http://news.therecord.com/article/354044
In short, a kid kinda discovers some microbes responsible for devouring plastic like polystyrene that are kinda rare in nature and isolates them and helps them grow, providing a way to degrade plastic bags in around 12 weeks, where it normally takes many, many years.
This is what ups my optimism that young people will eventually be able to save the day (or not, but I can hope). I mean, hell, this is a natural way of battling a man-made problem. And come on, we know the dangers associated with loads of plastic that will decompose hundreds of years, and if a kid can find a way to shorten that time to a few months, why haven't any corporations or universities done the same?
My idea is that people still wanna make money instead of genuinely helping save the environment. And how long will it take for this "invention" to get propagated around the world? WOw Good on him! what a discovery for a 16 year old!
It wont take long to spread around the world either i reckon
Good thing.. Plastic is bad waste..
Good for him! I've been trying to figure out a good way to do this for a while. I'm glad someone was able to do it! Hopefully this will become a widespread practice.
Its a step forward but I honestly don't see the practicality in this particular "discovery". If some is going to take the time to ferment, and introduce these bacteria to degrade the bags, wouldn't it be better to just recycle them rather then destroy them. What I'd be interested in finding out is what the chemical composition the remaining solution consists of. Who knows maybe the result is another useful composition.
Recycling plastic bags isn't as easy nor as cost efficient as one might think it would be. You have to consider the cost of making the plastic bag (practically nothing) as opposed to the work that would be needed to recycle it.
Though, this could also apply to the whole bacteria consuming the plastic bags thing as well.
The world will end one day, and plastic bags are just making it worse!
Every plastic bag thrown into the environment is 1 day removed from the Earth's, and human's existance. 
We should stop using plastic bgs, becuz they only open up the gateways to hell!
If you want to do a good deed, then Use a paper bag today. Don't buy goods from a shopkeeper who sells you stuff in plastic bags.
Just Think about it, I can do it, you can do it, we can do it!
Someday, maybe very close, maybe very far, we will have NO Plastic bags on Earth. Thats right... No more of thoes annoying things lying on the ground every where! And no more innocent animals dieing because of getting their throats choked. It will be a better place to live in....
We are 7 continents, thousands of nations, millions of countries and billions of people!!!!! Just imagine that if we don't use plastic bags for even 1 weak, it could do wonders! And why use them at all, when we have good old paper bags??
Next time you see a plastic bag...... think about it...... other wise............. be prepared for hell... 
| speeDemon wrote: |
The world will end one day, and plastic bags are just making it worse!
Every plastic bag thrown into the environment is 1 day removed from the Earth's, and human's existance.
We should stop using plastic bgs, becuz they only open up the gateways to hell!
If you want to do a good deed, then Use a paper bag today. Don't buy goods from a shopkeeper who sells you stuff in plastic bags.
Just Think about it, I can do it, you can do it, we can do it!
Someday, maybe very close, maybe very far, we will have NO Plastic bags on Earth. Thats right... No more of thoes annoying things lying on the ground every where! And no more innocent animals dieing because of getting their throats choked. It will be a better place to live in....
We are 7 continents, thousands of nations, millions of countries and billions of people!!!!! Just imagine that if we don't use plastic bags for even 1 weak, it could do wonders! And why use them at all, when we have good old paper bags??
Next time you see a plastic bag...... think about it...... other wise............. be prepared for hell... |
holy shit dude, cut the drama!! While paper bags have the added benefit of being more widely recycled than plastic, they still produce the same amount of waste. u r right, we should use them instead, but don't act as if they are the holy grail. second, plastic will not be replaced for a long time. until oil is gone, corporate conglomerates will keep using plastic. and even if we do use other materials, it's not that much better. look at it this way:some things like rubber can be replaced with sap based products, but that means cutting down trees. we can use metal more often in toys and such like they did 40+ years ago, but aluminum is incredibly energy intensive to recycle. finally, some things just can't be replaced.
the underlying problem with recycling is that fossil fuels are used to achieve the high temperatures needed to re-melt these materials. we could try renewable sources, but they generate electric current, and the metal wiring would melt too soon. possible solution:
design a compressor that heats the materials (like a diesel engine) that's powered by renewable sources. unfortunately, that has its own list of problems. the important thing now is to just recycle as much as possible and produce as little waste as we can. im sorry, but matter cannot be created or destroyed. it can only change form.A few days i heard that China consumed 3 billion plastic bags a day!! I get nuts when i heard it. Now i understand why China is the greatest consumer of Oil. But they have chosen to make a law so that's forbidden those bags anymore.
A wise dission in so many years!!
This dission makes that gallons of oil wil be saved so that a few years more we can use oil as a fuel.
