When looking for tinder and fuel ...

[Adi007]

... don't overlook the man-made stuff that's all around us in the form of garbage. Paper, rope, cardboard ... the list is sadly almost endless
Not only will you be helping yourself get your fire going, you'll also be helping the environment!

 

[Viking]

Burning plastic bottle is one of the most stupidiest things you can do. The smoke that comes from it not good for you or nature, bring it back to civilisation and throw it in a trash can. In that way you will help nature.

 

[Adi007]

Good point Viking ... but I think you missed my point. Why peel birch bark for tinder when you see a bit of paper blowing around in the wind? If you want a beach fire, why not do everyone a favor and get rid of the dangerous lines and old netting that litter our shores and trap and kill birds. It's a sad fact that here in the UK it's getting harder to get away from blown litter I'd love to carry it all out but it wouldn't be a dent in the volume ...

I'm not talking about carrying trash out just to burn and I'm not using it as a excuse not to bring it back (in geocaching we have CITO - Cache In - Trash Out) but with so much of it in some areas, it can't but help to look at it as a source of tinder or fuel ... or, as you say, carry it out!

I strongly believe that everyone should carry their trash home for disposal ... I don't use public bins any more because they aren't emptied regularly enough and they encourage rodents. Take it home and recycle what can be recycled and dispose of the rest!

 

[Adi007]

I agree ... there are some nasty by-products possible from plastic.

But also be careful with fuels that you buy ... each time you burn hexamine (chemical name Hexamethylenetetramine) you are releasing hydrogen cyanide into the environment in huge doses :-(
http://www.nemesis.com.mx/eng/msds/nemes/hexametil.htm

Burning plastic bottle is one of the most stupidiest things you can do. The smoke that comes from it not good for you or nature, bring it back to civilisation and throw it in a trash can. In that way you will help nature.

 

[Andy]

i was shocked when i read in a ray mear book that he uses small strips of rubber. seems out of line with the rest of what he says

 

[Adi007]

Put it into perspective though, a few bits of rubber doesn't really make any difference at all. If you burn hexy, you're making something far worse. If you drove a car to where you were going, you polluted the environment a lot more. If you've used paints or detergents or aerosols (yes, even the new ones) they damage the ecosystem much more. If you own a TV, computer, mobile phone ...
A few bits of rubber really make no difference.

i was shocked when i read in a ray mear book that he uses small strips of rubber. seems out of line with the rest of what he says

 

[Lithril]

Also a lot of car tyres are still burnt to dispose of them so by burning a few small strips you're not actually any more, and your doing something useful with it.

 

[ChrisKavanaugh]

I have the honour of knowing Julia ' Butterfly' Hill. Julia is the young lady who treesat over two years in a giant redwood. During her sit, our correspondence was on the back of advertisements, flyers etc. After her triumph, we met during her book tour. Entering a coffeshop the poor server was nonplussed when we produced our own ceramic cups. She even started to pour the coffee into a paper cup to insure we received our alloted size. It was quite a battle just to demonstrate this small step. What we do in the city affects our wildlands. There is no reason to bag groceries in paper or plastic when sturdy cloth bags can be purchased. Now the ultimate recycling of trash for a fire is torching a caterpillar D9 bulldozer

 

[Adi007]

Our local authority have issued us with special boxes for recycling so that basically instead of having to lug out recycling to a point, it's picked up at the same time that they do the refuse collection. Over the weeks we've had it I've noticed that our trash levels are a lot less than before and the recycling levels are increasing. This makes me feel a little bit better about it all ... but just a bit.

However, one thing that doing all this recycling at home is done is angered me ... I'm angered by coffee being sold in a glass jar just to make it weigh more. I'm angered by too much cardboard. Angered at so much plastic (why can't it just be refilled?????). I'm angered by packaging that could simply be returned to the retailer and back t the manufacturer for reuse. :evil: :evil: :evil:
Basically, I'm made to feel guilty and angry by the manufacturers and retailers who escape it all ... :evil:
We can't continue like this, that's for sure ...

 

[Stew]

What we do in the city affects our wildlands. There is no reason to bag groceries in paper or plastic when sturdy cloth bags can be purchased.

I ALWAYS try and take my rucksack with me when I go shopping and load everything straight into that rather than using plastic carriers. Also, any fruit/veg I'm buying doesn't go into the bags they provide because either it has to be peeled or I want to wash it due to not knowing where it's been before!

It's a small thing but I think it's astep in the right direction.

Recycling was always a big thing when living at my folks, but mainly due to it being the big money earner for our scout group. Now it's limited because I don't have a car (the irony!!). The council do pick up glass and paper once per month but that still leaves plastic, cardboard, foil and tincans that I could be recycling!

 

[Buckshot]

. Angered at so much plastic (why can't it just be refilled?????). I'm angered by packaging that could simply be returned to the retailer and back t the manufacturer for reuse. :evil: :evil: :evil:
Basically, I'm made to feel guilty and angry by the manufacturers and retailers who escape it all ... :evil:
We can't continue like this, that's for sure ...

