[brian eiland]

I just received this slide presentation on plastic bags and their impact on our water world:

This has convinced me to remember to bring my own bags to the market! Once in the slideshow, use the scroll bar on the right side of the screen to scroll through.

Everyone on earth should see this. It's that important.

And please pass it on-

http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbc...DIA02/80505016

[K1W1]

Hi,

The No Free Plastic Bags thing is not so new in the rest of the world, the USA is just very slow on the uptake for this.

I was recently in a popular store in France like Home Depot, they sell a sturdy plasticized fabric bag for €1, their advert says when it's done it's duty and is in need of replacing it can be exchanged new for old.

I was also surprised and a bit shocked when at home in supposedly clean green NZ earlier this year to find that while they had green bags on sale like the one shown in the article and like what Pak and Save use in SA that they were still full on with Plastic Give Away bags.

[Codger]

There is some progress. Couple of weeks ago in Phoenix I bought a couple of parts at a bike shop and they used what looked like a plastic bag but it was made out of corn starch. Only way I knew was that the man at the counter mentioned not to get the bag wet.
Still, I can't say that I saw many sections of fence during that ride that didn't have a plastic bag hanging from it.

[lurker]

Having been to and lived in many countries mentioned in the slides, I think it is rather biased. Many of the countries mentioned such as Canada, Taiwan, and China are still relying heavily on plastic bags.

Even if I don't use plastic bags for my groceries, I still need to use plastic bags for my garbage. In my case, I use the plastic bags from the supermarket for my garbage.

[vivariva]

Hi,

I conducted a research on recycling during an internship a short time ago. Here is some 'fresh info' on this; firstly, the figures in the slides seem a bit low.

If you wish to recycle PE bags to 'master-batch' form for re-production, you have to buy a machine that costs $45,000 from China, and assign one person to operate it daily. It doesn't cost $4000 to recycle one ton, I don't understand how they achieved that number. The 'state' in developed countries gives significant subsidies if you send these bags to another country for re-processing. For example, Germany has passed a law for an approximately 50-60 million Euro incentive for exporting plastic waste. So your costs are even less if you use recycled.

A ton of recycled 'master-batch' PE can be sold for at least more than $200. The $32 figure is too low. If there is someone who sells a ton of PE for $32 I really want their phone number . The increase in petrol prices affects raw materials including new PE, so recycled bags are even cheaper to use nowadays. I don't understand how manufacturing bags from new PE are cheaper than using recycled polyethylene as the article mentions. The lack of volume in recycled PE production looks like the main inhibitor as to why there isn’t enough to go around for everyone.

Imho, the households' choice of trash bags will be very important for the future. I might be wrong on my statistics too, also it's difficult to keep track, especially in the case of developing countries.

An article on 2007 PE raw material prices:

http://news.dow.com/dow_news/prodbus.../20071207a.htm

[brian eiland]

..submitted to another forum, on this same subject

I just wrote a paper on this....you mentioned turtles, but I think most people are as of yet unaware how tragic the problem really is among turtles as well as other oceanic species

For instance twenty five or thirty years ago there were somewhere between120 and 150 million green sea turtles swimming in the gulf of Mexico. Today the estimated population is less than 30 thousand. It was thought they died as incidental catch and accidental boat strikes...turns out this is not the case, they mostly choked to death on plastic bags. We accidentally killed upwards of 150 million adults and an estimated 400 million Juvenal's with plastic bags

Just for fun, I'll include my latest paper on plastics. It's not done as I haven't gotten the references boiled down to the actual papers cited, nor has it seen the editor. But you may find it interesting.
regards,
'Boston'

_____________________________________________

Glass Vs Plastic
Daniel J Robertson
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, M.I.T., C.U. Boulder Co.

Abstract
In regards to plastics use in manufacturing when a glass alternative is available. Compare the manufacturing processes, disposal practices, recycling potential and toxic effects of both glass and plastic and there effects on our environment. Hypothesis, that the preponderance of plastic fragments and molecular plastic, plastic leachates, binders, bio-toxins, bio-toxin accumulators carcinogens and tarterogens hormone disruptors, endocrine disruptors, plastic by products and consequential post and preproduction waste in the environment and there harmful consequence are sufficient to offset any advantages over glass. All conclusions are substantiated in the body and noted.

