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EcoIvy Forum :: Talk to Anyone Else Who May Be Listening |
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Subject :Return Your Un-recyclable Packaging to the Supermarket Week..
23-11-2009 08:06:09
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| frankie |
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Joined: 05-11-2009 13:20:54
Posts: 40
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I have just been reading The Herarld's account of our meeting on Saturday, and started thinking about Roger Croad's comment that he'd be delighted to go to Tesco and leave the packaging in their car park.
So how about it? How about we have a national 'Return Your Un-recyclable Packaging To The Supermarket' week?
And then we can get the supermarkets to sit down and give real promises to how they are going to clean up their act and what they are going to do to help sort out our growing rubbish mountain (or else face further continued action from the public).
Reducing our rubbish in the first place is the first step to a solution that does not require incineration.
Please forward the idea on to everyone you know and reply here if you think it is a good one. |
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Subject :Re:Return Your Un-recyclable Packaging to the Supermarket Week..
24-11-2009 06:17:18
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| peterthurley |
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Joined: 23-11-2009 22:55:37
Posts: 15
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I support entirely the suggestion that Un-recyclable packaging should be returned to supermarkets, who are basking in glory at the reduction in the number of plastic bags they are using, but I was frankly appalled by Cllr. Croad's suggestion that we should leave it in Tesco's Car Park - (to be blown across the countryside).
Reducing rubbish has to be not only the first step, but also the only solution, to a problem which requires co-ordinated efforts throughout the whole suppy - distribution - consumer - disposal chain.
Peter |
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Subject :Re:Return Your Un-recyclable Packaging to the Supermarket Week..
24-11-2009 09:56:33
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| frankie |
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Joined: 05-11-2009 13:20:54
Posts: 40
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Yes you are quite right that it should not be left to blow across the countryside, but I imagine we could organise our rubbish to ensure that it does not do that. For example, we could put it inside the trollies at the supermarket - with one trolley pushed inside another one I think it would create a cage that would contain the rubbish to stop it flying away.
In particular I think we need to start using consumer power and the odd bit of direct action to force the contributors at each stage of the problem into taking serious steps to work towards the solution - and fast, before irreversible damage is done and before these 25 year contracts are signed.
Anyone else care to respond to the comment on the direct action I am proposing? |
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Subject :Re:Return Your Un-recyclable Packaging to the Supermarket Week..
26-11-2009 09:10:06
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| Anna |
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Joined: 16-11-2009 11:28:40
Posts: 20
Location: Devon |
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Yes! I think the supermarket is the biggest contributor to my grey bin. Simply buying fruit and vegetables for two people for the week provides enough plastic to make several Barbie Dolls.
I'm in favour of leaving all of this non-compostable/recyclable waste with the Customer Services desk. Either on a set date, or every week. |
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Subject :Re:Return Your Un-recyclable Packaging to the Supermarket Week..
26-11-2009 11:25:15
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| Anna |
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Joined: 16-11-2009 11:28:40
Posts: 20
Location: Devon |
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I've just read this on the Sainsburies website http://www2.sainsburys.co.uk/YourIdeas/forums/showthread.aspx?PostID=13164
Hi there, thin polythene bags such as those used for loose fruit and vegetables, packaged grapes and cherries and also bread are recyclable in our bag recycling units. We’re working towards labelling all these bags and you will already notice a message on our cherry bags advising you they’re suitable for recycling.
The recycling units are also suitable for other polythene bags such as magazine covers, dry cleaners’ bags and produce bags. We accept all types of bags in these units, although some will be classed as contaminated and are rejected when they’re sorted at the recycling plants. The best thing to do if you’re unsure is to put the bag in for recycling anyway. It’s possible it can be recycled and if not we’ll discard of it safely.
and http://www2.sainsburys.co.uk/YourIdeas/forums/14074/ShowThread.aspx#14074
Its great to hear our customers are just as committed as us when it comes to helping the environment.
Our recycling bin is also suitable for magazine covers and the fruit and veg bags. We do accept all types of bags and plastic packaging. However, sometimes they can be seen as "contaminated". Not to worry though, if your unsure stick it in anyway and we'll sort through it and discard of it safely.
Happy recycling!
So it appears at this supermarket you can return with all the plastic htat the fruit and veg arrived in and they will (hopefully) recycling. Meaning there is no need to burn it and fill the air with dioxins  |
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Subject :Re:Return Your Un-recyclable Packaging to the Supermarket Week..
04-12-2009 04:07:59
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| peterthurley |
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Joined: 23-11-2009 22:55:37
Posts: 15
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I welcome Sainsbury's response on this.
Just to clarify a couple of points:
Household (white bag) recycling focuses on metals from food and drink cans, and e.g. pop bottles from PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and milk bottles from polypropylene.
What Sainsbury's et al are offering to recycle is mainly polyethylene which, like polypropylene, could (but shoudn't!) be burned completely to carbon dioxide and water (there's another issue here in relation to greenhouse gases but it's not dioxins.) There will also be some PET, which I hope they recycle in the same way as pop bottles.
The main danger for dioxin formation comes from chlorinated plastics like PVC (polyvinyl chloride), which isn't widely used in supermarket packaging but, in my view and that of most contributors to this forum, is the real issue.
Sorry if I seem pedantic but collectively, the contributors to this forum come from a wide variety of backgrounds and have a huge amount of expertise. I would hate anyone from the pro-incinerator lobby to think that we don't know what we're talking about!
Regards
Peter |
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Subject :Re:Return Your Un-recyclable Packaging to the Supermarket Week..
06-12-2009 18:47:40
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| frankie |
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Joined: 05-11-2009 13:20:54
Posts: 40
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Thanks Peter. It is true that together we have a huge amount of expertise, from many different backgrounds, but I have to confess that on my own I really am a beginner at a lot of this. It was the matter of the incinerator that obliged me to start to research this issue (and fast). I had never thought about recycling before like I am thinking about it now and the whole issue of recycling plastics is totally new to me. I was of course aware that there are several different types of plastics, but what they all are and where and how they can be recycled will likely take me a while to get to grips with (and whether the recycling methods for each are really green or not exactly). Please continue to share your knowledge and do not worry about seeming pedantic.
Seems to me that the whole area of recycling plastics needs a lot better explanation to the public at large. We shouldn't all have to be experts in the field to know how to recycle. Our council should be going out of their way to make it easy for us. I'm not entirely convinced they are. |
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Subject :Re:Re:Return Your Un-recyclable Packaging to the Supermarket Week..
07-12-2009 12:48:46
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| peterthurley |
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Joined: 23-11-2009 22:55:37
Posts: 15
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frankie Wrote on 06-12-2009 18:47:40:
Seems to me that the whole area of recycling plastics needs a lot better explanation to the public at large.
I'm sure you're right. It also needs to be explained to council staff who have given us a rule of thumb on what can and what can't be recycled, but there's more that *could* be recycled within the existing framework.
My view, for what it's worth, is that we've gone from almost zero recycling to 58% in a relatively short space of time - which is good - and it has needed quite a bit of education to get us there. Now it's time to learn more and see how far we can nudge the 58%.
We desperately also need Plymouth and Torbay to catch up - rather than patting themselves on the back for a paltry 31% (Plymouth) and thinking they can just burn their rubbish on our doorsteps.
Quote:
We shouldn't all have to be experts in the field to know how to recycle. Our council should be going out of their way to make it easy for us. I'm not entirely convinced they are.
They've got us from 0 to 58%, but there are plenty of excellent suggestions on this forum - many from your good self - and I hope they are being received in the spirit they are intended, so that we can look well beyond 58%. |
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