Friday, January 31, 2014

"Dangerous Plastics" - And They're NOT What You Think They Are

Chemistry World posted an article this week over some recent efforts in the European Parliament to change legislation regarding plastics. While it had the usual comments on single-use bags, recycling, etc, one comment had my eyebrow raised much higher than I normally think possible:
"Parliament also wants to see ‘the most dangerous plastics’ withdrawn from the market...Dangerous plastics were defined as those ‘most disruptive to human health and the environment, such as micro- and oxo-biodegradable plastics,’ as well as plastics containing heavy metals and other substances that can make recycling more difficult."(emphasis added)
So oxo-biodegradable plastics, the Holy Grail of greens everywhere is now considered a dangerous plastic? And good old polyethylene and other petroleum-based plastics are not? Oh happy day!

I'm pretty stifled to say anything else, but this does sort of remind me of that awful editorial in Nature from a year ago where the authors proposed classifying all plastic waste as hazardous.

Let's just say that I don't expect this legislation to get too far.


Previous Years
January 31, 2013 - Where's John???

January 31, 2013 - New Posts, Few and Far Between

January 31, 2012 - Bunte Salts

January 31, 20011 - Real Time I.V. Measurement? - Nah!

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