Conclusions Glass
Both glass and glass waste are non toxic and stable in the environment giving off no harmful byproducts. Manufacturing of glass produces pollutants at the source of manufacturing and during materials acquisition, these pollutants can be controlled economically: various network modifiers used in the production of glass appear to play no significant pollution role. Chemically tempered glass is also inert. Lead used in the manufacture of decorative glass falls under the guidelines of EPCRA Section 313 and is exempt being stable with in the glass matrix. There has been a steady decline in pollutants produced pr ton of glass, mainly co2 , noX, soX . Glass is 100% recyclable

Conclusions Plastic
Plastic, plastic components, the production of plastic and plastic waste are mildly to extremely toxic all are environmentally detrimental , with results ranging from the release of strong carcinogens and tarterogens to the existence of bio-toxin accumulators and endocrine disruptors. five of the six most toxic and abundant chemical pollutants found in the environment are commonly associated with the production of plastics. Plastic photo-degrades releasing persistent toxins like Bisphenol A and Phthalates over extended periods of time. Plastic is non biodegradable and both the long chain and short chain plastic molecule appears to be permanent in the environment. Pollutants consisting of nurdles, leachates, fragmentary or hole plastic waste cannot be economically controlled. There has been an exponential rise in molecular plastic found throughout the worlds oceans. Animal deaths based on plastic ingestion number in the hundreds of millions with some extinction events and trophic cascades noted. Pollution pr ton of plastic produced appears to be increasing. Most plastic is non recyclable.

Editor
This article is presently under development and will be edited upon its completion (so dont come at me with spelling issues)

Copyright
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Funding
This research project has been Anonymously funded, the benefactor having no role in study design, data collections and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Body
Environmental concerns over glass

Glass is made up of a few naturally abundant minerals, mostly silicate, and breaks down into natural, harmless components(3,6). Waste glass is environmentally neutral(3). The vast majority of pollution caused by the manufacturing of glass is source point and can be managed economically. Waste glass prepared for reuse, called Cullet is also inert and its increasing use as an aggregate means that it can be economically reused without the need for remanufacture (36). When remanufacturing is advantageous cullet reduces the level of emissions from the process by up to 40% (3,37) and the level of energy by as much as 30% (9,32,35). glass has an Embodied Energy of between 25.0 MJ/kg and 12.7 MJ/kg (1,4,30). and a density of 2470 kg/m3 (1). Glass is 100% recyclable (32). The U.S. glass recycling rate in 2003 was 19% (9) in 2001, for Australia 83%, Sweden: 84%, Germany: 87%, Belgium and Norway: 88%, Finland: 91% and Switzerland: 92% (9). Recycling one ton of glass saves nine to ten gallons of oil (9,32)


Environmental concerns over plastics

Plastic is made up of numerous petroleum based compounds, to produce 1 kg of Acrylic (PMMA, Polymethyl methacrylate) (23) 2 kg of petroleum is needed and up to 5 kg of toxic waist is generated (2,3). Plastic never breaks down but instead photo-degrades into some of the most hazardous petrochemical substances known to man (3,6,7,38). PMMA has an embodied energy of about 131.0MJ/kg with a density of 1180 kg/m3 (1,3,30). Although it is difficult to determine the exact production level of plastics per yr. 2007 estimates range from 100,000,000 to 205,000,000 tons (28,45) with an anual increase of 9.5% (45)
100,000,000,000 plastic bags are used each year in the u.s. alone (10)
the U.S recovery (recycling) rate for all plastics in 2005 was 1% (3,5,8,10)
In 2007 World wide, less than 3% is recovered (3,5,8).
In an EPA ranking of the twenty chemicals whose production generates the most total hazardous waste, five of the top six are chemicals commonly used by the plastic industry. (10)
recycling one ton of plastic saves 1000 gallons of oil (10,32)

Plastic as it photo-degrades releases binders like Phthalates, Bisphenol A, Nonyphenols and PBDEs along with countless other known carcinogens and teratogens (3,16,21,25,32). Once the binders are released, plastic remains as a large molecule(3,17). Dioxins are created both during production and incineration (2,3,16,17,31,32,46) dioxins are the strongest carcinogen known to man (3,5,6.7,31,38), The number of harmful chemicals associated with the production of plastic are to numerous to mention in this comparison, however; just one a primary component of acrylics ( mainly polycarbonates ) is bisphenol A (BPA), a hormone disrupter, that releases into food and liquid at room temperature(3,16,17,21,), it is considered a teratogen along with thalidomide and is known to cause embryonic malformations (3.8.16). Phthalates have been shown to cause genital malformations
In 1999 Plastic waste had outweighed plankton in our oceans 6 to 1, by 2002 the number had risen to 10/1 (3,10,11,16,17). The north pacific gyre alone, has a density of 14.8 million visible pieces of floating plastic per square mile, over an area twice the size of texas (3,11). Thats 1.9 pieces of plastic such as, bottles, bottle caps, lighters, beach palls, plastic packaging or plastic aquariums for every square foot of ocean surface spanning an area of 537,202square miles (3,11). This is only one of six mid ocean gyre systems polluted to this extent (39). These areas of floating plastic range in size from twice the size of Texas to the size of Africa (3,11).

