Questions tagged [plastic-alternatives]
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Sustainability of steel versus plastic bottles
In the article Think big, start small, it's claimed that steel bottles are more sustainable than plastic ones:
If you can drink the water, travel with a refillable water bottle,
preferably made ...
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How many times do you need to use a cheap re-usable bag to offset its impact?
An op-ed in the Wall Street Journal argues that many re-usable grocery bags are made using more oil than old-fashioned "single-use" plastic grocery bags.
This makes sense, as quite a bit more ...
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What sustainable packaging can be used for meat in the freezer?
When my family purchases meat from the supermarket, it comes on a non-recyclable plastic foam tray with plastic cling wrap over the top. We can improve on this by purchasing meat elsewhere.
However, ...
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What alternatives to Polypropylene bags could be used in Earthbag construction?
Given that Polypropylene bags are still a plastic product and not very biodegradable or earth friendly, if Earthbag construction became widely used how could this method be improved upon even further?
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What are the challenges for using carton boxes instead of plastic bottles for water?
Milk has come in carton boxes for ages, but water has not been available in cartons until very recently and only at limited locations. What are the pros and cons of using carton boxes for water ...
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Pure Plastic vs Biodegradable Plastic
I've been reading around (here, here, here and here) and I can't really find an answer to this question: is it better to throw, for example, dog poop, inside a pure plastic bag or use biodegradable ...
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Freezing Ice Pops Sustainably
When storing ice pops for retail customers, I need to package them in a freezer-safe ,clear wrapping. I would like for it to be compostable, but apparently the compostable cellophane options are not ...
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What does it take to stop the use of plastic bags in big grocery stores?
Many people do their weekly groceries at large supermarkets and consume a lot of plastic bags. However, given the fact that I already know that I am going to buy a-week worth of food and supplies what ...
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How does bioplastic recyclability compare with petrochemical-based plastic recyclability?
I am curious to know how recyclable bioplastics are. For example, how recyclable would a polylactic acid (PLA) cup be when compared to a conventional PET cup? Can the material go through a comparable ...
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Single-use wooden vs plastic cutlery
I just joined a waste minimization board in my office and one of the area we discussed was the use of plastic cutlery in our canteen. While the best option in my opinion would be to remove all single ...
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When bringing your own reusable bags for produce that needs weighing, what's the lightest option?
When purchasing fresh fruit and veges and other foods from the supermarket that are weighed during check out, I have tended to use the very thin plastic bags provided (when it's necessary to use a bag ...
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How to sell orange squash without plastic bottles?
Does anyone know how they used to sell orange squash before plastic bottles were invented? (Or perhaps no-one did?)
And if there was a ban on disposable plastic, how would orange squash be sold? In ...
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What type of bin liner is best for waste heading to landfill?
I found myself recently needing to purchase something to line my waste/landfill bins with. Up until now, I've been relying on a tub of single-use plastic bags that I've collected over the years, but ...
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Is Marine Plywood better than plastic for the environment?
I work for a brewery and we have recently started using 3mm thick 140x90mm Pump Clips on our taps instead of 2mm thick PVC Pump clips. These are the little plaques we see when we order a beer at the ...
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Is it worth buying compostable dog poop bags instead of plastic if I'm going to throw them in regular trash bins? [duplicate]
I walk my dogs twice a day, pick up their poop with small disposable bags, and throw the bags in the first municipal trash bin I come across. They will presumably end up in a landfill.
I previously ...
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Solution to zero-waste take-away cup containers?
The most common sustainable solution for soup takeaway (to-go) containers are those compostable cup and lid sets - made from plant-based plastic (PLA) lid and a paper/PLA cup.
These are basically non-...
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Non-plastic straws in Germany?
I want to find non-plastic straws. Are there are any in Germany, that you can physically buy?
I live in Bavaria. I have a big Edeka, Rewe, Lidl and Rossmann nearby, but I am ready to travel "great" ...
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Grass rug/carpet sustainable alternatives?
My balcony has a very ugly concrete floor that I don't like. I really like grass carpets (see a few examples on Amazon) though. I like their texture and I think they make a balcony more homely. To ...
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What material is more biodegradable than plastic bristles for a toothbrush?
What sturdy fibres are more biodegradable than plastic bristles?
Assume the bacteria which eat the toothbrush bristles are a 95% or greater match in DNA comparison to bacteria which pre-date the year ...
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A venue to ongoingly "storm" alternatives to milk bags?
Canada uses 1.3L bags to deliver milk. Each set of 3 such bags are enclose in another bag. It results in incomprehensible volumes of waste.
I searched the internet to see why we haven't found a ...
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What kind of lenses used for eyewear doesn’t melt in the oven?
Hello and sorry for my silly question! I want to create a pair of sunglasses made of Fimo (polymer clay). I know, maybe no one did something like this, but I'm ambitious when it comes to nonsense. To ...
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