How would you cope with a coffee-cup ban in your community?

Unforgiven

Force majeure
May 28, 2007
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I buy biodegradable bags for picking up after the dog. A small roll that clips to the leash carries 20 or so bags. Much better than taking plastic bags along, tidier, more enviro friendly.

That was my wife's invention by the way. :)

She shouldn't have mentioned it to others before it was patented!
Just how biodegradable are those bags? What do they break down into and how long does that take, any ideas?

I'd like to know when they are going to start calling cigarette butts litter. Is there a more filthy garbage tossed out as casually as a butt?
 

Nuggler

kind and gentle
Feb 27, 2006
11,596
141
63
Backwater, Ontario.
8O............Jeebus!!
coffee cups
plastic bags
to
biodegradable dog poo
to
wet and sloppy cig butts
yep
and goo mornin to you too
was goin for a second cup
maybe some toast
not now
wish i hadn'e read this
:confused3:hoo picks up all the used condoms?
what do they use?
that's the important question, eh
biodegradable rubbers
where the rubber meats the road.....:roll:(12yr.old rolly eyes thing)
:pottytrain3:yep, that urinal is full of cig butts
makes em hard to light.
anyone else feel nauseous ?
:pukeleft:
 

TenPenny

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 9, 2004
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Location, Location
That was my wife's invention by the way. :)

She shouldn't have mentioned it to others before it was patented!
Just how biodegradable are those bags? What do they break down into and how long does that take, any ideas?

I'd like to know when they are going to start calling cigarette butts litter. Is there a more filthy garbage tossed out as casually as a butt?

My understanding of the 'biodegradeable' bags is that they are plastic with a lot of corn starch filler - so the corn starch degrades, leaving small plastic bits. I could be wrong on this, though.

I have also read about those soaps with small plastic particles in it, to give you a better scrubbing action - these small plastic bits wind up in wastewater, that ends up in the ocean, and they're finding significant amounts of minute plastic particles in fish, birds, etc.
 

Tonington

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 27, 2006
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The biodegradable bags that Mountain Co-op has are made from corn starch and biodegradable polymers. They say it breaks down in compost in 12-24 months.

They even have 100% degradable polyethylene now. There's an additive in the polyethylene that acts as a catalyst to break down the material in certain conditions. It can last for 60 days or as low as 5 days, depending on the application. The carbon-carbon bonds break down, and can reduce the molecular weight from a quarter of a million to less than 4000, and which point it's small enough for soil microorgansims to break it down.
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
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bliss
That was my wife's invention by the way. :)

She shouldn't have mentioned it to others before it was patented!
Just how biodegradable are those bags? What do they break down into and how long does that take, any ideas?

I'd like to know when they are going to start calling cigarette butts litter. Is there a more filthy garbage tossed out as casually as a butt?

I have no clue on how biodegradable, but, I'd buy them even if they weren't since it's a much, much smaller volume of plastic that will make it to the landfill than if I were to pack along a big grocery bag.
 

TenPenny

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 9, 2004
17,467
139
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Location, Location
The biodegradable bags that Mountain Co-op has are made from corn starch and biodegradable polymers. They say it breaks down in compost in 12-24 months.

They even have 100% degradable polyethylene now. There's an additive in the polyethylene that acts as a catalyst to break down the material in certain conditions. It can last for 60 days or as low as 5 days, depending on the application. The carbon-carbon bonds break down, and can reduce the molecular weight from a quarter of a million to less than 4000, and which point it's small enough for soil microorgansims to break it down.
I wonder how well it works in the ocean...that would be very helpful
 

Unforgiven

Force majeure
May 28, 2007
6,770
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Recycled paper bags would just be stupid wouldn't it.

Buncha morons walking around with recycled paper bags doing two or three trips to the grocery store with them and then turning them in to be made into new bags.

Oh wait I almost for got, there is the possibility of a germ getting on the paper if it is used once and not thrown away. A germ. A whole vicious nasty germ that will kill us all. Maybe even a cold germ!

Ick I have to go wash now!
 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
83
bliss
Recycled paper bags would just be stupid wouldn't it.

Buncha morons walking around with recycled paper bags doing two or three trips to the grocery store with them and then turning them in to be made into new bags.

Oh wait I almost for got, there is the possibility of a germ getting on the paper if it is used once and not thrown away. A germ. A whole vicious nasty germ that will kill us all. Maybe even a cold germ!

Ick I have to go wash now!

If you're the type of person who's willing to pack around a paper bag for reuse, you probably own cloth ones like I do anyway Unf. the germs come right off in the laundry if I feel it's necessary. Simple.
 

lone wolf

Grossly Underrated
Nov 25, 2006
32,493
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In the bush near Sudbury
If you're the type of person who's willing to pack around a paper bag for reuse, you probably own cloth ones like I do anyway Unf. the germs come right off in the laundry if I feel it's necessary. Simple.

8O Germs? 8O

We still gotta worry about them????

What happened to this nanobobo stuff smaller'n a virus?
 

Unforgiven

Force majeure
May 28, 2007
6,770
137
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If you're the type of person who's willing to pack around a paper bag for reuse, you probably own cloth ones like I do anyway Unf. the germs come right off in the laundry if I feel it's necessary. Simple.

I use plastic bins actually. I keep them in the trunk and stack well on the two wheeler for easy carting from the car to the kitchen. 5 fit into a buggy and after you get to know how to pack them, it's easy to fit enough junk into them for a family of five for the week. I expect that they will out last me by a long run.

All kidding aside, our problem is with convenience. Over packaging, disposable, single use. There is no shortage of people looking for a short cut.
 

Tonington

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 27, 2006
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Then that's a problem, because a huge amount of plastic ends up in the ocean.

That's plastic from landfills though, which are pretty different than composting and organic waste processing facilities. Maybe the problem is equally as widespread with these sites. Hard to say. In any case, it highlights the need for large municipalities and cities like Toronto to cut down on their waste stream. NS has done a very good job with cutting down on waste to the landfills.

This could be an opportunity though. Biodegradable coffee cups. My brother was looking into that a few years ago. That would likely make someone very rich indeed.

I'm off to see the organic chemistry prof at my school now. :lol:
 

TenPenny

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 9, 2004
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Location, Location
Hey, here's something interesting from the Tim Horton's website:

Yes, customers get a 10 cent discount when they bring in their TimMug or other travel mug. Customers who dine in-store are served their beverage in a china mug