The average supermarket plastic bag to break down. It makes you wonder how we’ve gone so long without realising (or caring?) that plastic is having a truly devastating effect on the environment. Luckily, these 15 countries and cities around the world have made serious strides in the race against plastic, and the rest of us can learn a lot from them.
Kenya As of August 2017, anyone in Kenya who’s found using, producing, or selling a plastic bag faces up to four years in jail, or a $38,000 fine., and it’s prompting some seriously creative solutions. Vanuatu On July 30, 2017, its independence day, the Pacific nation of Vanuatu announced. When implemented, it will ban the use or importation of single-use plastic bags and bottles — and it will make Vanuatu the first Pacific country to launch such a ban. UK In January 2018, the UK on eliminating plastic waste, according to environment minister Michael Gove. The first “landmark step” was, which can no longer be used in “rinse-off” cosmetic and personal care products.
The tiny plastics are found in products like body scrubs, face washes, toothpaste, and cleaning products. But they’re so tiny they end up in the oceans, where they’re eaten by sea creatures and often end up back in the food chain. It’s not quite a complete ban, however, with “leave-on” products like sunscreen and makeup still allowed to contain microbeads. The UK has also brought in a tax on plastic bags, as of 2015, which has resulted in 9 billion fewer plastic bags in circulation. Prime Minister Theresa May also on a ban on plastic straws, stirrers, and cotton buds, which will launch later in the year.
Even the Queen of England has joined the war on plastics, by from the Royal Estate in February. Taiwan In February, restricting the use of single-use plastic bags, straws, utensils, and cups. The ban — which builds on existing regulations like a recycling programme, and extra charges for plastic bags — should be completely in force by 2030. Zimbabwe In July 2017, (EPS), a styrofoam-like material used for food containers that takes up to a million years to decompose. Those caught violating the ban have to pay a fine of between $30 and $500. Image: TRF/Moraa Obiria 6.
Montreal The Canadian city of Montreal kicked off 2018. Merchants have until June 5 to adapt to the policy and after that, first-time offenders could face fines of up to $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for corporations. The city previously used roughly 2 billion plastic bags every year, and just 14% of those were recycled. Meanwhile, the city of Victoria also announced it will bring in a ban on single-use plastic bags in July 2018. Malibu In March 2018, the Californian city of Malibu’s local council voted, to begin on June 1. The idea is to keep plastic from reaching the city’s beaches and the ocean. Seattle As of July 1, Seattle will become the first US city to.
The ban was tested in September 2017 with a city-wide “Strawless in Seattle” campaign, which involved more than 100 restaurants, major sports organisations, airports, and aquariums, among others. Australia South Australia, the Australian Capital Territory, Tasmania, and the Northern Territory, on single-use plastic bags, and Queensland is set to follow in July 2018. Meanwhile, major Australian supermarkets Coles and Woolworths single-use plastic bags by mid-2018 — to impact customers in Victoria, New South Wales, and Western Australia. Australia is one of the largest waste producers in the world, second only to the US, with Australians using an estimated 5 billion plastic bags every year before the ban, according to. Canada In January 2018, Canada.
Although microbeads are still permitted to be manufactured and imported for non-prescription drugs and certain natural health products until July 1. Research had previously found that there were 1.1 million microbeads per square kilometre in Lake Ontario. Hamburg The German city of Hamburg in February 2016 — against non-recyclable plastic coffee pods.
Many of the pods can’t be fully recycled, and those that can be recycled consume a lot of energy because of their complicated design. Before the ban, billions of the plastic shells were piling up in landfills each year. France In 2016, France a total ban on plastic cups, plates, and cutlery, to be brought in from 2020. It followed the country’s total ban on plastic bags in 2015, in an effort to transform France into “an exemplary nation in terms of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions, diversifying its energy model, and increasing then deployment of renewable energy sources.” 13. New Delhi This massive city in India, home to over 20 million people, took a major step toward helping the planet when. The city, which was found to have the that were analysed, took the step after complaints were made of illegal burning of plastic at garbage dumps.
Morocco Before the ban, on July 1, 2016, Morocco used 3 billion plastic bags every year — an incredible 900 bags per person every year. It made it the second largest plastic bag consumer in the world after the US. But the landmark bill was launched to ban the production, import, sale, and distribution of all plastic bags across the country.
Rwanda When other countries around the world were just starting to think about imposing taxes on plastic bags,. Since 2008, carrying a plastic bag in the country can earn you a jail sentence — although typically offenders receive fines of about $61, according to Plastic Oceans campaign group.
According to Plastic Oceans, the plastic bag ban is just the start for Rwanda, which is now hinting at becoming the world’s first plastic-free nation and planning to become completely sustainable by 2020. New York While still just a proposal, the The bill, introduced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, calls for the end of single-use plastic bags in grocery stores and other retailers by next year, but includes exceptions for items like produce bags, take-out bags, and bags sold for garbage or food storage.
'The blight of plastic bags takes a devastating toll on our streets, our water, and our natural resources, and we need to take action to protect our environment,'. Global Citizen campaigns to achieve the UN's Global Goals, which include action on improving life on land, life below water, and creating sustainable cities and communities. You can join us by taking action on these issues.
