Saturday, November 1, 2008

Plastic ; Making life complicated.



Plastic is a modern marvel. It is so versatile that almost everything has a certain combination of plastic properties. Only recently people are able to obtain more information regarding the safe use of different types of plastic, especially containers. Anyone can search the internet to come out with relevent information. Now we have a new problem. The more I read the more complicated life becomes involving the use, or more often the reuse of plastic containers.

Take for example:


Reusing one-time-use items

While some items should not be used with foods, others should be used only ONCE, and then for their intended purpose.

Other items that were developed with the intention of single use include these four articles:

  • Single-use plastic water bottles

    It is better to buy a reusable water bottle and use that instead of reusing a bottle in which water is sold. The plastic water bottles in which water is sold are intended for single service. They are hard to clean and dry and are not meant for multiple cleanings. They may not hold up under the hot water and cleansing needed to remove lipstick, etc.

  • Disposable plastic utensils, cups and containers

    This category includes plastic forks, spoons and knives; plastic cups; and containers from cottage cheese, sour cream, chip dip, margarine, milk, etc. These items are not made of materials designed for repeated use or repeated cleaning with hot soap and water. Cups and containers may have edges that curl over and collect bacteria that cannot be cleaned out. These containers are developed for specific types/temperatures of foods and may not stand up to all foods, such as high acid and/or hot foods.

You can read more HERE:


By the way what is "Plastic"?

What Is Plastic?

"Plastic is made from hydrocarbons derived from petroleum or natural gas. The hydrocarbons are formed into chains called polymers, or plastic resins. By combining hydrocarbon molecules in different ways, different types of plastic can be created."

What Is Food Grade Plastic?

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) requires that plastics used in food packaging be of greater purity than plastics used for non-food packaging. This is commonly referred to as food grade plastic. Plastics used to package pharmaceuticals are held to an even higher standard than food grade.

Another aspect of food grade plastic is matching the appropriate type of plastic to the food in question. Foods that are highly acidic or that contain alcohol or fats can leach plastic additives from the packaging or container into the food. As a result, you should only use plastic containers that are FDA approved for the particular type of food the plastic will come into contact with.

Finally, it should be noted that a plastic container can no longer be considered food grade if it has been used to store non-food items like chemicals, paint, or detergent.

Types Of Plastic

In the United States, the following codes represent the seven categories of plastic used in nearly all plastic containers and product packaging:

1 - PET PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) is a clear, tough polymer with exceptional gas and moisture barrier properties. PET's ability to contain carbon dioxide (carbonation) makes it ideal for use in soft drink bottles.

Examples: Soft drink bottles, detergent bottles

2 - HDPE HDPE (high density polyethylene) is used in milk, juice and water containers in order to take advantage of its excellent protective barrier properties. Its chemical resistance properties also make it well suited for items such as containers for household chemicals and detergents. Most five gallon food buckets are made from HDPE.

Examples: Milk bottles, shopping bags

3 - V Vinyl (polyvinyl chloride, or PVC) provides excellent clarity, puncture resistance and cling. As a film, vinyl can breathe just the right amount, making it ideal for packaging fresh meats that require oxygen to ensure a bright red surface while maintaining an acceptable shelf life.

Examples: Plastic food wrap, shrink wrap, garden hoses, shoe soles

4 - LDPE LDPE (low density polyethylene) offers clarity and flexibility. It is used to make bottles that require flexibility. To take advantage of its strength and toughness in film form, it is used to produce grocery bags and garbage bags, shrink and stretch film, and coating for milk cartons.

Examples: Squeeze bottles, dry cleaning bags

5 - PP PP (polypropylene) has high tensile strength, making it ideal for use in caps and lids that have to hold tightly on to threaded openings. Because of its high melting point, polypropylene can be hot-filled with products designed to cool in bottles, including ketchup and syrup. It is also used for products that need to be incubated, such as yogurt. Many Cambo, Tupperware and Rubbermaid food storage containers are made from PP.

