Forum Topic

Plastics Recycling in Ealing

Recently I saw a news report on China banning the import of plastics for recycling. Does anybody know if any of our waste was sent there and if not what happens to it?

Tricia Arbuthnot ● 2945d20 Comments

https://www.ecowatch.com/oceans-plastic-pollution-2554131906.html?xrs=RebelMouse_fb&ts=1522588318

Philippa Bond ● 2860d

Don't you believe it.  I expect they will still be kicking it into the long grass with a platitude including the words "more than ever before".Here is an interesting article about what some enlightened individuals have started and companies are now doing in Australia in order to make a difference.  We make the change.https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2017/may/22/recycling-in-australia-is-dead-in-the-water-three-companies-tackling-our-plastic-addiction

Philippa Bond ● 2874d

Perhaps when Britain has left the EU it can sets its own packaging regulation that encourage standardisation without having to wait for 27 other countries to agree. And if our politicians don't do anything they can't make the excuse that it's the EU fault - we might actually be able to hold them accountable for something.

Vlod Barchuk ● 2875d

It's ridiculous isn't it...  that is where we are selling so much of our waste.

Philippa Bond ● 2875d

Could you kindly turn your irony meter back on Philippa?

Tricia Arbuthnot ● 2876d

Our neighbours in Europe?  Haven't you  heard we're trying to divorce them so that will make the agreements and what trade we already had on them more difficult.https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/waste-industry-seeking-to-work-with-treasury-on-plastic-tax/

Philippa Bond ● 2878d

Perhaps we could come together with our neighbours in Europe to have a consistent set of rules on plastic packaging which made it easier to understand and meant that products could be traded across national borders using the same standards.

Tricia Arbuthnot ● 2890d

Latest info n plastic bottles:https://www.recyclenow.com/what-to-do-with/plastic-bottles-0

Philippa Bond ● 2901d

Lobbying everywhere, lack of leadership, reliance on markets and different contracts together with differing facilities and methods for dealing with it. Then there is legislation and different ways of reading statistics.Years ago when I went around a facility where plastic bottles were being processed - all sorts but particularly plastic milk bottles (HDPE) - sorting and then ending up as plastic pellets ready for sending off to be made back into plastic milk bottles they were calling out for more feedstock.  Interestingly this feedstock was being bought just as you would other raw materials in the marketplace ie totally differently from the way that the Councils sign contracts for 25 years etc from the big international waste companies.  Just the other day I read about a Council who has decided to bring their contract back in-house because the offer from the big waste company was for a reduced service not a better or improved one.As we have seen with some large companies recently whatever the contract seems to be that doesn't appear to mean that you get what you think you are paying for.  If you have to spend a lot of time and energy overseeing contracts when you feel that having outsourced means that you should have reduced this it can end up not being a saving at all.Any changes to a system is a major effort and expenditure to communicate to residents.WRAP is attempting to bring the differing collections in line with each other so that it won't be so difficult (ie petty) when you move from one place to another.http://www.wrap.org.uk/content/plastic-bottle-recyclingOne of the biggest problems is contamination of this feedstock is food waste.  Please rinse out your plastics and use your food waste bin!

Philippa Bond ● 2904d

There's a lot of things I don't get about the way the UK, including UK councils, handle recycling. And even more things I don't get about the way major retailers, not just supermarkets, seem to ignore self-interest. In quite a few other countries, when plastics are used, there is a clear set of symbols that make it easy for the consumer to understand what can be recycled and what can't. If all PET and PP products carried a clear indication that that is what they are, the consumer (and the Council) would find it a whole lot easier. Given the size of most supermarkets, why don't they demand of their suppliers that they conform to such norms? It would make life easier all round.

Susan Rowe ● 2909d

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/28/a-million-a-minute-worlds-plastic-bottle-binge-as-dangerous-as-climate-change

Philippa Bond ● 2909d

So LBE hasn't updated its website...https://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/wrap-push-plastics-recycling/

Philippa Bond ● 2911d

AWS Eco Plastics that your link lists as handling plastics for the borough appears to have gone bust.

