Feb
2

By

We’re going overboard with beach rubbish

Category: International, National Tags:

An estimated 80 per cent of marine rubbish is made up of various types of plastic. Photo / 123RF
An estimated 80 per cent of marine rubbish is made up of various types of plastic. Photo / 123RF

Beach rubbish has been in the spotlight recently with keen crabbers on the shores of Omaha leaving behind pigs’ heads and chicken carcasses – apparently irresistible to curious crustaceans. Stumbling upon or indeed over a pig’s head while out for a walk is without doubt an extremely unpleasant experience, however a seemingly innocent plastic bag blowing along the beach is destined to have a much more sinister effect when it ends up inside a sea turtle’s stomach.

Wondering how my local beach fared after a hot day with lots of human activity, I took my dogs for a run and did a spot of rubbish collecting along the shore and rock pools.

I quickly filled one of the four plastic bags I found in the space of half an hour with glass fragments, three tangled sections of fishing line and a sinker, three aluminum cans, two plastic bottles, a plastic lined drink carton, a plastic drink holder ring, a bottle top and a jandal.

As well as rubbish discarded by beachgoers that day, some had clearly been in the sea for a time and had washed up. Marine rubbish from beach users is generously added to by recreational craft and commercial vessels, via stormwater drains, from oil rigs and blown offshore from the mainland.

Does it really matter? The ocean is huge!

Considering that the ocean comprises almost three quarters of our planet, you may think it can ‘soak up’ a lot of rubbish before any real damage is done. This may be so, but sadly the amount of rubbish generated is now at the point that the effects are being well and truly felt.A dramatic example of the cumulative effect of rubbish in the ocean is the ‘Pacific Garbage Patch’ in the North Pacific Ocean, where American oceanographer Charles Moore estimates about 100 million tons of rubbish, predominantly plastics forms a floating island that takes a week to sail through. Ocean currents have concentrated the waste in this area and the ‘plastic soup’ continues to grow.


Volunteers try to clear a dam which is filled with discarded plastic bottles and other garbage, blocking Vacha Dam, near the town of Krichim on April 25, 2009. AFP PHOTO / DIMITAR DILKOFF. Photo / Flickr Creative Commons

How long does rubbish last in the sea and what does it do?

Information from the NZ Forest and Bird Society shows just how long carelessly discarded rubbish remains intact in our oceans:Orange peel: 2 years
Cigarette butts: 1-5 years
Plastic bags: 20-50 years
Tin cans: 50 years
Aluminium cans: 80-100 years
Plastic bottles: 250 years
Glass: I million years

An estimated 80 per cent of marine rubbish is made up of various types of plastic.

Plastics can be mistaken for food by marine animals which then suffer such effects as starvation, dehydration, poisoning and other painful conditions often leading to their death.

Sea turtles for example mistake plastic bags for their jelly fish prey. Sea birds also consume plastic which can resemble small fish. Autopsies of albatross have shown large amounts of plastic contained in their stomachs.

As floating plastic breaks down into smaller pieces it is consumed by plankton feeders, also with disastrous results.

Marine mammals such as dolphins, whales and seals as well as seabirds have been reported entangled in marine rubbish. Discarded fishing equipment and the plastic rings that hold bottles of water together are common examples of this danger. As rubbish sinks to the sea floor it then smothers smaller creatures, blocking out light and preventing the uptake of nutrients.

What you can do?

• Organise a local beach or estuary clean up – this is a great way to work together as a community and get to know your neighbours.
• Choose alternatives to plastic wherever possible.
• No balloon releases – these end up in the sea.
• When on the boat or at the beach, take your rubbish with you.
• Avoid packaging and containers designed for single use and those products with unrecyclable or excessive packaging.
• If you’re at the beach or on the water and you see rubbish, pick it up.The old Reduce, Reuse and Recycle catchphrase is spot on – use less, reuse what you’ve got and recycle what you can’t.

The sea plays an integral role in the health of our planet, it supports millions of creatures, many we are yet to discover and it’s a great place to have fun in the summer. Let’s not treat it like a rubbish dump.

– nzherald.co.nz

Jan
29

By

Textile breakthrough straight from the tree

Category: International Tags: ,

Spain: When one thinks of pineapples, one usually doesn’t think past an Hawaiian pizza or a nice fruit salad. Spanish firm Ananas Anam is challenging that narrow view by designing Piñatex – an innovative, natural and sustainable non-woven textile.

