We’ve had an email from “Kinjo Jan”, saying:
hello good people, i am new in recycling. would you please tell me if the plastic in the modern cars’ bumpers is recycleable?
That’s a very good question – but I don’t know the answer. I suspect it’s usually fibreglass more than plastic though but may very well be wrong. Does anyone else?
And what about reuses for them?
(Photo by jtunney)
We’ve had an email from Neil Williams about used car tyres:
I’ve just moved into a new house and when I finally hacked through the nettles at the bottom of the garden, I found a set of old car tyres.
They look like they’ve been there for a good few years so probably aren’t any good for a car now and I know some companies make them into mouse pads and stuff but I was wondering what I can do with them myself.
My dad used to use tyres (AKA tires) as planters for growing veg – a single tyre became an instant raised beds for lettuce or herbs or a few stacked on top of each other became deep bins for potatoes. I guess the stacked ones could also be used as a compost heap too.
Any other suggestions?
(Photo by dragon_art)
Had an email from Christine about electric cars and car batteries:
For a year I drove the Think electric city car before Ford called them all back in for crushing (they ended up in Norway after Greenpeace kicked up a stink) and now I’m on a quest to get them back over here. My husband was a transportation planner in his earlier working life, so he’s trying to get the new owners of Think to talk to the Scottish govt about building them over here from kits. How cool would that be???
Anyway, it made me think – what can you do to recycle [car] batteries of any kind? Or is that a no-go area? I’d love to come up with a workable idea as the batteries are always targeted by the unbelievers when electric cars are touted as green vehicles.
Any suggestions for recycling – or (I suspect a long shot) reusing – them?
Ok, so obviously it’s far greener to use public or human-powered transport but if you have to drive, what’s better: to drive a more-energy-efficient new car (I’m thinking a standard petrol/diesel car, not an electric or hybrid one) or fix up and use an old car instead?
I suspect it’s a balance of unnecessary consumption and waste versus ongoing inefficiency – but does anyone have any details about which is the better option? Are there any other benefits to a new car than that?
Does the amount of miles you do make a difference? And what about the electric or hybrid cars – do they swing the balance in the favour of a new car, despite the resources it takes to make them?
I would love to hear what everyone thinks about this.
(Photo by cwcav, c/o sxc.hu)
