Who makes the Roadmouse, the new lorries being used by PW World?

Question

Who makes the Roadmouse, the new lorries being used by PW World?

Answer 1

Ford,  Gm and Daimler.

Answer 2

Plastic Bags - A Hard Habit to Break?

Friday, February 22nd, 2008

As much as I go on about the importance of using reusable bags, I understand that it’s not always as easy as it sounds to get started. Plastic bags can be a hard habit to break as suggested in this article from the Contra Costa Times:

Like many consumers, Morton wants to do the right thing and stop taking disposable bags home from grocery stores, but she has not made a habit of using reusable bags.

When I look back on my own transition from plastic bags to reusable bags, I remember how I constantly forgot to take my reusable bags! And, as Judith Morton says in the above article:

“…and here I am in a store shopping without my own (reusable) bag.”

You wouldn’t believe how furious I was with myself each time I turned up to the supermarket checkout, only to realize that I’d forgotten to bring my reusable bags. When you’ve never been in the habit of taking bags grocery shopping with you, it’s so easy to forget them. You only remember once you’ve selected your groceries and you arrive at the checkout.

At first, I would just buy another reusable bag at the supermarket (fortunately, reusable bags are sold in the supermarkets in Australia). But then it got to the stage where I’d bought so many reusable bags I knew I had to do something different - I had to remember to take my reusable bags with me in the first place!

This was easier said than done, but eventually, I managed to completely break the plastic bag habit completely. Now, I can’t remember the last time I turned up at the supermarket without my reusable bags.

Here are some of the things I tried in order to remind myself to take my reusable bags to the supermarket:

I’d keep my reusable bags in the car. This is because, I would often do my grocery shopping on the way home from work (and I used to drive to the train station). Once I parked at the shopping center, I would see my green bags in the car and think “ah, I must take them with me!”

One problem I found is that, after I’d brought my groceries inside, I would often forget to return my shopping bags to the car! Then, the next time would go shopping I’d forget my bags again - doh! I dealt with this by placing my reusable bags near my front door. Then, the next time I was heading to the car, I would see my reusable bags and take them to the car with me.

Now, I work from home, and I cycle most places I need to go. So, what I do now is keep a reusable bag in my backpack. This is because I usually take my backpack with me whenever I ride my bike. Usually, I can fit all groceries straight into the backpack. If I buy more than a bagful of groceries, I’ll split it between my backpack and reusable grocery bag.

Once I started doing these, I rarely forgot to take my reusable bags shopping with me. As I said, I can’t remember the last time I had to use plastic bags from the supermarket.

So, if you’re trying to break the plastic bag habit, but have the same problem I had, try keeping them in your car, backpack, or other place that will help jog your memory. I’m sure you’ll be happy with the results.

Tags: eco friendly bags, plastic bags, reusable grocery bags, Sustainability

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Plastic Bags: Today’s ‘Free Lunch’?

Sunday, February 3rd, 2008

How many times have you heard the adage “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”?

What this means of course, is that a person cannot get something for nothing - there is always a cost. Some things appear to be free, but there’s always a hidden cost.

The phrase is actually a shortened version of “There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch” (TANSTAAFL) from Robert A. Heinlein’s 1966 novel The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress.

It’s particularly aimed at society - meaning, if one individual or group gets something at no cost, another group or individual else ends up paying for it.

I wonder if plastic bags are today’s “free lunch”?

They are typically given away for free with everything you buy. Even if you buy one small item - you get a free plastic bag. How cool is that? A free thing with everything I buy!

So, we’ve had our free lunch. Now, every one of those free plastic bags is being paid for - by the natural environment. Unfortunately, the average 8 minutes of usage we got from each of our plastic bags will now take 1,000 years to be fully paid for. That’s how long it can take for a plastic bag to decompose. And that’s not all. There are many other impacts of plastic bags on the environment.

But, too often, the same old attitude seems to remain: I’ll use as many as I want - after all they’re free…

Tags: plastic bag recycling, plastic bags, Sustainability

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Plastic Bag Tax: From Critic to Supporter

Sunday, February 3rd, 2008

It was encouraging to read this article regarding the success of Ireland’s plastic bag tax.