I think the sad fact is that its' cheaper to make new containers than it is to recycle old ones.

I've heard that our council doesn't like taking plastic for recycling unless it's bottle shaped beacuse they're recycling too much :shock: apparently it costs more to recycle than to make brand new.
Another example of corporate profit over everything else...

Cheers

Mark

 

[Rob]

However, one thing that doing all this recycling at home is done is angered me ... I'm angered by coffee being sold in a glass jar just to make it weigh more. I'm angered by too much cardboard. Angered at so much plastic (why can't it just be refilled?????). I'm angered by packaging that could simply be returned to the retailer and back t the manufacturer for reuse. :evil: :evil: :evil:
Basically, I'm made to feel guilty and angry by the manufacturers and retailers who escape it all ... :evil:
We can't continue like this, that's for sure ...

UK companies who produce more than 2000Kg of packaging per year now have to comply with the Packaging Regs. It means that they have to monitor the amount, and recycle as much as possible.

Might not have an immediate effect, but I am sure that any board of directors looking at the year's figures will have to take notice. Especially McDonalds :twisted: who (if I ever have to go there) hand me my food in a BAG :yikes: on a TRAY - when I eat IN!

Did I say that?

 

[Adi007]

Good news Rob ... about time!

However, one thing that doing all this recycling at home is done is angered me ... I'm angered by coffee being sold in a glass jar just to make it weigh more. I'm angered by too much cardboard. Angered at so much plastic (why can't it just be refilled?????). I'm angered by packaging that could simply be returned to the retailer and back t the manufacturer for reuse. :evil: :evil: :evil:
Basically, I'm made to feel guilty and angry by the manufacturers and retailers who escape it all ... :evil:
We can't continue like this, that's for sure ...

UK companies who produce more than 2000Kg of packaging per year now have to comply with the Packaging Regs. It means that they have to monitor the amount, and recycle as much as possible.

Might not have an immediate effect, but I am sure that any board of directors looking at the year's figures will have to take notice. Especially McDonalds :twisted: who (if I ever have to go there) hand me my food in a BAG :yikes: on a TRAY - when I eat IN!

Did I say that?

 

[Rob]

Has been in force for quite a while. Just people who dont know/neglegent people not playing along.

For any of the people on here that do mail order etc......you only need a rough estimate. Weigh your average jiffy bag (or assorted poorly assembled packing - if your name is Caspar) Multiply it by sales each year and stick the estimate somewhere in your filing system.

Be warned - one day the environmental police will come pay you a visit. It doesn't cost anything to be prepared.

 

[ChrisKavanaugh]

McD's is a cultural abomination. I think it's grand you've discovered the joys of tobasco sauce etc. But, If I get to return to G.B. I want proper fish and chips in newspaper and pubs with faces out of a Dicken's novel selling real brews instead of Coors Light (cringe.) You can all drink Starbucks, but when you see some tourists please have some P.G.Tipps and Digestives for a quick switch. As to excessive packaging? Post it to the President/CEO of the company and state your dislike of the waste and responsibility.

 

[Adi007]

Mmmmm, P.G.Tipps and fish and chips ... what a combo! Had some last night actually! :-D :-D :-D

As for sending junk back to the company, well, I've already figured out that this is the exact reason why they enclose a prepaid envelope with all the junk mail they send out!

 

[jamesdevine]

Here the goverment has brought in a plastic bag tax. Which basically means everytime you get a bag from the shop you have to pay for it 15c (10p). The use of plastic bags has almost vanished. Every one either brings there own bag or goes with out.

They are also tring to introduce it for the ATM slips and other none essential packaging that blows around our streets.

We also only have one wheelie bin which in my area we have to pay €3 everytime we put it out for collection and we soon have a green bin for recycling whish will be free. We usually get 3-4 weeks at least before it's full. With the recycling bin that should be longer.

All they need to do now is cut the amount of car being used, illegal dumping and improve the access to the country side to more rights of way and national parks.

To use the catch phrase popular amoung polaticans here " alot done, more to do"

James

 

[Adi007]

Sounds like progress is being made. How has having to pay for a bin collection affected things? I would have thought it would have just encouraged fly tipping and overuse of public bins.

 

[jamesdevine]

There have been a lot of protests and several people spend a night or two in jail for stopping bin collections. This had more to do with the fact the local authority has the poor to prosecute a person for none payment and will not collect their rubbish.

I my opinon the goverment is right. People need to be more aware of the waste they create and if you have to pay for it you become aware very quickly. The largest form of desposing of waste here is Land Fill :-( and the less that gets thrown away the less gets put in the ground.

It is not a tax on less well of people either as lower income homes are helped with subsides or somthing as well as that you can offset the cost of the bin charges for the year against your annual tax bill so you get it back.

But illegal dumping is still a problem here and we have a poor attitude in general to litter here which really needs to be worked on.

James

 

[Simon Browne]

The stuff you pull out of a tumble dryer filter is an excellent tinder and does come under recycling.
This also has nothing to do with the last post but does to the first.