Piñatex is produced from the fibres of pineapple leaves which are a by-product of the pineapple harvest. It is made according to a patented technology based on the expertise of company founder Carmen Hijosa, a Spanish designer who previously worked as a consultant in the Philippines leather goods industry.

Piñatex offers an alternative to leather as well as textiles in the fashion, accessory and upholstery markets. The ‘revolutionary’ material can be printed on and laser cut, and is produced in 218- or 150-cm-wide rolls at ‘a competitive price’. According to Hijosa, 480 leaves are needed to produce one square metre of medium-weight Piñatex.

She describes the material as ‘breathable and soft, light and flexible, mouldable and easily dyed’. Major sportswear brand Puma has already partnered with the company to create a suede shoe prototype from Piñatex. Meanwhile, Auto Interior of London has created a car seat in 100% natural Piñatex.

Ananas Anam claims it is inspired by the cradle-to-cradle vision as outlined by Prof. Michael Braungart. Currently, research & development teams in the UK and Spain are dedicated to enhancing the finishing technology to extend the material’s application.

 

Spanish designer Carmen Hijosa says that popular brands are now actively pursuing sustainable alternatives for both textiles and leather.

Jan
28

By

E-scrap industry hit by ‘huge losses’

Category: International Tags:

Austria: Worldwide, electronics recyclers are facing difficult times. Metal prices have declined, the metal content in electronic devices has shrunk while the costs of collection and treatment have risen, Stefan Georg Fuchs of copper recycling major Aurubis told a press conference staged during the 2015 International Electronics Recycling Congress (IERC) held last week in Salzburg, Austria.

‘For some types of computers and other IT equipment, metal content has fallen by more than 50%,’ Fuchs pointed out. ‘At the same time, the costs of collection, treatment and environmentally sound recovery have increased while prices have declined. Today, most non-ferrous and precious metal prices are on the level of four or five years ago.’

As a consequence, said Fuchs, many recycling companies have suffered ‘huge losses or even had to cease operations’. The Aurubis representative went on to underline the importance of improving the collection infrastructure. ‘Increasing the efficiency of collection systems by only a few percent can make the difference between survival and insolvency,’ he suggested.

And he also called on the industry to raise awareness of the importance of proper e-scrap recycling. ‘This counts for all countries worldwide, ranging from the EU to the US to India and Brazil,’ he said.

 

For more information, visit: www.arubis.com

Dec
24

By

Merry Christmas from PcRecycling

Category: International Tags:

xmas one

 

We would like to wish all our PcRecycling fans a very Merry Christmas.

Keep safe these holidays.

Dec
5

By

Light triggers plastics rebirth

Category: International Tags:

United States: A discovery by researchers at North Dakota State University in the USA could yield a new type of plastic that can be broken down when exposed to a specific type of light. Essentially, the material is reduced back to molecules, which would allow it to be turned into new plastic.

The team’s concept experiment utilised a fructose – found commonly in fruit – to create a solution of molecules, which was then converted into a plastic polymer. By exposing the plastic to ultraviolet light at 350 nanometres for three hours, researchers degraded the plastic and reduced it back to the soluble, building-block molecules from which it began.

‘Plastics usually don’t decay for hundreds of years, creating solid waste issues,’ comments Dr Dean Webster. ‘This cradle-to-cradle approach to create a plastic which can be degraded easily offers scientific potential for eventual products that could lessen dependence on fossil fuels and decrease the amount of raw materials needed.’

In the next two years, the group will examine how its method could benefit plastics used in real-life applications such as car and electronics manufacturing. A key question will relate to the durability and strength of the plastics to ensure commercialisation.

For more information, visit: www.ndsu.edu

Dec
4

By

Green gifts on wish-list this holiday season

Category: International Tags: , ,

United States: Throughout the festive season, many shoppers will be looking for – and be willing to pay more for – recyclable gifts, a new study commissioned by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) has found.

Some 66% of Americans say they pay attention to information about a product’s recycled content before buying it. Also, they wouldn’t mind paying up to 10% more for the product if it contains recycled content and 13% more if the item is fully recyclable.

‘The data show that design for recycling not only benefits the environment and saves energy, but can increase a company’s bottom line,’ comments ISRI president Robin Wiener. ‘Consumers look for and are demanding more information about a product’s recyclability. Manufacturers that create products with recycling in mind can gain a significant edge over their competitors.’

According to the poll, 86% of respondents would appreciate manufacturers designing products for ease of disassembly in preparation for recycling. Introducing a ‘Recycling Guide’ label on products is what 81% of US consumers would like to see, providing details of the specific parts and percentage of the product that can be recycled.

