Forums > Social Discussion > Recycling Plastic Bags - London
Login/Join to ParticipateBRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
2,211 posts
Location: London, Wales (UK)
Pooh-Bah
2,211 posts
Location: London, Wales (UK)
Posted:
Another query from Bex - she does not have access in work so asked me to post for her.
Despite great intentions - we don't always have a reusable bags when shopping. Clearly the best thing to do is reuse your bag but what do you do with the bags that do build up?
At the moment I'm saving mine to bring home to my mother in Ireland. You have to pay 15c for a carrier bag in Ireland, its really cut down on the amount of plastic bags being used. The same plan here would help stop us from all being so lazy!
However in the meantime, if anyone knows where bags can be recycled - would appreciate if you could post where here.
Ta muchly
Kat
Another query from Bex - she does not have access in work so asked me to post for her.
Despite great intentions - we don't always have a reusable bags when shopping. Clearly the best thing to do is reuse your bag but what do you do with the bags that do build up?
At the moment I'm saving mine to bring home to my mother in Ireland. You have to pay 15c for a carrier bag in Ireland, its really cut down on the amount of plastic bags being used. The same plan here would help stop us from all being so lazy!
However in the meantime, if anyone knows where bags can be recycled - would appreciate if you could post where here.
Ta muchly
Kat
Come faeries, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame.
- W B Yeats
GOLD Member
playing the days away
7,263 posts
Location: The Middle lands, United Kingdom
playing the days away
7,263 posts
Location: The Middle lands, United Kingdom
Posted:
I dont know of many places in general as I believe (but could be wrong) that plastic bags are actually very hard to recycle effectively, but at my local tesco's they have a big receptical outside solely for recycling placcy bags. Maybe try at a Tesco's near you?
I dont know of many places in general as I believe (but could be wrong) that plastic bags are actually very hard to recycle effectively, but at my local tesco's they have a big receptical outside solely for recycling placcy bags. Maybe try at a Tesco's near you?
Let's relight this forum 
BRONZE Member
Pooh-Bah
2,211 posts
Location: London, Wales (UK)
Pooh-Bah
2,211 posts
Location: London, Wales (UK)
Posted:
Cheers me dears. I'll tell Bex to keep an eye out, but I'll keep saving mine for Mammy Carey
Cheers me dears. I'll tell Bex to keep an eye out, but I'll keep saving mine for Mammy Carey
Come faeries, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame.
- W B Yeats
SILVER Member
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales
Posted:
I herard they made fleeces out of them!
I herard they made fleeces out of them!
BRONZE Member
old hand
1,107 posts
Location: In a test pit, Mackay, Australia
old hand
1,107 posts
Location: In a test pit, Mackay, Australia
Posted:
Plastics tend not to be recycled on a large scale because their low density makes transport to a plant uneconomical, and the numerous chemical compositions of the various plastics means they can't just all be melted in together and need careful separation.
Use your old carrier bags instead of buying specific bin bags, this cuts down on the plastic production at source.
And consider other methods of carrying your groceries; I use a rucksack and pack carefully at the till, Tescos have those big blue containers with the handles, or quite often by the side of the till will be a pile of cardboard boxes, use one of those instead.
Plastics tend not to be recycled on a large scale because their low density makes transport to a plant uneconomical, and the numerous chemical compositions of the various plastics means they can't just all be melted in together and need careful separation.
Use your old carrier bags instead of buying specific bin bags, this cuts down on the plastic production at source.
And consider other methods of carrying your groceries; I use a rucksack and pack carefully at the till, Tescos have those big blue containers with the handles, or quite often by the side of the till will be a pile of cardboard boxes, use one of those instead.
There is a slight possibility that I am not actually right all of the time.
GOLD Member
ZORT!
3,045 posts
Location: Brisbane, Australia
ZORT!
3,045 posts
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Posted:
absolutely right eera. plastic bags are primarily polyethylene, which by itself isnt too hard to melt back down.
the problem with polyethylene is that after the manufacturing process it is extruded, pelletised, bagged, and sent off to 1000's of other manufacturers to remix, with any number of different compound for colour, opacity, strength, durability, elasticity, heat resistance, and any number of other properties.
i did 3 months work experience at a polyethylene manufactures, and they produced 10 forms of premixed polymer, before it was shipped off to other sites for subequent processing.
mixing all this stuff together in any sort of recycling process will be extremely unpredictable.
woolworths across the road from home sell cloth bags for a dollar or something. ive got about 3 - i just use them.
absolutely right eera. plastic bags are primarily polyethylene, which by itself isnt too hard to melt back down.
the problem with polyethylene is that after the manufacturing process it is extruded, pelletised, bagged, and sent off to 1000's of other manufacturers to remix, with any number of different compound for colour, opacity, strength, durability, elasticity, heat resistance, and any number of other properties.
i did 3 months work experience at a polyethylene manufactures, and they produced 10 forms of premixed polymer, before it was shipped off to other sites for subequent processing.
mixing all this stuff together in any sort of recycling process will be extremely unpredictable.
woolworths across the road from home sell cloth bags for a dollar or something. ive got about 3 - i just use them.
"Here kitty kitty...." - Schroedinger.