Author Topic: A random thread for small things that don't really warrant a thread of their own (Read 3009945 times)

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #22375 on:** 16 March, 2018, 10:16:46 am »

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 16 March, 2018, 09:24:53 am

Why on earth can you not recycle wrapping paper?
Quote
British consumers are in the dark about exactly what household waste they can recycle, a new poll has revealed, with plastic soap dispenser tops, dirty kitchen roll and wrapping paper topping the list of things they wrongly consider recyclable.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/16/kitchen-roll-among-things-britons-wrongly-think-they-can-recycle

Depends on the wrapping paper. Quite a lot is a plastic/paper film or has glitter on it.

I like wrapping presents in very strong brown paper and tying it with nice cloth ribbon. There is something very satisfying about unwrapping a brown paper parcel (but not tied up with string).

T42 · « **Reply #22376 on:** 16 March, 2018, 10:17:35 am »

Depends what they call paper. Some of that Christmas stuff is like a survival blanket.

Xposted but bof.

hellymedic · « **Reply #22377 on:** 16 March, 2018, 02:44:53 pm »

Wrapping paper:
1) May contain plastic film, from which the paper cannot be separated.
2) May contain metal foil, from which the paper cannot be separated.
3) Wood fibres are short and not very useful in manufacture of paper.

T42 · « **Reply #22378 on:** 16 March, 2018, 02:56:22 pm »

Funny thing is that they take drink cartons, which are waxed or plastified card with a foil lining which should also be difficult to deal with.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #22379 on:** 16 March, 2018, 03:45:12 pm »

Round here they don't for the reasons you listed.
Most disposable coffee cups can't be recycled because they have a film of plastic.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #22380 on:** 16 March, 2018, 03:50:24 pm »

They take drinks cartons here, I'm not sure about takeaway coffee cups. They don't take black and other dark coloured plastics.

Giraffe · « **Reply #22381 on:** 16 March, 2018, 04:00:27 pm »

Drinks cans - aluminium coated with plastic - are OK; tablet er, thingys, plastic coated with aluminium, aren't OK.
Why the hell mustn't ordinary metal scrap go in the bin? Where there's brass there's, um, brass!

hellymedic · « **Reply #22382 on:** 16 March, 2018, 04:05:18 pm »

AIUI Tetrapak and other placticated drink cartons get Sent Elsewhere for Special Treatment.
Recycling these beasts is expensive and not very economical.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #22383 on:** 16 March, 2018, 04:08:59 pm »

They seem to have taken my old brake cable. They don't take bubble wrap, which generally accounts for a huge volume of rubbish.

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #22384 on:** 16 March, 2018, 04:13:27 pm »

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 16 March, 2018, 09:24:53 am

Why on earth can you not recycle wrapping paper?
Quote
British consumers are in the dark about exactly what household waste they can recycle, a new poll has revealed, with plastic soap dispenser tops, dirty kitchen roll and wrapping paper topping the list of things they wrongly consider recyclable.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/mar/16/kitchen-roll-among-things-britons-wrongly-think-they-can-recycle

How the hell was anyone meant to know that you cannot recycle soap dispenser tops? The industry needs to be compelled to make these things recyclable or biodegradable. As for plastic bags, I bunged a few in the collection thing in a Waitrose this morning so presumably they are recyclable.

hellymedic · « **Reply #22385 on:** 16 March, 2018, 04:22:02 pm »

I knew about soap dispenser tops because I am 'sad' enough to have spent AGES perusing Council and other recycling sites.

'Soap' dispenser tops consist of a spring, a ball bearing, a feeder tube/reservoir and a trigger/nozzle.

The spring and ball bearing are always metal, the rest is plastic, probably more than one type.

Separating different plastics and metal is too complex to be economical.

ian · « **Reply #22386 on:** 16 March, 2018, 05:10:41 pm »

Honestly, if it looks recyclable, I throw it in. Manufacturers should be obliged to make all packaging recyclable. End of.

hellymedic · « **Reply #22387 on:** 16 March, 2018, 07:24:18 pm »

They should.
They don't.
I do my best to keep my recycling uncontaminated.
A contaminated batch gets rejected in its entirety, which is the last thing I want.
I try to make life for those who handle our waste as easy as possible.

