Polyform fenders

[Kieron G]

Recently pulled a couple of these out of a local river. One of them is scrap with a large split. Does anyone know if they are made from a recyclable material ? Have tried the polyform site but without submitting all my details I can't ask a question & I don't need a load of sales leaflets through the door for a product I don't need. Thanks in advance.  Kieron.

[blackrose]

Most recycling facilities want packaging which is made from specific materials - in the case of plastics they want known polymers with thin wall designs, which are easy to shred and will contain contaminants which are easy to wash out. They don't want old fenders, children's toys, or some of the other things that people put in communal recycling bins. This is why the supermarkets all phased out recycling bins on their properties, because unfortunately the British public is too stupid or don't care enough to follow simple instructions. 

 

You obviously do care which is why you've asked the question. I think those fenders are probably made of PVC which is a material now largely phased out by the packaging industry because of the vinyl chloride monomer which had some carcinogen issues for those producing the material (not the final polymerised plastic). There were issues with PVC plasticisers used to soften the material which tend to leach out and contain phthalates which are endocrine disruptors and bioaccumulate in the environment. Also burning PVC can release dioxins which is another reason for the phase out.

 

So anyway, I wouldn't put the fenders in your recycling bin, they will just be discarded. 

Edited October 5, 2018 by blackrose

[pete.i]

And most "recycling" goes into landfill anyway. Chuck it in the bin.

 

[blackrose]

3 minutes ago, pete.i said:

And most "recycling" goes into landfill anyway. Chuck it in the bin.

 

 

That's not true. Some of the materials we recycle will end up in landfill, but not most of it.

 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/683051/UK_Statisticson_Waste_statistical_notice_Feb_2018_FINAL.pdf 

[Alan de Enfield]

Put the split one in the 'general waste' and tie the other one onto any GRP cruiser that you pass - they will be grateful.

 

 

Whilst 'skip diving' recently I picked up two very 'flat', large fenders, that apart from being grimy appeared OK, I pumped them up and the valves leaked.

I ordered two valves (£1.67 each), replaced them, pumped them up, gave them a scrub with de-greaser and now have another £90's worth of fenders.

Thank you (whoever you are)

[Alan de Enfield]

5 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

That's not true. Some of the materials we recycle will end up in landfill, but not most of it.

 

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/683051/UK_Statisticson_Waste_statistical_notice_Feb_2018_FINAL.pdf 

 

 

The National Audit Office (NAO) warned that packaging material might end up adding to pollution because the Environment Agency does not have strong enough controls to prevent abuse of the system.

Under a government scheme, companies can meet their recycling obligations by paying for "recovery evidence notes" from reprocessing plants or exporters.

Last year the amount of waste sent abroad to countries including China, Turkey, Malaysia and Poland accounted for half of the packaging reported as recycled.

 

However, much of this actually ended up in Landfill and not re-cycled.

Various reports suggest anywhere between a third and two-thirds.

 

The NAO report found that businesses only paid £73 million towards the cost of recycling their packaging in 2017 while local authorities spent £700 million.

Mary Creagh MP, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, said the scheme was "open to fraud and error" and gave companies an incentive to falsely claim they had recycled packaging.

“The PRN (packaging recovery note) system should have made packaging simpler and easier to recycle, delivered high quality UK recycling, and protected our streets, countryside, rivers and seas from plastic litter," she said.

"But today’s NAO report shows the PRN system has become a tick-box exercise. Waste is exported with no guarantee that it will be recycled, producers are not made to pay to recycle their packaging, and the system is open to fraud and error.

“The Government must fix this broken system in its upcoming resources and waste strategy.

"The PRN system should make producers pay to recycle their packaging, encourage simpler packaging, support the UK recycling industry, and be open and transparent so people can be confident what goes in the recycling bin gets recycled.”

 

Re-cyclable waste ending up on a landfill site.

 

Edited October 5, 2018 by Alan de Enfield

[blackrose]

6 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

 

The National Audit Office (NAO) warned that packaging material might end up adding to pollution because the Environment Agency does not have strong enough controls to prevent abuse of the system.

Under a government scheme, companies can meet their recycling obligations by paying for "recovery evidence notes" from reprocessing plants or exporters.

Last year the amount of waste sent abroad to countries including China, Turkey, Malaysia and Poland accounted for half of the packaging reported as recycled.

 

However, much of this actually ended up in Landfill and not re-cycled.

Various reports suggest anywhere between a third and two-thirds.

 

 

Which reports suggest two-thirds? I haven't seen them.

