Petition to ban polystyrene foam in Calgary

[cloudydaze]

Hey everyone, there's a petition going around to ban polystyrene foam. I think it's a great idea. There's no reason to still be using this stuff when there's so many other options. Please sign!

https://www.change.org/p/naheed-nens..._starters_page

[dirtsniffer]

I smell a conflict of interest.

[Darell_n]

I stopped at the first line stating styrofoam is non-recyclable. I recycle styrofoam in Cochrane every week so I don’t see a problem with it.

[kertejud2]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I stopped at the first line stating styrofoam is non-recyclable. I recycle styrofoam in Cochrane every week so I don’t see a problem with it.

Just because you put it in the blue bin doesn't mean it's getting recycled. I doubt Cochran is separating it to ship it to Ontario for recycling.

[Darell_n]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Just because you put it in the blue bin doesn't mean it's getting recycled. I doubt Cochran is separating it to ship it to Ontario for recycling.

It is not going through the blue bin. The Recycling Center has had a styrofoam compactor for 15+ years provided by some Chinese company, paid by the product we provide.

[kertejud2]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

It is not going through the blue bin. The Recycling Center has had a styrofoam compactor for 15+ years provided by some Chinese company, paid by the product we provide.

Yeah that isn't happening.

They might compact it but they're stockpiling it hoping they can eventually sell it to China.

There isn't a market for it. And if there were, big cities would be jumping on it. It just isn't economical to do.

[Darell_n]

It is happening, even though it apparently isn’t in your mind. That’s fine by me. Come bring your styrofoam out to Cochrane and see for yourself.

[kertejud2]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

It is happening, even though it apparently isn’t in your mind. That’s fine by me. Come bring your styrofoam out to Cochrane and see for yourself.

Again, I don't doubt they take it.

It isn't getting recycled in the sense of 'this product is being reused.'


Similar to a lot of recycling that gets stockpiled. China isn't buying it. If they were, every city would jump on that bandwagon.

[Darell_n]

//http://albertaplasticsrecycling.com/polystyrene-recycling-is-expanding/

The City of Calgary is a follower, not a leader. Don’t worry, I’m sure they will get in line eventually.

[kertejud2]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

//http://albertaplasticsrecycling.com/polystyrene-recycling-is-expanding/

The City of Calgary is a follower, not a leader. Don’t worry, I’m sure they will get in line eventually.

So the Town of Cochrane bought it, not the Chinese, with the intent to increase its marketability. (Seriously, why would the Chinese not go for scale if they saw this as a real business and just buy Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver multiple processors?).

They don't have a buyer. And what would you think would happen to the price if Calgary and Edmonton (and Vancouver and Los Angeles and Seattle) flooded the market with their product?


I'll say it again, with the hope you'll finally pick up on it:

I get they take it. I get they compact it. That doesn't mean it is getting recycled. Especially with the price of oil being what it is.


Hell, one of the towns that 'is a leader' doesn't recycle fucking glass.

[Darell_n]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

So the Town of Cochrane bought it, not the Chinese, with the intent to increase its marketability. (Seriously, why would the Chinese not go for scale if they saw this as a real business and just buy Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver multiple processors?).

They don't have a buyer. And what would you think would happen to the price if Calgary and Edmonton (and Vancouver and Los Angeles and Seattle) flooded the market with their product?


I'll say it again, with the hope you'll finally pick up on it:

I get they take it. I get they compact it. That doesn't mean it is getting recycled. Especially with the price of oil being what it is.


Hell, one of the towns that 'is a leader' doesn't recycle fucking glass.

Our glass goes into the blue bins which is picked up from a company north of Cochrane (Cremona?). Cochrane outsources their Curbside pickup. Are you suggesting Cochrane has been stockpiling product since 2009 and what do think the product is used for? Being used to produce rigid plastic constitutes being recycled.

[ExtraSlow]

I don't know who's correct here, but I do know who sounds like an asshole.

[suntan]

There is a glut of recyclable material worldwide. The City of Calgary has two gigantic stockpiles.

And gee at least call the stuff what it is: Expanded polystyrene. "Polystyrene foam" can also mean extruded polystyrene, which is used a lot in other useful things besides food packaging.

[bjstare]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I don't know who's correct here, but I do know who sounds like an asshole.

Haha

[kertejud2]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Our glass goes into the blue bins which is picked up from a company north of Cochrane (Cremona?). Cochrane outsources their Curbside pickup.

Recycling leader Grande Prairie no longer takes glass.

Are you suggesting Cochrane has been stockpiling product since 2009

Yes. And they weren't shy in letting people know it. The purpose was to produce a plastic they could hope would be more marketable. The marketability of compressed material is highest when oil prices were $100+ and even then they were expecting to stockpile it.

and what do think the product is used for? Being used to produce rigid plastic constitutes being recycled.

It's converted to rigid plastic to make it easier for shipping. Whatever use it has is currently less economical than building it from the raw material.

Right now the biggest benefit is that it will take up less space in a landfill, which is alone a good thing, but you were completely full of shit when you tried to claim the Chinese built it with the proceeds coming from their profit off the stuff. Where the hell did you get that from?

[Darell_n]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Recycling leader Grande Prairie no longer takes glass.



Yes. And they weren't shy in letting people know it. The purpose was to produce a plastic they could hope would be more marketable. The marketability of compressed material is highest when oil prices were $100+ and even then they were expecting to stockpile it.



It's converted to rigid plastic to make it easier for shipping. Whatever use it has is currently less economical than building it from the raw material.

Right now the biggest benefit is that it will take up less space in a landfill, which is alone a good thing, but you were completely full of shit when you tried to claim the Chinese built it with the proceeds coming from their profit off the stuff. Where the hell did you get that from?

I’m not sure why you are so offended by recycling foam? But if it eases your inner being, Cochrane originally had a Greenmax cold compactor (Chinese) purchased for $35,000 USD and was selling the product for $.02-.08 / lb. They have since replaced it will a different brand, but I don’t know any details on this one. I think they were sending out around 4 Tonnes per year so it’s definitely not a money making scheme.

[JRSC00LUDE]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I’m not sure why you are so offended by recycling foam?

I think a lot of people are just overly sensitive to fact checking after so many instances of Gestalt bandying about fairly tales as incontrovertible truths.

Maybe he'll have a snickers and chill now!

[Xtrema]

I thought Styrofoam is being recycled to those plastic wood composite products.

[kertejud2]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

I’m not sure why you are so offended by recycling foam?

Because it's fake recycling, and you're treating it like some sort of grand, money-making achievement ('the Chinese bought it with the profits of the product'). The market is so small it is better to not produce it than it is to try and find a market for it than use it's main 'recycling' benefit which is taking up less landfill space. Transferring to a different material would be much better than a fake solution.

But if it eases your inner being, Cochrane originally had a Greenmax cold compactor (Chinese) purchased for $35,000 USD and was selling the product for $.02-.08 / lb. They have since replaced it will a different brand, but I don’t know any details on this one. I think they were sending out around 4 Tonnes per year so it’s definitely not a money making scheme.

4 Tonnes a year pays the person operating the machine minimum wage for less than two days of work. No shit it isn't a money making scheme. It also isn't a good recycling scheme for how little it actually recycles.

What do you think will happen to that market if a city with fifty times the population enters it? Nevermind more, bigger cities?

[adam c]

This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. Show Quote

Because it's fake recycling, and you're treating it like some sort of grand, money-making achievement ('the Chinese bought it with the profits of the product'). The market is so small it is better to not produce it than it is to try and find a market for it than use it's main 'recycling' benefit which is taking up less landfill space. Transferring to a different material would be much better than a fake solution.



4 Tonnes a year pays the person operating the machine minimum wage for less than two days of work. No shit it isn't a money making scheme. It also isn't a good recycling scheme for
... blah blah blah

Can you spot the climate change denier in this thread?

You need to relax, you sound like a person who used to operate this machine, got laid off and now have a grievance against the company

So what if it’s being stock piled right now, perhaps in the future it will have value and at least Cochrane is doing something about it and not just sending everything to the landfill