Plastic appears to have a half life longer than most radioactive compounds (3) with its use being required by the epa as containment packaging for low grade nuclear waist disposal (33,43). Polyethylene has been approved for the long term disposal of liquid radioactive waist (3,40,41,42) ( of course they also approved glass, tar and concrete ). The long chain plastic molecule is so durable that its half life is still being researched.

Plastic virtually never breaks down in the environment beyond the molecular level (3,7,11). We are stuck with every piece of plastic ever created (11). Unless collected and incinerated there is no getting rid of it. Remanufacture is not effective in halting plastics from leaching contaminates into there surroundings. There is little debate over the adverse effects of plastics to the marine environment (ref-all not one dissenting opinion as to plastics harmful effect on the marine ecosystem ), Various forms of marine life, eat so much plastic, mistaking plastic fragments for plankton that it has decimated our ocean communities (10,11,15,16,17,44). Filter feeders unable to distinguish between plastic molecules and plankton, ingest and include millions of tons of plastics into the food chain (3,7,10,11,16,17,32,44), leading to the contamination and eventual starvation of countless organisms (3,10,11,16,17,32,44).

Additional Comments
The cost of collecting, destroying or remanufacturing Plastic (as most plastic is uneconomical to remanufacture) “must” be endured no mater how high because of plastics highly toxic and enduring nature; were as the recycling of glass can be safely limited to its economic viability with out adverse environmental effects, as long as source point gaseous emissions are controlled. The embodied energy of acrylic is over ten times that of glass, making it both an economically and environmentally unsound alternative (3,5,14,32). The environmental impact of glass is minimal (3,6,32,36,).

References
1 ) Materials, geometry, and net energy ratio of tubular ...
2 ) http://www.mindfully.org/Berkeley/Be...Task-Force.htm
3 ) www.mindfully.org/Plastic/
4 ) measure of sustainability embodied energy
5 ) http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Bes...le-Plastic.htm
6 ) http://www.lotuslive.org/products/fi...ontainer01.pdf
7 ) http://www.fakeplasticfish.com/synth...ranscript.html
8 ) www.ecologycenter.org
9 ) Metro: Waste reduction fast facts: Glass
10 ) Metro: Waste reduction fast facts: Plastic
11 ) www.acfnewsource.org/environment/
12 ) www.fragmentsfromfloyd.com/ 2007/06/
13 ) NRC: Radioactive Waste
14 ) BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Warning on plastic's toxic threat
15 ) Keeping our ocean clean : Bradley Beach Today
16 ) Untitled Document
17 ) http://www.mountainfilm.org/download...lastic_Sea.pdf
18 ) http://www.visiongroup.co.uk/go.jsp?...oup_uk.compare comparison of glass and plastic
19 )http://www.firsttankguide.net/tanktype.php comparison of glass and acrylic
20 )www.stii.dost.gov.ph/pjsweb/data/decomposer.htm - 7k
21 ) http://archive.greenpeace.org/toxics...abase/bad.html
22 ) http://www.epa.gov/chemfact/f_acrlac.txt
23 ) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymethyl_methacrylate
24 ) http://www.freepatentsonline.com/5998554.html
25 ) http://www.npi.gov.au/database/subst...rofiles/6.html
26 ) http://goalgreen.com/2007/06/25/plas...eps-on-giving/
27 ) http://www.chemsoc.org/exemplarchem/...head/facts.htm
28 ) http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resour...s/Plastics.htm
29 ) www.level.org.nz
30 ) www.grisb.org/publications/pub33.htm - 24k -
31 ) http://www.environment.gov.au/settlements/publications/
32 ) GLASS vs. PLASTIC
33 ) RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES FOR DUKE UNIVERSITY ...
34)http://www.devicelink.com/mpb/archive/96/01/001.html
http://www.environmentwriter.org/res...crylicacid.htm
35 ) Fact Sheets - Glass
36 ) ftp://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-...df/yrr_feb.pdf
37 ) Cullet Preheating: The Realistic Solution for All Glass Furnaces ...
38 ) Professional Environmental Solutions - Atlanta, Georgia
39 ) Patagonia Under Siege: The Plastic Killing Fields - Pacific Ocean ...
40 ) Composition and process for the encapsulation and stabilization of ...
41 ) APPENDIX D - Key Federal Laws and Regulations
42 ) Mixed-Waste Shipping & Transportation | Radiation Protection | US EPA
43 ) Low Level Radioactive Waste Information Page
44 ) DEP: Atlantic Green Sea Turtle Fact Sheet
45 ) Ulrich Reifenhäuser: Plastics and rubber have changed the world ...
46 ) Plastic Debris Washed Ashore
47 ) Bizarre Properties of Glass Revealed | LiveScience
48 ) Canada Likely to Label Plastic Ingredient ‘Toxic’ - New York Times