That is sweet. Smart kid.
A thought just struck me: what if they use this as a weapon? Hell, look how much plastic is around you, just imagine someone spraying those microbes from the air... It would "corrode" all plastic things, car elements, some roofs, equipment... But I don't know whether it's even a feasible idea, but that would be damn scary.
Interesting development there...I'd like to see how it will work in the wider world...All the best to him I say.
Personally, I use those green bags the supermarkets sell...they're not too bad actually. And quite collectable.
| c'tair wrote: |
| A thought just struck me: what if they use this as a weapon? Hell, look how much plastic is around you, just imagine someone spraying those microbes from the air... It would "corrode" all plastic things, car elements, some roofs, equipment... But I don't know whether it's even a feasible idea, but that would be damn scary. |
keep in mind that plastic bags are very weak materials and it still takes 6 weeks. such an attack would really be impractical because the microbes could just be washed awayVery intelligent kid. interesting stuff he developed and could well serve environment protection.
Sorry to rain on parade, but:
1. | Quote: |
| that young people will eventually be able to save the day |
Sounds as ageism to me, no offense. I don't know people out of student's age, who have free access to the laboratory equipment and supplies, unless they are working for an employers and doing not what they want, but what they were told to do. Reality check, you know: this in not age related, but social status and access to goods and services thing, despite what we are lead to believe by mass media.
2. I had read about discovery of the biodegradable plastic, suitable for making shopping bags, decades ago. No heating, no incubation, they degrade by themselves within months. Where are they now? Yet we are reading about another invention in the same field, forgetting about what was done before: old news will not sell newspapers and magazines.
3. Some time ago I had read a lot about having very promising ideas and looking for people, who will implement that and will pay for use the ideas. In short, the answer was like "ideas are dime for dozen. This is a matter of risking of investing the own money, it's owner's right to decide will be it reliable and profitable enough or not". Quoting from memory, in own words, summary from different sources.
4. If we are talking about non-profit organizations, funded by donations, and dedicated to saving the environment, again, it's their choice and a corporate politics, where to spend the money and look good in yearly report.
If about governmental funding and choices, all the same: the right of making decisions instead of us was given to them during voting. Nothing else could be done after that. Changing this system of representatives to direct voting on issues by population - in digital age - is even less probable, than implementing a very promising inventions.
Again, society and corporations work not quite so, as we were told (or were lead to believe).
Now try to have a nice day and forget the all sour things I just told you 
my supermarkret still has em but it would be really good 
As much as I agree that plastic bags ARE a major issue, I do believe they are not the key issue that we should be focussing on. Lets face it, 11% of household waste is plastic, 40% of which if made up of plastic bottles - far in excess of plastic bags. Staggeringly, only 3% of household plastic bottles are currently recycled. You do not see the supermarkets and manufacturers making an issue of this! Why? it is the cheapest way to push drinks to you the consumer (I remember when water only came from taps!!). They can not directly charge you for the plastic bottle. On the other hand, plastic bags cost the supermarkets money. They provide the bags at their expense, so why not make it an issue so they can charge YOU for the bags. Ban them or don't ban them - charging just seems a cop out and exploitation of the green issue.
Plastic packaging only accounts for 2% of all crude oil consumed globally - I think we have some much larger issues to fry if we are to save the planet. Every little helps, but lets get real about our focus if we are to make a difference.
Take a look (Google it) at the "plastic soup" of waste floating in the Pacific Ocean. It is growing at an alarming rate and now covers an area twice the size of the continental United States. This mass of debris – in effect the world's largest rubbish dump – is held in place by swirling underwater currents. This drifting "soup" stretches from about 500 nautical miles off the Californian coast, across the northern Pacific, past Hawaii and almost as far as Japan. Now that's a real issue - and who talks about that on the evening news???? What is being done about it? who is taking ownership? No-one!
| c'tair wrote: |
http://news.therecord.com/article/354044
|
Heard about this on the radio the other day. This is great and it shows that you're never too young or too old to make a difference.I have switched to bringing my own bags to the groshery store. I forget when I go to the malls, but I agree, plastic bags are bad. Some stores have started charging for bags, but I think that people just get frustrated instead of buying a $1.00 bag and using it for reuse.