Examples: Bottle caps, take-out food containers, drinking straws

6 - PS PS (polystyrene), in its crystalline form, is a colorless plastic that can be clear and hard. It can also be foamed to provide exceptional insulation properties. Foamed or expanded polystyrene (EPS) is used for products such as meat trays, egg cartons and coffee cups. It is also used for packaging and protecting appliances, electronics and other sensitive products.

Examples: Plastic foam, packing peanuts, coat hangers

7 - Other Other denotes plastics made from other types of resin or from several resins mixed together. These usually cannot be recycled.

Another important type of plastic is polycarbonate, a clear shatter-resistant material used in restaurant food storage containers and recently in the Rubbermaid Stain Shield line of home food storage containers.

Why do we need different types of plastics, anyway? This excerpt from the American Plastics Council Web site explains it well.

"Copper, silver and aluminum are all metals, yet each has unique properties. You wouldn't make a car out of silver or a beer can out of copper because the properties of these metals are not chemically or physically able to create the most effective final product. Likewise, while plastics are all related, each resin has attributes that make it best suited to a particular application. Plastics make this possible because as a material family they are so versatile."

Not All HDPE Containers Are Food Grade

There is a common misconception that all containers made of white plastic or HDPE plastic bearing the HDPE "2" plastic symbol symbol are food grade containers. This is not true.

What about this which came to me by email?

[ Now, one thing to consider when you buy a REUSABLE plastic bottle is its grade (if you go with aluminum reusable bottles, you are cool, but if you do plastic, you need to make sure it's a decent grade for the sake of your health!). Look on the bottom of the bottle for a small plastic triangle with a number in the middle. If you see a number 2, 4 or 5, the bottle is safe. If it has some other number, don't use it as a water bottle. Those other plastics can make your water taste like plastic and leach harmful chemicals into your body. ]


Well, to me it's getting complicated. I just use my commonsense and practical judgement. After all, here in Bolehland you can't even find the classification code in most containers.

What about those plastic disposables our local hawkers use for ta pau (takeaways)? This I'm quite apprehensive.

Where do we go from here then?


Have A Nice Day!

24 comments:

monsterball said...

You know...who is making life complicated and poor plastic is chosen as your scapegoat?
Is this how...fruit brain think?
hi ..the fruit of knowledge is the apple la...eat more and a good doctor will tell you.."An apple a day..keep the doctor away"
He will tell you this....if he is sincere and not out to make money from sick people.
Dirty politicians love to make like complicated.
That's what they are....downright cunning and dirty.
One can even behave like WATERMANON...more powerful than Superman...hoping to raise a dead party....to be alive...with a dream...with a hope..with stupid logics...now being fcuked up left and right...by his friends. I guess they have enough of his nonsense.
But WATERMANON creature...have no feelings..making life so complicate for others.
Why like that??

monsterball said...

Go la...WATERMANON man...put a comment of Zaid Ibrahim.
One still thinks how great a dead party can be....can choose people to join.
I think..if Koh Tsu Koon said..."Zaid .join us...I will make sure you become an instant VP..and future President"....Zaid will reply..
"Go fcuk spider. Don't disturb me"
But if that offer for low down ..good for nothing...monsterball... maybe get trapped la.....to be another..WATERMANON....hahahahahahaha

monsterball said...

Seriously speaking!
If our good doctor truly value majority opinions..he should resign from Gerakan...and start being a non political blogger.
Just look at his latest post..ALL disagree with him...and few other posts..he had majority..disagreeing..but this time...ALL..disagree....right now.
You see......logics have it's limit...to be childish...illogical ..or put out by one...with a one track mind...for some personal benefits.
I have been observing for a ..long time.....and noted...Doc is either too stubborn...very childish or...trying so hard...to save Gerakan for his own selfish reasons and benefits.....now making him...look more and more....?????...cannot describe..out of some.. respect for him.
hi WATERMANON man...go put your comment. Don't say..."waste of time".

Anonymous said...

Justin,

Yes, Yvonne is seeking for more surgeries. When I read Yvonne's blog, 'This is how we may operate on my eyes', I realized that not only her left eye ia already blind, her right eyes' vision is deteriorating.

I'm deeply saddened to know that this chirpy and cheerful girl that I met in Segi Collage early this year now have to use Braille. Read http://www.yvonnefoong.com/2008/10/29/dying-to-myself/

How a person could live if she is already deaf, now going blind, and next, probably paralyse (from what I've learnt last time)?