Convenience remains an important issue, the survey once again demonstrates. Some 62% of consumers stated that they would ‘probably not’ recycle if the product in question was not convenient to recycle. Just under 19% of respondents said the product’s packaging is important as well, taking into account the materials used and its recyclability.

The Harris Poll survey targeted over 2000 consumers of 18 years and above. The complete report containing all the findings is available on the ISRI website at www.isri.org

Dec
2

By

NASA astronaut to speak at e-scrap congress

Category: International Tags: , ,

Austria: More than 500 professionals and experts are expected to attend the 14th International Electronics Recycling Congress (IERC), which will take place in Salzburg mid January 2015. Topics to be discussed at the three-day event will include: WEEE 2020; the e-scrap value chain; 100 years of recycling in Finland; an update on electronics recycling in Kenya; and presentations on technical innovations.

This year’s guest speaker will be Ron Garan, ceo of US-based Impact CoLab – a retired NASA astronaut who believes that appropriate design and targeted social enterprise can solve many of the problems our world is facing. In addition, keynote speaker Telis Mistakidis of Glencore (Switzerland) will give an overview of the company’s metals business while David Higgins of the Interpol Environmental Crime Programme will focus on improving law enforcement regarding illegal waste shipments.

A large exhibition area will be integrated into the conference facility where equipment and service providers can meet potential clients. Cocktail receptions and a networking dinner will be held in order to bring together business partners, friends and competitors.

The congress organisers are also offering tours of plants in the vicinity of Salzburg, including a copper smelter and a major shredder plant.

For more information, contact: ICM

Phone: +41 62 785 1000

Email: info@icm.ch

www.icm.ch

Nov
22

By

Dutch to test solar panels on bicycle path

Category: International Tags:

Cyclists are forced to use the pavement passing a stretch of bicycle path where a solar panel roadway is being constructed in Krommenie, north of Amsterdam. Photo / AP
Cyclists are forced to use the pavement passing a stretch of bicycle path where a solar panel roadway is being constructed in Krommenie, north of Amsterdam. Photo / AP

A project dubbed “SolaRoad” gets underway in the Netherlands this week, testing roadways as a potential canvas to collect solar energy. Fittingly for the cycle-crazy Dutch, the first SolaRoad is a bike path not far from Amsterdam.

The path is built of massive, Lego-like modules of solar panels embedded in concrete, each with heavy-duty glass on top protecting them from wear. An additional rough translucent plastic coating ensures bikers don’t slip.

Sten de Wit of engineering firm TNO said each square metre of road generates 50-70 kilowatt hours of energy per year. That’s about enough for the initial strip of 70 yards to supply power to one or two Dutch households.

The test in the town of Krommenie is slated to run three years and will cost 3 million euros, funded equally by the province of North Holland and a consortium of Dutch companies eager to commercialise solar roads.

Although using roads for solar power may seem inconvenient and costly, De Wit says it enjoys significant advantages. Most obviously, the potential generating area is all but unlimited: in the Netherlands there are 35,000 kilometres of designated bike path alone.

Unlike power plants, solar roads can be located near where people live, and they still wouldn’t take up land needed for other purposes. That’s crucial in the Netherlands, which is both one of the world’s most densely populated countries, and one of its most intensely farmed.

De Wit says despite the high costs of designing, building, installing and measuring performance of the first SolaRoad, successor projects may be profitable within a decade. As solar cells get ever-cheaper and more efficient, installation and maintenance are quickly becoming the most expensive part of solar power.

“Rooftop arrays have only a small surface area and each has to be connected to the (electric) grid individually,” he said. But “road is laid down by the kilometre” and each segment can be easily chained together and connected to the grid at strategic locations.

“That means you’ll have economies of scale,” he said. “You’ll be able to push down installation costs way down proportionately.”

The project is already up and generating electricity before its formal opening.

– AP

Nov
21

By

Unite or drown: Campaign against climate change

Category: International Tags:

Low-lying island nations are regarded as some of the most vulnerable to rising seas blamed on man-made climate change. Photo / Thinkstock
Low-lying island nations are regarded as some of the most vulnerable to rising seas blamed on man-made climate change. Photo / Thinkstock

The president of the Seychelles has urged the planet’s small island nations to unite for an unprecedented campaign against climate change or else drown.

The rallying call came at the start of a two-day summit of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), a coalition of small island and low-lying coastal countries, to prepare for global climate talks to take place in Lima, Peru in December.