[Alan de Enfield]

25 minutes ago, blackrose said:

 

Which reports suggest two-thirds? I haven't seen them.

I didn't keep copies, but round about July / August there seemed to be a 'purge' on plastics 'waste' news, various reports followed up on the NAO story and came to the conclusion that of the 50% of our waste we sell on (to give someone else the problem of disposal) anything up to 2/3rds of that was never recycled.

We 'pay' poor countries (particularly Asia & Africa) to take our waste, but never seem to check if they actually have the facility to re-cycle what we send them.

 

Out of sight, out of mind !!

 

"The system appears to have evolved into a comfortable way for Government to meet targets without facing up to the underlying recycling issues," said the spending watchdog.

"The Government has no evidence that the system has encouraged companies to minimise packaging or make it easy to recycle.

"And it relies on exporting materials to other parts of the world without adequate checks to ensure this material is actually recycled, and without consideration of whether other countries will continue to accept it in the long-term."

 

The ban on plastic exports to China has seen the UK offloading its waste to nations with questionable records on marine pollution.

In the four months since the ban came into force waste being exported to Malaysia more than trebled, making it the main destination for British plastics.

Exports to Vietnam increased by 50 per cent, while the amount sent to Thailand shot up fifty-fold.

All three countries have the unfortunate distinction of being in the top 10 for quantity of plastic waste entering the ocean, with Vietnam, the highest-placed of the three, in fourth place.

[Kieron G]

Thanks for in depth replies on this. Can always rely on this forum to have folk with comprehensive knowledge on any subject. Last night I sent an email to 'Compass Marine' based in Dartmouth who's name is stamped on the split fender as a UK supplier. I got a message back from them this morning saying that they are not sure, will find out and will get back to me. I guess they will contact Polyform in America. As soon as I get a reply from them I will update this thread.

[Kieron G]

Hi Mr Gabbey,

 

This is the reply I had from Norway....

 

The fender material is PVC.
Internally we can use some of the material in our own production, the rest is used by a company making roofing.
Used fenders should be delivered to the correct handling facilities. In Norway I believe that most end up being heat energy, (burned and the heat is used for warming of water, again used in heating of houses).
This would of course be different from location to location.

 

I will now enquire of the Dutch company and get back to you.

 

Kind regards

Erica

Compass Marine

[Dr Bob]

On 05/10/2018 at 09:18, pete.i said:

And most "recycling" goes into landfill anyway. Chuck it in the bin.

 

There are 4 routes for waste plastic to go

- land fill

- incineration with energy recovery

- mechanical recycling

- bale it up and ship abroad.

 

A year ago it was split largely equally between landfill and baled up to send to China (with  only some going to mechanical recycling ...maybe 10% ...and some to incineration). At most only 10% was recycled and this was largely PE/PP.

Mid last year, China stopped taking the waste plastic and this caused most of the waste handlers to build up big stocks of plastic in their yards. Turkey then emerged as a country that would  take the waste so a lot is now going to Rotterdam and then on to Turkey. To try and quantify where all the waste  is now going is difficult as the market hasnt really settled down after the route the China stopped but only 10% is going to recycle.

There are some specialist companies recycling PVC but it is mainly rigid PVC ...ie window frames etc, so your fenders would be no use. Worse than that however, if they are put into a plastic recycle stream, they will end up mixed with the valuable PE/PP stream and so contaminate it. The key to re-using plastic is to separate it into pure PE or pure PP streams, which is not easy to do and having PVC added to the mix just devalues the stream. It is reasonably easy to take out as it sinks in a sink/ float tank but it is just hassle (hence cost).

Chuck them in your black bag waste. The ideal route for them is incineration with energy recovery.

 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Fitter kieron said:

Hi Mr Gabbey,

 

This is the reply I had from Norway....

 

The fender material is PVC.
Internally we can use some of the material in our own production, the rest is used by a company making roofing.
Used fenders should be delivered to the correct handling facilities. In Norway I believe that most end up being heat energy, (burned and the heat is used for warming of water, again used in heating of houses).
This would of course be different from location to location.

 

I will now enquire of the Dutch company and get back to you.

 

Kind regards

Erica

Compass Marine

Full marks for them getting back to you. So many companies are lax in responding to email enquiries.

[Kieron G]

Yes was good to get a reply although surprised that it's something that they haven't been been asked / considered before. Received the reply posted a few weeks ago and never did get the Dutch update. It's reluctantly gone into landfill now. I see these regularly when i boat on the Ouse.