14
votes
How many times do you need to use a cheap re-usable bag to offset its impact?
The cheapest reusable bags round here are made of the same plastic as disposable bags. In this case the number of uses required is simply the ratio of the weights. Without getting the scales out I ...
- 2,116
9
votes
Accepted
Pure Plastic vs Biodegradable Plastic
It doesn't appear that there are any specific studies comparing the environmental impact of dog waste disposed of in biodegradable vs non-biodegradable bags, however there's quite a bit of work that's ...
- 11.8k
7
votes
Accepted
How does bioplastic recyclability compare with petrochemical-based plastic recyclability?
Conventional plastics
All conventional plastics marked with the 1 to 6 resin identification codes are recyclable. Some types are more easy to recycle than others, for example recycling PVC is more ...
- 14.5k
4
votes
Accepted
What type of bin liner is best for waste heading to landfill?
New plastic bags (if you can still find them in your local shops -- I can't anymore) are best for purchasing once and then using maybe 10 times. In contrast to recycled plastic bags that generally ...
- 4,786
4
votes
Accepted
Single-use wooden vs plastic cutlery
I found a paper by Wassman (2008) which compares polystyrene to biodegradable and compostable (B&C) plastic, showing that the main benefit of using the B&C cutlery appears if they are ...
- 270
4
votes
Accepted
How many times do you need to use a cheap re-usable bag to offset its impact?
Summary: According to this independent study if you look at global warming potential, for a sturdy LDPE bag you need to use it at least 4 times, for an even sturdier non-woven PP bag with inserts it's ...
- 14.5k
3
votes
What sustainable packaging can be used for meat in the freezer?
Many folks don't realize that glass canning jars (also known as preserving jars) are made to be freezer safe (4 oz, 8 oz, 12 oz, 16 oz, and 24 oz). If you look closely most of the wide mouth straight ...
- 31
3
votes
How to sell orange squash without plastic bottles?
A lovely question!
I can remember when there were no plastic bottles. Glass - made from one of our most common minerals - quartz, is not likely to run out, and is fully recyclable. I still get my ...
- 155
3
votes
What kind of lenses used for eyewear doesn’t melt in the oven?
I suspect anything made from plastic could be damaged, but true glass lenses should be fine.
Borosilicate glass, used in optics, has a glass transition temperature of 500 degrees Celsius. Because the ...
- 4,786
2
votes
What sustainable packaging can be used for meat in the freezer?
I don’t eat meat but anything I need to freeze, I normally slice it up and keep it in reused glass jars and freeze it . It works perfectly and you end up reusing old glass jars. Although i believe ...
- 21
2
votes
Accepted
Non-plastic straws in Germany?
You could try Karstadt/Kaufhof, or any store specialised in kitchen stuff, maybe WMF, maybe Leonardo, even Depot could provide at least bamboo straws. I got some glass straws (via the Internet, boooh) ...
- 587
2
votes
How to sell orange squash without plastic bottles?
Some common brands in the UK used glass within the last couple of decades; a few still do, but call themselves "cordial". I recall plastic caps on some, and metal caps on other brands.
In France the ...
- 2,116
2
votes
Solution to zero-waste take-away cup containers?
Rather than focus on alternatives to plastic lids on disposable containers, I thought it would be beneficial to have another solution entirely:
Use reusable lunch gear
As a consumer, you can bring a ...
- 1,318
2
votes
A venue to ongoingly "storm" alternatives to milk bags?
For decades in the UK (and probably other countries) milk was delivered to the door by a milkman in glass bottles.
You kept the empty bottles, and left them out on the door step for the milkman to ...
- 121
1
vote
Is Marine Plywood better than plastic for the environment?
Biodegradeable glues are an area of active research right now (example, and woodwork forums thread), but I haven't been able to find a plywood that uses one. The good news is that glue is only 5-10% ...
- 3,875
1
vote
Grass rug/carpet sustainable alternatives?
Two natural alternatives that I can think of are jute and bamboo rugs. Depending on how they are sourced and made they are likely to be better for the environment, and of course they are biodegradable,...
- 11.8k
1
vote
Solution to zero-waste take-away cup containers?
Plastic films can line paper containers.
https://www.avantium.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/20191011-Press-release-Avantium-joins-Paper-Bottle-Project-final.pdf
But also plastic is being developed ...
- 302
1
vote
Freezing Ice Pops Sustainably
It's always tough coming up with alternatives to plastic. Modern merchandising and consumer expectations demand it. So sad!
When I was growing up, popsicles came in waxed paper, inside a waxed ...
- 248
1
vote
Sustainability of steel versus plastic bottles
There are a lot of factors and different ways to view environmental impact and it depends on your priorities. If you prioritize energy used to produce, assuming Nate's citation is correct, the steel ...
- 149
1
vote
What sustainable packaging can be used for meat in the freezer?
The problem with packaging starts in the grocery store where styrofoam trays are used for all meat.How about using containers like milk cartons which are wax coated. Can cardboard be coated with wax ...
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible