When we think of human waste excrement, we think of it as a issue we have to solve by create sewer systems to get it as quickly and easy out of our cities. As aposed to a resource we could use like compost to grow food. Allot of waste issues seem to be down to perception; to one person waste is to get rid of which requires energy to do so and to another waste can be seen as an untapped resource to create energy.
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Research for waste dissertation
Ok so this post is more for me to capture my research while im away from my main computer for my dissertation on waste system design for cities, but you might find it interesting as well :D
Sunday, 29 May 2011
Plastic carrier bag alternatives
So this week Ive been thinking about plastic bags and wondering what did we ever do without them?
So many people seem to use them to carry their precious food items in this really poorly designed containers. They are so thin that if you try to fill them up too much they rip open and leave your precious items cascaded all over the pavement or if this poorly designed bag manages to barely hold on to your items it starts to eat into your hands.
These small plastic creatures are then released by their owners into the air, ocean or into their home which we call the landfill.
Unfortunately these small plastic creatures are not very good for our environment so my hope is that there is some way to help plastic bags go the way of the Dodo.
So the first question we need to ask is what are the alternatives?
Well, you could carry ....
a rucksack which:
- is better for your back
-lasts longer
-is reusable
but is a hassle to carry around all the time
pannier bags:
- easy to carry heavy loads
-no weight on your back
but you need a bike, they are expensive and you need to have them with you all the time
also found can not be used with self service checkouts!!
Thicker plastic bags/ bags for life:
-strong and last ages
-comfortable fabric handles
a bit bulky
uses more oil to produce and not biodegradable
Jute ,cotton and canvas bags:
-biodegradable
-provide jobs and possible bring back the jute trade to places such as Dundee
-can be carried in a ladies handbag, although bit big for a jacket pocket
sometimes can be bulky
http://www.reuseit.com/store/bags-totes-shopping-bags-c-238_239.html
Wicker baskets:
-fashionable
-not colapsible and can get in the way(one suggestion was to design deeper and less wide baskets)
Foldable rucksacks, shoulder/carrier bags:
- can be carried in a jacket pocket or in a handbag if you are a woman
- can be clipped on your belt
-small/compact(size of mobile phone)
http://www.onyabags.co.uk/
paper bags:
-biodegradable
-great for separating different types of food
great for small items but arn't very strong and require allot of trees but this could be a boost to the timber industry which is lagging in the Uk.
Boxes(great if you are a car owner):
-much easier to pack
-stops items crushing each other
Here is an example called "T BOXES"
although I think this is great, surely the shops could just provide the old transport boxes that they used to .e.g. Lidl used to provide crisp boxes which were ideal for fitting in the trolley.
If we could design all the boxes that transport our goods from the suppliers (e.g. Walkers crisps) to the shop (e.g. Tesco) which fitted perfect in trolleys and in cars then they could be reused by customers to take their shopping home.
Other companies are developing biodegradable bags made of corn which will break down in composters within 4 to 12 weeks.
With all these great alternatives why do people still continue to use plastic bags? the answer is that its convenient to use plastic bags as allot of people don't carry bags with them all the time.
I know I have been guilty of it myself when on my way home and needing to go buy some food but realising I have left my reusable bags at home.
I am going to try to carry a couple of small foldable bags in my jacket or always put a few bags in the bottom of my rucksack.
Its quite sad how much plastic bags are destroying the environment, they kill 100,000 members of the sea life community every year. Plastic takes almost 1000 years to decay and when it finally does it decays into loads of small toxic particles which then mix with our soil and water ways. Plastic bags arn't even food safe containers as they are prone to cross contamination. Plus we would have more oil for heating and fuel if we stopped wasting it on poorly designed disposable carrier bags.
Some countries such as Indian are trying to take the steps to ban plastic bags completely, I am in two minds about this approach and think its better to come up with a better alternative and make plastic bags become obsolete rather than a complete ban.
My next step with this would be to contact local grocers and test this out then approach shops such as the coop then Tesco.
Maybe one day we will see a plastic bag in a display case like the Dodo rather than the animals it has the potential to make extinct.
So many people seem to use them to carry their precious food items in this really poorly designed containers. They are so thin that if you try to fill them up too much they rip open and leave your precious items cascaded all over the pavement or if this poorly designed bag manages to barely hold on to your items it starts to eat into your hands.
These small plastic creatures are then released by their owners into the air, ocean or into their home which we call the landfill.
Unfortunately these small plastic creatures are not very good for our environment so my hope is that there is some way to help plastic bags go the way of the Dodo.
So the first question we need to ask is what are the alternatives?
Well, you could carry ....
a rucksack which:
- is better for your back
-lasts longer
-is reusable
but is a hassle to carry around all the time
pannier bags:
- easy to carry heavy loads
-no weight on your back
but you need a bike, they are expensive and you need to have them with you all the time
also found can not be used with self service checkouts!!
Thicker plastic bags/ bags for life:
-strong and last ages
-comfortable fabric handles
a bit bulky
uses more oil to produce and not biodegradable
Jute ,cotton and canvas bags:
-biodegradable
-provide jobs and possible bring back the jute trade to places such as Dundee
-can be carried in a ladies handbag, although bit big for a jacket pocket
sometimes can be bulky
http://www.reuseit.com/store/bags-totes-shopping-bags-c-238_239.html
Wicker baskets:
-fashionable
-not colapsible and can get in the way(one suggestion was to design deeper and less wide baskets)
Foldable rucksacks, shoulder/carrier bags:
- can be carried in a jacket pocket or in a handbag if you are a woman
- can be clipped on your belt
-small/compact(size of mobile phone)
http://www.onyabags.co.uk/
paper bags:
-biodegradable
-great for separating different types of food
great for small items but arn't very strong and require allot of trees but this could be a boost to the timber industry which is lagging in the Uk.
Boxes(great if you are a car owner):
-much easier to pack
-stops items crushing each other
Here is an example called "T BOXES"
although I think this is great, surely the shops could just provide the old transport boxes that they used to .e.g. Lidl used to provide crisp boxes which were ideal for fitting in the trolley.
If we could design all the boxes that transport our goods from the suppliers (e.g. Walkers crisps) to the shop (e.g. Tesco) which fitted perfect in trolleys and in cars then they could be reused by customers to take their shopping home.
Other companies are developing biodegradable bags made of corn which will break down in composters within 4 to 12 weeks.
With all these great alternatives why do people still continue to use plastic bags? the answer is that its convenient to use plastic bags as allot of people don't carry bags with them all the time.
I know I have been guilty of it myself when on my way home and needing to go buy some food but realising I have left my reusable bags at home.
I am going to try to carry a couple of small foldable bags in my jacket or always put a few bags in the bottom of my rucksack.
Its quite sad how much plastic bags are destroying the environment, they kill 100,000 members of the sea life community every year. Plastic takes almost 1000 years to decay and when it finally does it decays into loads of small toxic particles which then mix with our soil and water ways. Plastic bags arn't even food safe containers as they are prone to cross contamination. Plus we would have more oil for heating and fuel if we stopped wasting it on poorly designed disposable carrier bags.
Some countries such as Indian are trying to take the steps to ban plastic bags completely, I am in two minds about this approach and think its better to come up with a better alternative and make plastic bags become obsolete rather than a complete ban.
My next step with this would be to contact local grocers and test this out then approach shops such as the coop then Tesco.
Maybe one day we will see a plastic bag in a display case like the Dodo rather than the animals it has the potential to make extinct.
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