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If only three plastics were used in packaging -- say, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and polycarbonate -- recycling would be much easier. If they're c
by mirimir 7y ago
If only three plastics were used in packaging -- say, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and polycarbonate -- recycling would be much easier. If they're clean and well separated, they can just be reused. Iffy polyethylene makes great "lumber" for decks, or roofing tiles. Iffy polyethylene terephthalate is great for fleece. Iffy polycarbonate plus carbon black is great for structural applications.
- grogenaut 7y agoIs there that much need for fleece?
- mirimir 7y agoIt helps keep me warm in winter. Better than wool, if I get too wet. I just noticed that my wife bought a cute cap, made from recycled soda bottles. Edit: And not just fleece. Also cloth, and yarn for knitted stuff.
- bamboozled 7y agoOne thing to watch out for is what happens to this stuff when you wash it. Yes it contaminates the environment with micro plastics. One solution is to use a special bag to capture and filter them out. [1] [1] https://en.guppyfriend.com/ https://en.guppyfriend.com/
- mirimir 7y agoOops. Damn. But that's an issue with all synthetic clothing, right? I guess that making bottles and sheeting would be best.
- bamboozled 7y agoI think nylon jackets etc are ok, like the hard shell ski jackets etc. It’s more just and issue with soft fleece type stuff I believe. Patagonia has some information about it on their site somewhere, they also stock the guppy friend bags.
- bamboozled 7y agoI forgot to mention, I use one, it picks up quite a lot of lint.
- comicjk 7y agoA disadvantage: in my experience as a sweaty person, fleece tends to stink after exposure to sweat, while wool resists this more.
- xkcd-sucks 7y agoAlso wool is somewhat flame resistant while synthetic fleece melts to your skin and catches on fire
- mirimir 7y agoGood point. And I'm reminded of a frightening experience. So I'm home after a night of dancing with friends. And I notice a burn hole in the back of my wool sweater. Some jerk with a lighter, I'm sure. But it could have been very bad, if I had been wearing PET fleece.
- swiley 7y agoPLA is pretty awesome as far as recycling goes. Also I’m under the impression that cellophane (the “plastic” used for food packaging) is digestible by earthworms. I’m not sure restricting things like that makes sense.
- the-dude 7y agoAs far as I know, cellophane burns clean.