I've seen some dreadful abuse of local facilities. Bin men leave mixed and contaminated rubbish behind, so it accumulates on the street or in our hedge...

ian · « **Reply #22388 on:** 16 March, 2018, 08:56:11 pm »

Well, I do so to the point that it's reasonable to assume it's recyclable without cross referencing cryptic labelling and regulations. Which I suspect is far more than most people do. The bin men take anything I leave out for them because I made them a cup of tea once.

TheLurker · « **Reply #22389 on:** 16 March, 2018, 09:20:45 pm »

Quote from: hellymedic

<snip...>
'Soap' dispenser tops consist of a spring, a ball bearing, a feeder tube/reservoir and a trigger/nozzle.
The spring and ball bearing are always metal, the rest is plastic, probably more than one type.

Which is why, sad bastard that I am, I disassemble SDTs. I keep the springs, and feeder tubes and the remaining separated bits of plastic go into the recycling.

It distresses me that $deity$ knows many tonnes of good quality steel in the shape of springs (and other small components) end up in landfill each year. At least some of the SDT mfrs have worked out how to use plastic "springs" in place of steel likewise plastic balls for the non-return valve.

FWIW, the feeder tubes make great pipettes for dispensing small amounts of paint and thinners when painting models and cleaning up afterwards.

Kim · « **Reply #22390 on:** 16 March, 2018, 09:30:53 pm »

Best approach to soap dispenser tops seems to be to have re-fills available with a simple plastic lid, that can be swapped for the dispenser from your previous one.

ian · « **Reply #22391 on:** 16 March, 2018, 09:51:17 pm »

Or just use soap. I am so old school that I'm practically a comprehensive.

hellymedic · « **Reply #22392 on:** 16 March, 2018, 10:36:29 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 16 March, 2018, 09:30:53 pm

Best approach to soap dispenser tops seems to be to have re-fills available with a simple plastic lid, that can be swapped for the dispenser from your previous one.

Indeed but I don't see many refill bottles being available for my online shopping.

ElyDave · « **Reply #22393 on:** 16 March, 2018, 10:42:12 pm »

Sqeezy soap dispensing rather than pump action. All my shower gel is such, and it cleans my hair as well.

Plus comprehensive soap bars stolen from hotels

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #22394 on:** 16 March, 2018, 10:44:48 pm »

Quote from: hellymedic on 16 March, 2018, 04:22:02 pm

I knew about soap dispenser tops because I am 'sad' enough to have spent AGES perusing Council and other recycling sites.

'Soap' dispenser tops consist of a spring, a ball bearing, a feeder tube/reservoir and a trigger/nozzle.

Ah ok, those ones. I don’t think I use much that involves those. I was thinking of the usual all-plastic ones on dishwashing liquid bottles, hence my puzzlement.

hellymedic · « **Reply #22395 on:** 16 March, 2018, 10:49:58 pm »

Lids and bottle tops are often a different material from the bottles they top. I tend to put all of these in the landfill waste.

Kim · « **Reply #22396 on:** 16 March, 2018, 10:52:32 pm »

Quote from: ElyDave on 16 March, 2018, 10:42:12 pm

Sqeezy soap dispensing rather than pump action. All my shower gel is such, and it cleans my hair as well.

Requires two functional hands.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #22397 on:** 16 March, 2018, 11:33:49 pm »

I am in the process of changing from liquid laundry detergent to powder - due to both benefit to machine and reduction in plastic.
When I've finished the last batch of liquid hand wash I will swap to a bar of fragrance free soap.
I've bought some Bee Bee Wraps and we're using them instead of cling film to wrap our sarnies. Eventually when we run out of freezer bags I'll buy some more for storing cheese etc.

And tomorrow I'll retrieve that pump from the liquid soap I just put in the recycling....

ElyDave · « **Reply #22398 on:** 17 March, 2018, 06:36:21 am »

Quote from: Kim on 16 March, 2018, 10:52:32 pm

Quote from: ElyDave on 16 March, 2018, 10:42:12 pm
Sqeezy soap dispensing rather than pump action. All my shower gel is such, and it cleans my hair as well.

Requires two functional hands.

Flip top with one hand, sqeeze into the other?

Torslanda · « **Reply #22399 on:** 17 March, 2018, 07:48:30 am »

You haven't met Barakta, have you...?