We should be like China and bad plasic bags
I seem to remember that my grandmom used to take her basket with her to do her shopping. Those were the days before plastic. So if they could do without plastic then, surely we can too. Sometimes when I go for long drives the landscape can be so spoilt with plastic bags clinging against hedge wiring. Total eye sore. I know in South Africa they have made great progress as they have been charging for plastic bags for a long time. This is combined with pleas for looking after the environment, taking it one dimension further. I really like the new invention by the 16-year old. Think there are many brilliant 16-year olds in the world. One of the best years in our lives. 
| GaryMK wrote: |
| They can not directly charge you for the plastic bottle. On the other hand, plastic bags cost the supermarkets money. They provide the bags at their expense, so why not make it an issue so they can charge YOU for the bags. |
Hate to bring this up but you DO pay for those plastic bags! The stores do NOT provide them for you for free. The costs of the bags are figured into the price of the products you buy from the store, just like all the other costs of doing business that the store has. Everything from the mop to clean the floor, to the electric for the lights and the coolers, to paying the stockperson and the cashier. And now the high cost of fuel to transport those products. It's simply another cost of doing business that's passed on.
As for the bottles, they are a cost of doing business for the drink manufacturer. There are even products on the market where the packaging literally costs more than the product it contains!! YOU pay for all the packaging, whether you realize it or not.
Oh, and BTW, there was a Science Fiction book published years ago called "The Plastic Eaters" where nasty little thingies from outer space found Earth and started eating everything plastic. Now, who's to say we're not going to do it to ourselves? After all, lots of other good ideas have gone bad.
Just my 2 cents,
Chad | GaryMK wrote: |
As much as I agree that plastic bags ARE a major issue, I do believe they are not the key issue that we should be focussing on. Lets face it, 11% of household waste is plastic, 40% of which if made up of plastic bottles - far in excess of plastic bags. Staggeringly, only 3% of household plastic bottles are currently recycled. You do not see the supermarkets and manufacturers making an issue of this! Why? it is the cheapest way to push drinks to you the consumer (I remember when water only came from taps!!). They can not directly charge you for the plastic bottle. On the other hand, plastic bags cost the supermarkets money. They provide the bags at their expense, so why not make it an issue so they can charge YOU for the bags. Ban them or don't ban them - charging just seems a cop out and exploitation of the green issue.
Plastic packaging only accounts for 2% of all crude oil consumed globally - I think we have some much larger issues to fry if we are to save the planet. Every little helps, but lets get real about our focus if we are to make a difference.
Take a look (Google it) at the "plastic soup" of waste floating in the Pacific Ocean. It is growing at an alarming rate and now covers an area twice the size of the continental United States. This mass of debris – in effect the world's largest rubbish dump – is held in place by swirling underwater currents. This drifting "soup" stretches from about 500 nautical miles off the Californian coast, across the northern Pacific, past Hawaii and almost as far as Japan. Now that's a real issue - and who talks about that on the evening news???? What is being done about it? who is taking ownership? No-one! |
totally agree with you - and no-ne gives a toss.
why?
lots fo reasons, most of them commercial - and that includes the ownership issue.
i live in the gambia, west africa. most people here are very poor, even in the urban areas. our official per capita income per day is us$ 1 according to un statistics.
we have a huge rubbish problem with not much municipal money available for collecting. one of the biggest problems used to be plastic water bottles. but being poor does have its "advantages" - you tend to innovate far more in re-using anything as much as you can. so as soon as some small enterprises sprang up using empty bottles to refill, freeze them and sell the ice, mainly to merchants to keep fresh produce cold - no more empty bottles.
i'm a commercial paper recycler myself and are experimenting with using comressed paper/sawdust bricks as a fuel wood substitute - 2 benefits at once. paper acquires a value so people rather collect it then throw it away and every ton we recycle will safe 1 ton of tree being burned. maybe once communities in the developed countries can put a value to their rubbish attitudes will change - if it's not already to late.
cheers | icecool wrote: |
totally agree with you - and no-ne gives a toss.
why?
lots fo reasons, most of them commercial - and that includes the ownership issue.
i live in the gambia, west africa. most people here are very poor, even in the urban areas. our official per capita income per day is us$ 1 according to un statistics.
we have a huge rubbish problem with not much municipal money available for collecting. one of the biggest problems used to be plastic water bottles. but being poor does have its "advantages" - you tend to innovate far more in re-using anything as much as you can. so as soon as some small enterprises sprang up using empty bottles to refill, freeze them and sell the ice, mainly to merchants to keep fresh produce cold - no more empty bottles.
i'm a commercial paper recycler myself and are experimenting with using comressed paper/sawdust bricks as a fuel wood substitute - 2 benefits at once. paper acquires a value so people rather collect it then throw it away and every ton we recycle will safe 1 ton of tree being burned. maybe once communities in the developed countries can put a value to their rubbish attitudes will change - if it's not already to late.
cheers |
Wonderful what you are doing Icecool. Have to cheer you for your great effort. Can just imagine the people of Gambia must be wonderful people. I believe it is one of the safest places in the world? Wishing you the best for all your efforts. | Wolf1918 wrote: |
| GaryMK wrote: | | They can not directly charge you for the plastic bottle. On the other hand, plastic bags cost the supermarkets money. They provide the bags at their expense, so why not make it an issue so they can charge YOU for the bags. |
Hate to bring this up but you DO pay for those plastic bags! The stores do NOT provide them for you for free. The costs of the bags are figured into the price of the products you buy from the store, just like all the other costs of doing business that the store has. Everything from the mop to clean the floor, to the electric for the lights and the coolers, to paying the stockperson and the cashier. And now the high cost of fuel to transport those products. It's simply another cost of doing business that's passed on.
