Solution for compacting/shredding plastics ?

[Tim+]

Sure, I was just pointing out that Owain said "need", not "likes" or "wants". ;-)

Tim

[Andy Champ]

Can't see how that works.

Can see how you could add salt to a sugar _solution_ though...

Andy

[Andy Burns]

That seems a bit short-sighted, I wonder how many people just say "sod that" and put the bottle with lid in the landfill bin instead?

[Toby]

Sodastream.

[geoff]

I NEED fizzy water

believe me

[Dave Liquorice]

Soda Stream:

[Tim+]

rnal-september.org>, Tim+ writes

What's the RDA for fizzy water? ;-)

Tim

[Chris J Dixon]

specifically as an item for the green

Our council (Nottinghamshire) tells us that shredded paper is OK in our recycling bins.

When I visited the sorting facility recently, we saw that an early stage of the process was a screen which removed all small "contamination" which then went straight to landfill. This would clearly pass any paper shreddings.

It is seen in this video where the actual process begins about

2/3 through.

I queried this, and they said that I was correct, but they felt that it was psychologically better to encourage recycling.

Chris

[Terry Fields]

I suspect that this faux recycling (dumping stuff that's been sorted by the consumer) goes on more than might be suspected. My council has tins (including aluminium) in one bin, but cooking foil in another, for example, and takes cardboard (including eggboxes) but rejects e.g. moulded fruit packaging even though it's made of the same type of cardboard. Black plastic is rejected by the bin men, even if it has a recycling code, but clear plastic is accepted even if it doesn't.

I used to take my mixed glass to the local bins where people would sort them into clear, brown, and green, until one day I say them being emptied into a collection lorry - which had but a single compartment, so it all got mixed up again. I lost much enthusiasm for recycling at that point. I later learned that this sort of thing was to 'focus minds on the problem'.

In the video, I had to smile when the chief man said something about the system being advanced, just as the shot went to a couple of people sorting stuff on a conveyor!

[Andy Champ]

Ours tells us to put shredding in old cereal boxes. I can imagine that they've burst open by the time the arrive there, and that the shredded paper then sticks to the freshly washed plastic bottles...

Andy

[polygonum]

Recovery-Facility/Mansfield-MRF-Video1/>

consumer) goes on more than might

cooking foil in another, for example, and

even though it's made of the

has a recycling code, but clear plastic

into clear, brown, and green, until

single compartment, so it all got

learned that this sort of thing was to

system being advanced, just as the

The idea of separating further at collection than currently is effectively used might be OK. But only if thought of as a way of keeping as many options open as possible and allowing changes in processing without needing to change what people are required to do.

Also, any such policy and process should be transparent. "Please separate glass by colour so that we can choose to handle the various differently." Not being transparent is a form of lying.

[Dave Liquorice]

No Co-op selling milk around your way? Here the plastic of the Co-op milk bottle and cap are the same: "2 - HDPE".

Of course it varies from product to product but do they also insist that only 2 - HDPE or 1 - PET bottles, for example, go into the plastics recycling?

Wouldn't be at all surprised.

[The Natural Philosopher]

interstitial space.

The salt fits in between the sugar grains.

[Rick Hughes]

One tip on water/coke bottles, is to roll them up form close end, then when done up like a Swiss roll screw top back on .... keeps the small shape. Where I Live recycling been in place for more than 10 years, actual rubbish is way below 1 bag a week ...but large amount of recycled bahgs.

[Chris K]

Also rinse out with a few cc of boiling water first, makes them a lot easier to roll up and they tend to retain the compacted shape when cooled down - more so with HDPE than PET.

HTH

Chris K

[dennis]

Do they insist on you removing the locking ring that breaks off the top when you unscrew it.

If they do then a lot of people will just throw the lot in the bin. If they don't then what are they wasting everyone time for?

Anyway the bottles get chopped into bits and can then be machine separated into plastic types and colours so the council are well behind the current technology.

[SteveW]

Argghhhh! Retro crap :(

SteveW

[SteveW]

We should have one bin for landfill and one for recycling, collect both every week and machine separate it all. That'd make life a whole lot easier for residents, while upping the recycling rate too.

SteveW

[SteveW]

If your council allows the bottles to be binned with the lids on - ours doesn't.

SteveW

[Bill Wright]

You are still consuming as much. And most recycling is a con.

Bill