Plastic

Thu 9 Aug 2018, 23:45

When I was at university in the 1970's, it was the time of the start of the war against plastics, orchestrated in part by what was then the Ecology Party. One thing people used to do was to remove the plastic packaging from food and leave it on the supermarket shelves. It strikes me that as long as you were careful to retain the film that contained the price and barcode info, this might be an interesting tactic to try with anything that is sold in black plastic trays. It might, however, be advisable to take a roll of clingfilm along with you to keep your food hygienically wrapped!

Thu 9 Aug 2018, 18:36

We are certainly interested Liz, please include us (Lise & I) for any visit. And, thanks for the info Alice!

Wed 8 Aug 2018, 18:30

I should be interested Liz. But I have to bounce about a bit (locally) for meetings. If I'm free I'd certainly join in the jolly. Thank you.
Hannen.

Tue 7 Aug 2018, 16:24

A group from what was then CAWAG (now Charlbury Green Hub) visited Ardley some years ago. It was arranged by staff from OCC who were supporting this very new group for the County. It was fascinating. Some got to fly the falcons they use to keep seagulls away and others acquired items that had come as waste but were perfectly reusable. It is well worth a visit.

Tue 7 Aug 2018, 11:32

I'm very interested and definitely planning to visit. But I keep being away so it's difficult. Ardley is run by Viridor - the next two public open sessions are Monday 22nd October from 13:00-15:00hrs and Monday 26th November from 10:00-12:00noon. You can go on-line and book yourself on one of these guided tours - it's on a first come first serve basis and spaces are limited. Or if, as Liz suggests there are enough people to form a group then a separate visit can be arranged. There were plenty of people who expressed interest at the meeting in April.

Tue 7 Aug 2018, 10:40 (last edited on Tue 7 Aug 2018, 10:43)

If people let me know they are interested in visiting Ardley I can speak to Rachel and get some dates.

Mon 6 Aug 2018, 19:18

Thank you Alice. I do, and will continue to. Buying food that is not on a piece of black plastic is not hardship.

Mon 6 Aug 2018, 18:32

Fortunately, black plastics are slightly more within our area of control. Just boycott Hannen. I've been doing it since Rachel Burns from Oxfordshire County Council came to speak to the event organised by Sustainable Charlbury in April. She pointed out the problem then. You have already started a movement by doing it and you are not alone. We should organise a trip to Ardley Energy Recovery Facility but I've been too busy. They have open days - we just need to go. Can anybody help?

Mon 6 Aug 2018, 07:30 (last edited on Mon 6 Aug 2018, 07:34)

"So the future is bright: food shortages, insulin shortage, blood shortage, pharmaceutical shortage, and mountains (literally) of plastic."

Can we all stop this nihilistic obsession?

There aren't going to be any shortages: we're not going to leave the Single Market (or, to be precise A Single Market) and our nincompoop…

Long post - click to read full text

Sun 5 Aug 2018, 19:06

I shall certainly try those Richard. Thanks for the pointer.
As for black plastic trays a good old fashioned boycott would, I'm sure lead to a change of packaging within a few weeks. The problem is that I have neither the time, or knowledge, to organise it. Even then I seriously doubt that it would be taken up nationally - which it would need to be to put the necessary economic pressure on those companies that insist on using them.
So the future is bright: food shortages, insulin shortage, blood shortage, pharmaceutical shortage, and mountains (literally) of plastic.

Sun 5 Aug 2018, 18:50

May I heartily recommend the Two Jolly Cooks ready meals available at the Deli, as an alternative to Cook? They're made by Debbie in Enstone (so fewer food miles compared to Cook in Kent) and you're supporting two local small businesses rather than a massive chain. Better still, they're genuinely delicious - the chicken & broccoli gratin is quite the nicest ready meal I've ever had.

Sun 5 Aug 2018, 10:30

It isn't that the black plastic isn't recyclable, it is that it cannot be detected as plastic by the machines that sort our recycling so it does not get put down the right route and ends up being treated as unrecyclable waste and sent to incineration (which is what happens to almost all Oxfordshire's residual waste) It all comes back to retailers and manufacturers changing what they use in their packaging. The good news is that the 5p charge for plastic bags has meant an 80% reduction in usage - it can be done!

Sun 5 Aug 2018, 08:42

Just found this on the Cook website at https://www.cookfood.net/contact#044

People are already pushing them in the right direction.

Sun 5 Aug 2018, 08:25

I agree, Laura. A lot does get recycled, the industry is making changes (despite government indifference), and retailers are also responding.

The problem with black plastic food trays is shameful. Used, we read, purely to make the food look more upmarket, despite the plastic being non-recyclable. I shall return any such trays to the shops they come from (businesses have to pay for their waste disposal, so it's a good way of putting the cost on them, too). I'm tempted to leave them unwashed too! And of course stop buying things packaged in black in the first place. I feel emails to the Coop, Cook and M&S coming on, for starters.

Sat 4 Aug 2018, 14:12

I heard this on BBC4 this morning. Very frustrating. But can I make a plea for this to not stop people from recycling all plastic? If you know enough to be sure it's not recyclable, then I guess you can put it in the rubbish. But if, like me, you're often not sure, I say it's worth recycling. The problem with news like this is that it makes it so easy to get cynical (speaking for myself, not anyone else!) and then it's tempting not to try. Let's keep trying.

Sat 4 Aug 2018, 10:01

Confirms my suspicions:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45058971