additional resources
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/
http://www.americanplasticscouncil.o...ID=1110&VID=86
http://www.mindfully.org/Berkeley-Pl...Task-Force.htm
http://www.designboom.com/eng/educat...recycling.html
http://americanplasticscouncil.org/s_apc/sec.asp
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/glass.htm

[brian eiland]

...and another from him

Actually what seems to happen is that even though various marine organisms are swimming in a sea of food they starve to death, as they are not designed to differentiate between a plastic fragment or molecule and plankton, so they eat both.

As of 2002 that would be 10 plastic to 1 plankton

Also plastic nurdles which resemble copapod's in both color, size and shape are bio-toxin accumulators. That creates a situation were toxins are concentrated in the food chain. Under EPA standards the average polar bears flesh is so heavily saturated with persistent toxins that it falls well into the boundaries of hazardous waist, along with Killer Whales.

And the FDA has issued a recommendation that inuit woman not breast feed there babies due to the fact they are so heavily contaminated as well although the EPA has been strangely silent over studies concerning human contamination

Basically, there doesnt seem to be a way to clean it up. I'm afraid the numbers in the slide show were in error...significantly on the low side.
By some estimates we have dumped 60,000,000,000 tons of plastic into the oceans already. On some beaches ocean debris is 85% plastic on a molecular level. There is literally a snow storm of plastic throughout the worlds oceans.

Even plastic water bottles are about to have an expiration date as the polycarbonate leaches such high concentrations of toxins into the water with in about six months as to make it hazardous to drink. And Canada is in the process of banning polycarbonate s from food contact, although pvc is the worst one.

Sorry, I went on and on, but this subject is near and dear to me as I plan to retire to a yacht Ive been planning for years
'Boston'

....and bonna apetit

[brian eiland]

The results of a morning's beach clean at Midway Atoll, 1200 miles NW of Hawaii. The atoll supports the world's largest population of Laysan Albatross, nearly 71% or thereabouts, and cigarette lighters claim the lives of many. This, on a small island far removed from civilization, demonstrates only too well the long-term effect mankind can have on the oceans and their gyre currents.


Here's a good general news-story that will help explain to those who have difficulty comprehending - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6218698.stm . I think this may be the link Boston is missing in his list

[vivariva]

Thanks for the peer article Brian. I feel like reading a monthly plastics magazine . I'm not sure if General Yachting Discussion is appropriate place for this subject, especially since we're in a "Yachting Forum". However I'll try to add helpful info on the health side of this.

From a consumer standpoint, you could check easily if you're using any packaging that contains risks. Just find the recycling logo with the number written on the material.

Avoid number 3, number 6 and number 7 (if you can). The best material is number 5 (PP). It is the only material that is used for dairy products. It provides the perfect barrier between outside elements, including sunlight.

Number 1 PETE, is used for soft drinks. Avoid leaving them in sunlight. The Ultraviolet light from the sun allows the material (PE) to leech into the liquid. That is why a bottle of water tastes so bad when you leave them in the car under the sun.

The 'new car smell' is actually continuous out gassing by PVC and other materials. The car 'leather' and the vinyl on the dashboard are mostly PVC. You could check your car model for risks here: www.healthycar.org Avoid PVC shower curtains.


In cosmetics, deodorants and creams contain "Propylene Glycol". This is a penetration enhancer. Avoid it if you can. "Buthylene Glycol" is another. EPA in the US is researching further into these, but I would not recommend using them. They might bring hormonal imbalance into the lymphatic system.

To summarize, everyone uses cosmetics and plastic packaging at some point during the day. Again, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) has to be sealed against the outside elements. Try to buy water that was produced a short time ago (the materials leech as time goes by) and avoid leaving them in the sun.

After radioactive materials (10,000 year life) plastic is the second worst polluter. I read somewhere that Cornell Univ. is working on biopolymers.