In this digital age, it may surprise you to learn that vinyl records are making a comeback. The reported that, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, 13 million vinyl LPs were sold in the United States in 2014, making it one of the record business’s few growth areas. Not as surprising is the fact that vinyl record makers are having trouble keeping up with the demand; the presses used to make vinyl LPs were built in the 1970s and are now showing wear. To alleviate the months-long backlog of orders, a German start-up company and U.S. Mold maker and parts supplier are building new presses that should be pressing discs in spring 2016, according to. The article explains that these new presses, the first ones built in decades, are basically the same design but but incorporate modern features like an electronic control system and a hydraulic power supply to squeeze the molds. What is vinyl?
Vinyl is made from chlorine and ethylene, with various additives to impart flexibility, rigidity, fluidity, or thickness. Explains that the ethylene in vinyl is obtained by processing, or cracking, hydrocarbon-based raw materials (petroleum, natural gas or coal) into polymers. The chlorine half of the vinyl polymer is not derived from hydrocarbons and is readily available and inexpensive. Ethylene and chlorine combine to form ethylene dichloride, which is transformed into vinyl chloride monomer (VCM). The final polymerization step converts the monomer into vinyl polymer known as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), or simply “vinyl.” Chemical modifiers are then added to achieve the various properties desired in vinyl end-products. How does vinyl become an LP? Vinyl LPs start as pellets that are extruded and then placed between metal stampers.
The Gizmodo article, offers the following overview of the process: Each stamper, which is attached to an autonomous 100-ton hydraulic press, works essentially like a waffle iron and can churn out thousands of records before needing replacement. A sheet of preheated vinyl roughly half the area but 3 times the thickness of a finished disc, known as the biscuit, is slipped between the jaws of the press, 300° F steam is applied to further soften the material before the jaws close, and squeeze the hot vinyl into its final shape while imprinting the audio. The disc is then cooled and hardened in a water bath and labelled—all of which is done automatically, the only human input is the loading of the two disc labels sandwiched around the biscuit. Once it comes off the stamper, the record’s ragged edges are trimmed into a neat circle on an automated trimmer table and the record is inspected, both visually and audibly. Many, many, pressings don’t pass muster and are subsequently melted back down into biscuits for another go.
Start with the right PVC blend PVC blends are complex mixtures of PVC particles, fillers, lubricants, stabilizers and plasticizers. Manufacturers often must modify these recipes due to technological advances, cost pressures or regulatory requirements. Tamil movie bhairava. When it comes to testing the fusion behavior, compound stability, and processing behavior of PVC formulations, is an ideal measuring tool when handled in a reproducible manner. A laboratory mixer is very sensitive to any changes caused by the compound formulation, or any changes of the dry blend components.
Read the application note, which describes the good reproducibility of mixer tests as well as how changes in the testing conditions will influence measuring results. Editor’s Note: If you’re like me and are now curious as to how that vinyl material enables you to hear music, the technology is nicely explained in this article.
Hint: It has to do with kinetic energy, vibrations, and making bumps on a surface. You can hear some of the original 78 rpm disc recordings on the US Library of Congress National website.
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Some grandmas get together to play bridge or knit hats for their grandchildren. But a group of grandmas in Union City, a small city in Tennessee, get together weekly to turn discarded plastic bags into mattresses that are then given to people who are sleeping rough. The project not only helps people down on their luck, it’s also good for the environment. The “Bag Ladies”, as they are nicknamed, started their initiative to turn plastic bags into mattresses in January 2015 at the, an evangelical church in Union City.
The person who launched this programme is Randy Pool, who works with, an organisation that brings together several Baptist churches in the area to work on volunteer projects. “I’m not sure who had the original idea, but it’s become a popular activity among women in the Baptist community,” Pool said. “I thought it was a great idea so I started talking about it to churchgoers in my region, especially in Union City.”. Patty Arnold is a 74-year-old grandmother. She’s also a “Bag Lady”, which is a tongue-in-cheek re-appropriation of the derogatory term sometimes used for homeless women. Randy told us about how there were a lot of homeless people living alongside the Mississippi River and in downtown Memphis Editor’s note: Memphis is about 115 miles away from Union City.
He taught us how to make these mattresses to help them. To make our mattresses, we use the plastic bags that we get from the supermarket when we buy groceries. There is one grocery store that donates bags to us. We also set up a collection point in the church where people can drop off their old bags. We meet at the church every Thursday morning to make our mattresses. There are 25 or 30 women in our group and nearly all of them are part of the congregation. However, there are also other women who aren’t church members.
Everyone is welcome. Our group is growing all the time, in fact! It takes 600 to 700 plastic bags to make a mattress measuring 90x180cm.
We’ve recycled more than 100,000 bags and made 165 mattresses. Randy often stops by to see us and to pick up the mattresses that we’ve made. Next, he donates them to charities Editor’s note: Pool says that he gives the mattresses to both religious and secular charities.
In turn, these organisations distribute the mattresses among the homeless population, especially in Memphis. We don’t hand them out in Union City because there aren’t really any people living in the street here. In August, we also sent some of our mattresses to. The most practical thing about these plastic-bag mattresses is that they don’t get damp when you put them on the ground. This man, who sleeps rough in Memphis, Tennessee, was given a homemade plastic-bag mattress. Photo: Randy Pool. We got a little bit of media coverage and, since then, we’ve been getting messages from all over the United States.
A lot of people have been asking if they can send us plastic bags, and asking us how we make the mattresses. In 2015, an estimated 9,123 people were sleeping rough in Tennessee, which has a total population of 6.5 million people, according to a by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.