We generate a lot of plastic junk:
- Plastic bags.
- Plastic bottles and containers.
These plastic junk are a burden to the environment, as they are non-biodegradable, and some are even potentially toxic when burnt (or exposed to sunlight???). Manufacturing the plastics consume a lot of energy during its production, and are made mostly from crude oil derivatives.
What can we do to solve this ever growing problem of plastic junk? Your ideas and comments are greatly welcome in this blog post.
One strategy is to reduce the use of plastic junk:
- As a manufacturer of products, try to use less plastics for packing your products. As a consumer, try to buy products that only use bio-degradable packing materials.
Another strategy is to recycle and reuse the plastic junk. Some wacky ideas using this stratey include:
- Plastic bottles and containers can be washed and reused for storing things.
- You can cut the bottoms of suitably big plastic containers, and then use them as flower pots. Remember to drill or nail a few holes at the bottoms of the containers for drainage of water. (I still haven't found a good way to reuse the tops of the containers...)
- Cut the plastic bags and use them as strings. Use these strings (or superglue) to tie together the plastic bottles and containers. Use these as a man-made raft (your own mini-plastic floating island, hehehe), or possibly for constructing furniture, or even possibly a makeshift shelter.
- Are there companies that collect used plastic bags and containers, that recycle the plastics back into components for industrial re-use?
- Is it a good idea to sink and dump these thoroughly washed and cut-in-half plastic containers into the deep sea oceans, or coral reef environments, with the idea of using them as sanctuaries for fish fries and marine life to hide in?
- How about dumping these plastic into the deserts, like the Gobi Desert in China, and the Sahara Desert in Africa? The heat, dryness, and strong sunlight in the desert environments will help to accelerate the decomposition of these plastics into carbon dioxide and water. The plastics can also act as a natural shield to prevent the desert from expanding and encroaching other non-desert lands. We just need to make sure that these plastics will not leach into the water table, and contaminate the local water supply.
Information about Plastic Waste - Part 1:
- "Plague of Plastic Chokes the Seas", http://www.latimes.com/news/local/oceans/la-me-ocean2aug02,0,3130914.story
- "The Great Plastic Bag Plague", http://www.alternet.org/environment/61607/
- "Facts and figures regarding the true cost of plastic bags", http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php
- "Campaign Against The Plastic Plague", http://www.earthresource.org/campaigns/capp/capp-goals.html
- "Eco-warrior sets sail to save oceans from 'plastic death'", http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/apr/12/david-de-rothschild-plastiki-pacific