[brian eiland]

...courtesy of - latitude / ld


The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is purported to be an enormous — some estimates say twice the size of Texas — raft of, well, junk that's caught in the North Pacific Gyre. Sensational news reports make it sound as if the Patch is dense enough for a person to walk across but that has yet to be proved. What can't be denied is that plastic is a growing problem in the world's oceans that really can no longer be ignored. Several returning Solo TransPac and Pacific Cup boats have reported a disturbing amount of plastic floating around mid-Pacific. "We're seeing some kind of plastic going by every 30 seconds or so," reported Solo TransPac racer Rob Tryon. "About half of it is fishing related — netting, floats, etc. — but the other half is definitely land-based garbage: bottles, toys, baby dolls." Those kind of firsthand accounts really bring home the need to rethink our 'disposable' ways.

Dr. Marcus Eriksen and Joel Paschal have been 'sailing' Junk across the Pacific to raise awareness of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
© 2008 Algalita Marine Research Foundation / www.algalita.org

[NYCAP123]

A very similar vessel sailed up the east coast of the US back in the early '90's. Unfortunately, not much has changed for the better since then.

[Capt J]

Here in South Florida, there are lots of plastic bags that end up in the water. I manage 10 different yachts and it seems like every week (or two), I have to call a diver because there is one in the a/c intake of a yacht.

I do use plastic bags when shopping, but try my best to recycle them. I also cannot believe how much plastic some things are packaged in that you buy in the store. It's a little thing that is in a giant plastic container that takes a knife to cut through it. Rule super switches (for example) used to come in a little cardboard box and now they come in a thick plastic container thing that is 4 times the size of the bilge pump.

[NYCAP123]

I was perfectly happy using paper bags made out of recycled paper which I would then recycle, but the corporations decided it was more profitable to push us to use plastic bags. Now they want us to PAY for our own filthy bags. NO WAY. Let the corporations cut the plastic packaging. They'll pass the costs on anyway.

'The average plastic bag is used for 5 mins, but takes 500 years to decompose.'

Hi I will call myself Palaemon, since I have to use mom's membership.
Try some of the following sites for recycled/jute/cotton bags: Anokimobi, reusable bags. Hundreds on the internet.

This summer in Antibes, I watched many of the stews leave the yachts they were working on to do the provisions.
Apart from the designer handbag under the arm, not one left with any means of taking their purchases back to their yachts.
Many left with the sandwich wrapped in tinfoil and a water bottle!!!!!!
There are recycled bags that fold up so small they even fit in ones little designer bag.
They would return with numerous plastic bags, what do they do with these and would it not be better for them to have large material reusable bags that could even advertise the yacht on the side of the bag.
These bags are eco friendly, long life, 100% reusable and cost effective.
Someone will make a fortune if they offer yachts personalised eco friendly, reusable bags.......
On the subject of standing behind a stew shopping in a supermarket it is a nightmare and one's head wonders are they trying to kill the entire world with their cases of bleach, toilet duck, airfreshners, zillion plastic water bottles, cling film, tin foil, plastic bottles of laundry softener, fabric sheets freshner etc, etc (is this all dumped in our oceans) and then when they have at least a ten person line behind them, blocked every exit with their cases of wine bottles, water, cases of canned liquids etc, etc they produce more plastic to pay and that takes another ten minutes to authorise.
By this time there are 20 people waiting to be served behind them and ready to hit them with their straw/cotton can be used again shopping bags. The cashier is about to have a heart attack.
Have they finished, no they have forgotten twenty rolls of cling film and ten packets of pretzels, so they have to run back to get them to.
Then they want an itemised rec.
I forgot to mention the deckhand who through the entire time the stew has shopped has chain smoked in the entrance/exit door leaning on the shopping trolleys blocking entrance/exit...
Why do yachts not use more delivery companies who do not use plastic?
Let them see the swan with the coke can wrapped around its beak or the dolphin with no tail.
Someone out there who taps into recycled yacht provisioning is going to make a fortune.......
Why do they shop in such an old fashioned, uneco friendly fashion????????????
Maybe one of you guys could make a fortune, eco friendly yacht provisions.

[NYCAP123]

Truely I think the answer is that it just wasn't thought through. As I'm reading Palaemon's post I'm thinking that I've held up that line, and with good reason...We're shopping for 10 people for 2 or 3 weeks. Also, since I live on shore with 3 dogs and a cat I reuse those plastic bags as poop bags. Then it struck me (just before I read Palaemon's words).... These stores would be happy to deliver orders like this. Even a delivery charge wouldn't amount to what it cost the crew to go by car service to the store. And think of the extra time it would give the crew for enjoying shore time or catching up on their tasks.
As for the water bottle and sandwich wrap, if we can carry it out full there is no reason we can't carry the empty back (a lesson I plan to teach the fellow who keeps leaving his empty fast food stuff on my curb when I catch him).