This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Friday 13 May 2022
Advanced Plastic Greenwashing?
One hundred companies produce 90% of the planet's plastic pollution. Of these, ExxonMobile generates most of the single-use version. That company complains it has not been given enough credit for its efforts to develop 'advanced recycling' (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/11/exxon-advanced-recycling-plastic-pollution-investigation). ExxonMobile advocate the benefits of pyrolysis. Pyrolysis, as the name suggests, involves heating plastic waste to turn it into a low grade fossil fuel or material for making yet more plastic. Detailed studies, however, show the process to be inherently expensive. It is also difficult to collect and effectively recycle the wide variety of different plastics, needed for the process. Indeed, one study, by the industry itself, has shown that 'advanced recycling' generates more 'greenhouse gas' emissions than putting plastic into landfill or simply burning it. A company shouldn't attempt to take credit for something that is no solution to the plastic pollution problem. This is advanced greenwashing, rather than advanced recycling!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Jumping Into the Limelight?
Jumping spiders don't make webs. As their name suggests, they leap on their prey. A current total of 17 non-native jumping spiders, hav...
-
The UK government continue their quest to turn England's rivers back into sewers. They first facilitated the privatised water companies...
-
Garden plants in France, The Netherlands, The UK and Sikkim (NE India).
No comments:
Post a Comment