XPost: talk.politics.misc, alt.science, alt.environment

Look ... they keep saying how most plastics aren't
"fully recyclable"/biodegradable. Well, biodegradation
might take awhile, but then they bitch about the
"nano-plastics" in everything (but can never really
pin down what's BAD about them).

Thing is, plastics are "stuff" - even if you can't
reuse them for their original purpose there are
still useful things to do with them. They are
fairly water/rot resistant and can be "strong enough"
for a variety of structural applications.

Especially in Africa there are cottage (and larger)
industries just for recycling "junk" plastic. The
small operators mix various kinds and make things
like sidewalk pavers and tile substitutes. More
careful mixes plus possibly some cotton/glass
fibers and you can make structural parts for
cheap housing that'll stand up to tropical rigors.

In the USA there are several providers of "fake wood",
mostly re-melted polyethylene in sheets and boards
that are popular for outdoor uses where wood might
have a short lifetime. Sawdust can be saturated with
plastic and pressed into complex shapes that are
both fairly strong and weather-resistant. Exact
characteristics depend on the mix of plastics,
with PE and the stiffer PET being most available.

Outer coatings can also be applied - making the
various products mentioned suitable for inexpensive
indoor furnishings - a perhaps better replacement
for the ubiquitous "particle board".

Mixed plastics can also serve as coatings over
vulnerable metal, long-term 'paint'.

SO - why are they throwing away so much EASILY-
reusable material ?

I *suspect* part of the background noise has little
to do with plastics themselves - but are instead a
backdoor way of attacking the petrochemical industry.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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