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This isn't recycling, though. The bees are using the material, not recycling it.
If a human uses wasted plastic is called recycling, don't know what would it be any different for bees.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
If a human uses wasted plastic is called recycling, don't know what would it be any different for bees.
Isn't re-use the slogan-compatible word? I'm not sure if the bees are disqualifed if they use the plastic for a different use or how much physical alteration matters.
This isn't recycling, though. The bees are using the material, not recycling it.
This opens an interesting question, what if we could slightly modify plastic to make it more useful to other species, maybe beavers, maybe bees, maybe ants, maybe woodpeckers, maybe there is an specific trait that one (or many) of this kind of animals seek for when using materials (or eating)
While its undeniably sad that we litter so much in our environment - its very very cool that nature is adapting in the way it is to our dirty habits - in the same vein I'm expecting a species of something will evolve to eat and biodegrade plastics, rubbers and other similar materials.
This opens an interesting question, what if we could slightly modify plastic to make it more useful to other species, maybe beavers, maybe bees, maybe ants, maybe woodpeckers, maybe there is an specific trait that one (or many) of this kind of animals seek for when using materials (or eating)
The better solution is to start using biodegradable plastic where necessary, and avoiding plastic altogether where there are reasonable alternatives.
This opens an interesting question, what if we could slightly modify plastic to make it more useful to other species, maybe beavers, maybe bees, maybe ants, maybe woodpeckers, maybe there is an specific trait that one (or many) of this kind of animals seek for when using materials (or eating)
The better solution is to start using biodegradable plastic where necessary, and avoiding plastic altogether where there are reasonable alternatives.
The Wikipedia article on OXO biodegradable plastics[1] seems to be heavily edited by industry participants. Last I heard[2] was that OXO-biodegradable plastics are basically cheating, as they leave the plastic in the wild, just invisibly (perhaps even making things worse as then it can't be collected anymore?). The Wikipedia article argues that the fragments will be decomposed by organisms. I don't know which is true, but wanted to point out that there are two kinds and you should be careful not to mix them up in discussions.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxo_Biodegradable
[2] from the film Addicted To Plastic [3]
or other places, not sure anymore
[3] http://www.crypticmoth.com/plastic.phpWhile its undeniably sad that we litter so much in our environment - its very very cool that nature is adapting in the way it is to our dirty habits - in the same vein I'm expecting a species of something will evolve to eat and biodegrade plastics, rubbers and other similar materials.
While great for the environment, this would be terrible for things we don't want to degrade!
The Earth doesn't share our prejudice towards plastic. Plastic came out of the Earth. The Earth probably sees plastic as just another one of it's children. Could be the only reason the Earth allowed us to be spawned from it in the first place. It wanted plastic for itself. Didn't know how to make it. Needed us..
Could be the answer to the age old philosophical question "Why are we here ?"..
Plastic, assholes!
:)
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George Carlin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W33HRc1A6c
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The better solution is to start using biodegradable plastic where necessary, and avoiding plastic altogether where there are reasonable alternatives.
Note that there are two kinds of "biodegradable" plastics. Vegetable based plastics (which are definitely unproblematic when left in the environment) and "OXO-biodegradable" plastics which are just normal plastics (like PE, PP, PS) with additions that make them break down quicker than normally. If a bag feels like a normal plastic bag then it will be one of the latter kind; vegetable based plastics have a different f…