plethora of supermarket delivery vehicles are not Hybrid or electric? I note that LBH are very quick to hit CPZ permit holders who have a diesel car with a surcharge but do they leave their vehicles idling in their streets? No. It would be better to insist all short range delivery vehicles are hybrid or electric traction and that the refrigeration units are also compliant. Funny that even in the 1970s the once super slow milk float had evolved to a 40 mph capable vehicle but was not viable with the decline in doorstep deliveries. |