Tricia Arbuthnot ● 2925d

https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201167/rubbish_and_recycling/2108/your_collection_service/3Note that some plastics was removed from the kerbside recycling list when the contract changed.Carrier bags, polythene bags eg bread bags, film (eg the lids on a lot of tubs - most of which now pull off easily) are no longer listed.  This is in line with other recycling contracts.  There was a good reason for charging for carrier bags - to reduce our crazy reliance on them. It takes a while and a big of reorganisation but you can greatly reduce the number you collect.  Don't forget to keep some reusable bags in your car if you have one!To get best value for your money use all the recycling services that the Council provides (including the wonderful food waste bin).  Unsorted waste costs a lot more to dispose of and the costs come back to the Council/Council Tax payers.

Philippa Bond ● 2932d

Current list of where recycling goes:https://www.ealing.gov.uk/info/201171/recycling_services/276/what_happens_to_your_recycling

Philippa Bond ● 2932d

Isn't it easier to use the online system? If it the whole street then why not contact your Councillors as well especially if the online form ony gives you the option of reporting the lack of collection for your property. I haven't had to use the system for a long time but I think that often you have to report on the day of the non-collection (totally ridicuous) or within a certain amount of time on the following day.  Correct me if this is wrong!

Philippa Bond ● 2932d

Being a stroppy wotsit im not prepared to chase after the council for not doing their job which we pay for monthly.My adjoining neighbour managed to negotiate the telephone system & hers was collected. Ours was ignore so therefore the rubbish bin will be filled to the brim tomorrow

Ali Salari ● 2932d

The biggest problem is the increase in plastic packaging - not just in covering everything in plastic but also putting everything in plastic as the amount of glass packaging is reduced.  If it escapes from waste collection it doesn't biodegrade like paper and biodegradable plastic is not considered to be the great answer that it was once thought to be either.Why do some supermarkets think that we need to have aubergines wrapped and others don't etc?We should all be complaining about excessive packaging as when we don't we are complicit in accepting and encouraging it.  In other countries in Europe people can leave their packaging at the supermarket which which means that the cost of disposing of it isn't brought home with us.  It's great when you do see it reduced and improved and we should encourage and praise these changes.If you buy from greengrocers you won't get so much packaging on your fruit and vegetables, you can buy the amount that you want and no more.  You can also take your own container to the butcher.China has been making noises about all the waste that we send them for years and started becoming fussier about what they accepted.  Here the argument has always been that its better for those containers that came in full of stuff from China to be sent back full.Councils and waste companies generally have many different contracts as market forces change as do the technology and machinery on the market, taxes and the law.There used to be a list of where your recycling goes on the Ealing website.  Kerbside recycling may not have the same markets as that from street banks or HWRCs.  It spreads the risks when there are environmental responsibilities as well as financial responsibilities and gives flexibility.It would be better if all packaging was designed for recycling and as a result a lot of packaging has changed to be easier to recycle ie is not now of mixed material.  WRAP has done a lot of work with companies to change design and lightweight packaging to make it recycling easier. We need to lobby companies to not use difficult to recycle packaging just for marketing purposes eg because those red tomatoes or that meat look particularly good in a black tray.  Having said that I have seen some black trays which are marked rPET which means that they are made with recycled PET (or presumably a percentage thereof).  There was a list published recently of difficult to recycle packaging:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-39953209

Philippa Bond ● 2932d

We have has a few missed collections. The reporting system works some of the time but you need to persist.

Tricia Arbuthnot ● 2933d

Our recycling was not picked up this week for some reason, consequently an overflowing bin which no doubt will refuse to be taken when someone decides it is time.I saw a post on here about contacting the council. However they make it so awkward (like a lot of companies) just give up & take own action.I also read in the Daily Mail a lot of plastic (4%) is burned or goes to landfill

Peter Yale ● 2935d