MUNDOMATERIAL

I’ve already written a couple of posts about bloguers boycotting plastic, not purchasing items made with it. Anti-plastic bloguers are a good source of information if you are looking for trends in the way the general public perceives plastic. The economic downturn suggests that austerity will define many markets, forcing down demand for non-essentials items that are particularly hated by anti-plastic bloggers. It is up to you to decide the importance that the blogging community may have, but like many other activist movements that inspire them, they are now profitting from social networks. I’d like to discuss which methods they are currently using and how they are ideas are being incorporated into society. Anti-plastic bloggers are similar to other activists in their effective use of new technologies to spread their message. For example, A month without plastic had a reporting format that is becoming common nowadays – the 30 days experience. Morgan Spurlock made Super... 
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Introduction I’ve been following closely some of the blogs I discussed in my post Blogs boycotting plastic and paying attention to the most hated plastic items. Disposable bags are probably the first on the list, but no doubt that plastic bottles are quickly following the same path. Many different issues converge on plastic bottles, angrying activists and worrying a bigger part of the population. So what are plastics bottles made of? What are the main issues related to the way we use them today? I’ll start with the basics, then. photo credit: bbaunach Common types of plastics used in bottles Most of bottles used for drinks are PET, or polyester terephtalate. Now, PET is one of the biggies in the plastic market, with Western Europe usage reaching 3.5 million tonnes in 2006. PET is used in many other applications apart from bottles, but packaging remains its turf. It’s resistant, transparent and it doesn’t break easily. Bottles made of HDPE are also used but not... 
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This post is a follow up of A month without plastic. Since I wrote that, Chris Jeavans has been doing quite well for herself. She has learned some of the dynamics of the downsizing movement, which promotes reduction of all consumed items, and she is applying some of its rules. An example of a total-downsizer is this blog: No impact man. In this case plastic is not the only suspect and this New Yorker tries to reduce his enviromental impact to zero. Challenging, to say the least. Some of the key rules of downsizers are as follows: be aware of the impact of what you consumed be determined measure your progress tell others how to do it All these steps taking by downsizers look very much like those taken by a person on diet, food diet I mean. Chris Jeavans has analysed new product types, like shoes, meat packaging and toiletries. But more importantly, she has found a lot of friends. As it turns out, she is not the first doing this at all. There are quite a few bloggers out there that are... 
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In March 2008 the European Commission adopted Regulation EC 282/2008, setting out the requirements for recycled plastics to be used in food contact applications. The aim of the regulation is to level the field accross Europe, since up to now the legal status of recycled plastics varied from country to country. Also, the lack of specific legislation made it more difficult for recycled plastics to compete with virgin polymers in this type of end market. The EC is just being consequent with what is already established in Directive 94/62/EC, promoting the recycling of packaging waste. However, the recent regulation covers not only food packaging, but also cutlery, dishes, processing machines, containers, etc. Only plastics already used in food contact applications, or complying with food contact requirements, are covered by the Directive. Excluded from it are the following: materials obtained by chemical recycling, which are covered instead by Directive 2002/72/EC on monomers and additives recycled... 
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I’ve found this video, which I think exemplifies quite graphically why a part of the population is so upset about plastic. It’s the 2007 Winner of Friends of the Earth’s Best One-minute green film award and it was directed by Ulla Jacobsen (Denmark). Go to YouTube’s Friend’s of the Earth page to watch more interesting short films or maybe try to redeem plastic! Absurd and redundant packaging like the one showed in the film it’s just a waste of material. It is also a screen that sometimes don’t allow people the useful applications of plastic. Those in you in the business of packaging, please, please, be sensible. AKPC_IDS += "1730,"; 
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