What I particularly liked about the article (apart from the obvious success of the tax), were these comments from, Senator Feargal Quinn, the founder of the Irish supermarket chain Superquinn:

“I spent many months arguing against this tax with the minister; I thought customers wouldn’t accept it, but I have become a big, big enthusiast”.

I wonder how many more people, from countries that have either taxed or banned plastic bags, have gone from critic to supporter?

Tags: plastic bags, Sustainability, tax

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Banning Plastic Bags is ‘Bad’ for the Environment?

Thursday, January 31st, 2008

A group called “Coalition to Support Plastic Bag Recycling” is taking Oakland City Council to court because it’s actually trying to do the right thing and ban plastic bags. According to the “coalition”, once the ban is in place, people will turn to paper bags - which are often said to be just as bad or worse than plastic bags.

The coalition’s attorney says:

“We believe that plastic-bag recycling is the most environmentally responsible strategy.”

Haven’t they heard of reusable bags? There are plenty of alternatives - we don’t just have to choose between paper and plastic!

Of course recycling plastic bags is better than not recycling them. But, as far as the environment goes, recycling plastic bags isn’t as good as simply reusing a good strong, durable bag that lasts for years.

But of course the coalition would like to keep plastic bags - it consists of plastic bag makers and recyclers.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Tags: plastic bag recycling, plastic bags, Sustainability

Posted in News, Sustainability | 1 Comment »

Whole Foods Market to phase-out Plastic Bags

Friday, January 25th, 2008

Whole Foods Market, the world’s largest natural-food retailer just announced that they will be eliminating plastic bags from all of it’s stores. Whole Foods aim to be plastic bag-free by April 22 this year (which happens to be Earth Day).

Given Whole Foods have 270 stores throughout U.S., Canada, and the U.K., this should have a bit of an impact. They will be the first supermarket in the U.S. to completely ban plastic bags. Whole Foods have already eliminated plastc bags from its San Francisco, Toronto and Austin stores.

Over the next 3 months, Whole Foods will be phasing out their plastic bag inventories and stocking more reusable bags, which can be purchased. The 100% recycled paper bags will still be used. They will also offer a 10 cent refund to those customers who bring their own bags.

The number of plastic bags being used globally each year is mind boggling and they are having an enormous impact on the natural environment. I think we should be doing everything we can to eliminate them. Paper bags aren’t the answer either - they can be just as harmful to the environment as plastic bags.

For many people, this can be very confusing - the common perception is that paper is better than plastic. This is why I wrote this post which discusses what to look for in an eco-friendly grocery bag.

Tags: plastic bags, Sustainability

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Biodegradable Plastic Bags - Eco Friendly or Not?

Sunday, January 13th, 2008

With all the problems plastic bags are causing to the natural environment, it’s little wonder there’s an abundance of alternatives hitting the market. Although biodegradable plastic bags have been around for a while now, many people still don’t know they exist.

Let’s look at the two main types of biodegradable plastic bags.

Biodegradable Plastic Bags

Typically, biodegradable plastic bags are made from farmed products like cornstarch, which break down into elements like carbon dioxide, water and methane. They don’t just decompose automatically though - they need the right conditions to decompose.

To decompose properly, a biodegradable plastic bag should be composted. It should not be sent to landfill, as it may contribute to methane emissions. To meet international standards, a biodegradable plastic bag should compost within 12 weeks, then fully biodegrade within 6 months.

Degradable Plastic Bags

Degradable plastic bags decompose due to a chemical additive to oxygen, light or heat and are best suited to landfill. Degradable bags are also referred to as “oxo degradable” bags.

Degradable plastic bags will usually break down automatically. This could range between anywhere from 3 months to 18 months after manufacture, or even longer.

So… Are They Eco Friendly?

On the face of it, biodegradable and degradable plastic bags seem like a good concept. They can be used just like any other plastic bag, then when the time is right, they decompose - possibly within 6 months (or 18 months for oxo degradable bags).

While it’s not hard to argue that these bags are much better than traditional plastic bags (which can t

Answer 3

ford