“Too often the world has chosen to ignore us. Too often we are treated as bystanders,” said Seychelles President James Michel, whose Indian Ocean island nation is hosting the meeting.

“Let us be heard on every beach and every roadside. Let us be heard in Beijing, in Delhi, in Johannesburg, in London, in Moscow, in New York, in Paris, in Rio. Let us be heard in every village, in every town, in every city of the world. Let us be heard on the airwaves,” he said.

“We cannot accept that climate change be treated as an inevitability. We cannot accept that any island be lost to sea level rise. We cannot accept that our islands be submerged by the rising oceans.”

Low-lying island nations, some of which are little more than one metre above sea level, are regarded as some of the most vulnerable to rising seas blamed on man-made climate change.

Some small states in the Pacific such as Kiribati have already begun examining options for their people if climate change forces them from their homeland.

“Climate change is the greatest threat of our time,” Michel said, saying that on the face of it the alliance appeared powerless.

“We do not have the economic means to build sophisticated defences We do not have the latest technology to better adapt to the problem… nor do we have the economic might to apply sanctions on those most guilty of causing the problem,” he said.

“But we have something that is invaluable, something that is powerful: we are the conscience of these negotiations. We stand as the defenders of the moral rights of every citizen of our planet.”

UN climate talks will take place in Lima next month to pave the way to a December 2015 pact in Paris to limit warming to two degrees Celsius. Under the lowest of four emissions scenarios given by UN experts on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global average temperatures over this century are likely to rise by 0.3-1.7 degrees Celsius, leading to a sea level rise of between 26-55 centimetres.

Under the highest scenario, warming would be 2.6-4.8 Celsius, causing a sea-level rise of 45-82 centimetres.

– AFP

Nov
18

By

Researchers slam oxo-biodegradable ‘misinformation’

Category: International, Research Tags: ,

Europe: The European Commission has no data on non-collectable plastic waste – nor does it appear to wish to obtain any, according to France’s Centre National d’Evaluation de Photoprotection (CNEP). The institute believes this situation ‘does not facilitate the development of biodegradable polymeric materials’ and is warning of the dangers of ‘erroneous information’ regarding oxo-biodegradables.

‘It seems that the European Commission plans to deal with the problem of plastic waste only by approaches like recycling, composting or incineration,’ say CNEP researchers Jacques Lemaire, Dominique Fromageot and Jacques Lacoste. They argue that non-collectable plastic waste is ‘not recognised’ by the European Commission, which envisages the total disappearance of plastic waste from the year 2050.

Recently, the European Parliament considered banning oxo-biodegradables altogether on the basis of ‘not very expert reports’, the researchers contend. ‘Fortunately, this misinformation is effective only in Europe and oxo-biodegradables are experiencing normal development in Turkey, in the Middle East, in Africa, in China, in South America and North America.’

CNEP identifies and comments on a number of ‘negative’ assertions often made in relation to oxo-biodegradable plastic bags:

– ‘Oxo-biodegradable polymers are only oxo-fragmentable.’ This view is disseminated by several technical centres which are not specialists in this technology, the researchers argue.

– ‘Oxo-biodegradable polyethylene films (thus, correspondingly, plastic bags) are unsuitable for recycling with polyethylene.’ This opinion results from a study report showing that, in three cases out of four, the introduced materials were biosourced polyethylene which is not oxo-biodegradable; in the last of these cases, the material was not certified as oxo-biodegradable, ‘the organisation not having competence to do it’, the researchers conclude.

– ‘The residues of oxo-biodegradable films produced after exposure to light do not continue to oxidise at ambient temperature in the absence of light.’ This is contrary, they say at CNEP, to what can be proved by determining the energy of activation of thermo-oxidation and by understanding the kinetics which must necessarily intervene.

– ‘Oxo-biodegradable polyolefins can give rise to toxicities.’ The CNEP team has found that the toxicity discussed appears only with contents at least 10 times higher than those used in formulations of oxo-biodegradable material.

– ‘It is not advisable to convert biosourced PE into oxo-biodegradable PE.’ In fact, the team counters, the biosourced PE is non-biodegradable and is likely to be a visual pollutant and macrotoxic in the marine environment. It thus appears desirable to make them acquire a biodegradable property.

The verdict is that research conducted into oxo-biodegradable materials since the year 2000 must be allowed to continue ‘without meeting non-scientific obstruction’. With regard to achieved scientific results, the CNEP team insists, it is not acceptable to oppose them based on ‘little or no proven facts’.

 

For more information, visit: www.cnep-ubp.com

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