As for the bottles, they are a cost of doing business for the drink manufacturer. There are even products on the market where the packaging literally costs more than the product it contains!! YOU pay for all the packaging, whether you realize it or not.
Oh, and BTW, there was a Science Fiction book published years ago called "The Plastic Eaters" where nasty little thingies from outer space found Earth and started eating everything plastic. Now, who's to say we're not going to do it to ourselves? After all, lots of other good ideas have gone bad.
Just my 2 cents,
Chad |
True. Also there are alternatives coming up now and then exciting us that things are going to change for the better, but still no cost-effective solutions available to use the existing infrastructure or providing the usability and convenience. Till the time something worthy, proven element to replace plastic comes to wide adaptation the only possible way is to keep different garbage bins to separate organic and inorganic wastes in public places atleast and processing them.
The following link though old, discusses on using plastic waste for road construction!!
http://www.waste.nl/page/766.China government also release a law about limit to using plastic bags. But it seems no use. As people changed their mind and they think it's natural to pay for plastic bags which used to be free in supermarkets and shops. But China government can't cancel the law now, if the law was cancelled, more plastic bags would be into use. Here there is a strict rule for not using plastic bags less than 3 microns, it is said that such bags makes problems in ground water storage as well as shield roots of bush/trees
| takashiro wrote: |
| China government also release a law about limit to using plastic bags. But it seems no use. As people changed their mind and they think it's natural to pay for plastic bags which used to be free in supermarkets and shops. But China government can't cancel the law now, if the law was cancelled, more plastic bags would be into use. |
Good point, proof that charging for plastic bags does not change behaviour. People will always take the simple option. You have to give a viable alternative, not just charge a few pence for the same thing. This does not remove the problem. The other point about plastic carrier bags is that most people do re-use these bags - not at the supermarket, but at home as bin liners!! Take these away, and what will they use. Yes you've got it - they will buy plastic bin liners!! Hmmmm that helps the problem!!interesting, amazing in fact
i think this will become big very soon and governments from all over the world will pay to use this.
~~####mikeyb####~~
xx
| Quote: |
| Burd would like to take his project further and see it be used. He plans to study science at university, but in the meantime he's busy with things such as student council, sports and music. |
Is this kid just going to stop at there or what? He already got a $10,000 prize, he should patent his specially-bred microbe strain, breed buckets of those things, ask for a grant from some rich people and/or the government, and start his own business. SCREW high school, he has a billion dollar idea there.I live in China for the next year. I'm so happy the government of China applied a new law on the plastic bags. Now you have no choice but to buy your plastic bag. It is not very expensive, 0,2 yuan so about 0,07 American dollars but now, every body, make a big effort just to carry thing in hands instead of using bags for almost nothing. I personally use a lot more my reusable bags!
| c'tair wrote: |
http://news.therecord.com/article/354044
In short, a kid kinda discovers some microbes responsible for devouring plastic like polystyrene that are kinda rare in nature and isolates them and helps them grow, providing a way to degrade plastic bags in around 12 weeks, where it normally takes many, many years.
This is what ups my optimism that young people will eventually be able to save the day (or not, but I can hope). I mean, hell, this is a natural way of battling a man-made problem. And come on, we know the dangers associated with loads of plastic that will decompose hundreds of years, and if a kid can find a way to shorten that time to a few months, why haven't any corporations or universities done the same?
My idea is that people still wanna make money instead of genuinely helping save the environment. And how long will it take for this "invention" to get propagated around the world? |
next thing some idiot will patent an organism, lol. so each time they use it, they will have to pay him.
but seriously, thats pretty amazing. I think plastic bags in the supermarket wouldnt have to be free. They should charge you for every bag you fill with foods. In this way people would use a far less amount of them and would bring some fabric bags to the market to carry their shoppings. The more expensive they are the less contamination with plastic bags.
So if it is difficult for us to take a fabric bag woth us each time we go to the market, what could us to demand to governments about planet conservation issues. We dont have care of nature in our daily life, even in something so easy to do as carry a fabric bag to avoid using plastic bags.
This way of living wont last much. It can not be sustained.