Thinking of Yvonne sometimes make me teary.

Gracie

Anonymous said...

monster,
what benefit can dolittle gets when Gerakan is almost dead?

To be a CC memebr (Gerakan has more than 30, after counting those 18 elected, 3 VP and those elected fromife council and 6 appoited), means nothing at all in Gerakan, just that u can voice out directly to the leaders in meetings.

He was even offered titles and positions just 2 yrs ago and he rejected it. Ask Gerakan memebrs, especially those in KL, and they will tell u this is someone who is ot asking anything from the paty but devoting thme and efforts to help the party.

To come in and help a person when he is sick and bakrupt, you think that person cming for help wants something? He just want to see his effort pasy of, his frineds get the respect they get, ad they can achieve all the ideology that he and his friends believe in.

It is not as simple as just quit. He has personally bring in 10 branhces of members ( about 500 odds) to join Gerakan in 2004, when everyone was eup[horic with the new leadership. Does he abandon these members? These memebrs in fact ask him to contest Cc and go in to speak to the leaders. And he got a fairly big mandate. These are memebrs who wish to see him speak out and bring the party out. This mandate is a responsibility. Less than a month and he quits, what sot of responsibility is that?

All of us want change. You do it your way , for or against, dolittle do it his way, as a third force battling UMNO. All paths will lead to the ultimate aim of a fair ad equal society. What is wrong with fair and equal society?

In the meantime, while he is inside the party, at least he can still influence many people, and influnce the direction of the party. But if he quits alone, he would lose that influence and would that help in the cause to bring the party out and weaken UMNO?

fruit brain is at least better than pea brain.Dolittle has enough to lie a very good life and all his children are doing well. This is the time for him to sacrifice to fight for righteousness, and battle the evils forces in BN as well as outside BN (Zulkifli and some in PAS).

You can criticise but do not blacken a person. Dolittle wish to have nothing but to see a better world tomorrow. And he does it in a different way from you , but that does not give you the right to blacken him, insinuating stories, and so on.

Anonymous said...

Sorry for the missing letters. Dolittle's keyboard is very sticky but he does not want to change it. As long as it can still use, why change it and contribute to pollution as keybaords are things that cannot degrade even after 100 years.

even if the keyboard is 50% alive, dolittle will not abandon the keybaord, though it may be troublesome at times with all the missing letters.

It is ot about money, but about principles.

Anonymous said...

Justin,

Oh, probably I cause a misunderstnding. I didnt mean Yvonne is very near to death, or is dying.

I just brought up the subject of Death and Rebirth as general.

Gosh, I've been shallow. I didnt realize the word Death is so sensitive.

Gracie

Anonymous said...

In fact, it is the urging of all his friends and members that made him decide to go into CC. Which is just like a committee member of an association. You meet regularly , discuss and debate.

His wife asks him just fade away and do nothing. But his friends in the party said that he needs to give it a try to influence inside the CC. Since after 916, the voice asking to go out of BN among memebrs are getting softer, he needs to go in, that is what his freinds tell him. So in the end he decided to give it a try.

Attending meetings ad so on, needs to take time off from his clinic, which is actually quite a busy clinic even at this time of recessioon, because he never turns away any patients, even those who cannot pay.

But he is willing to sacrifice his earnings to do something to help and save the party with so many of his like minded friends inside. Everyone knows that the aprty would not stand a chance in the next election, but he believes it can be built up again , as a third option, in 10 to 15 years time, by which time, he would be 70 plus old( he is now 56). You still think he wants something? Anyone wants something in BN would not dare to criticise UMNO, and I can tell u, even UMNO members hates him for being such a thorn in BN.

If he wants anything he would have stood for election 4 years ago, and contest CC at a much younger age.

His thinking is like this, since he has a good life, and his children are all blessed, (with the 4th one also applying medicine overseas), it is ow time for him to pay back society, since he has more than enough to support his children (2 and a half already doctors and one and the half to go ), and he has more than enough to live comfortably till death, it is now time to do something.

He started his blog in 2006 when almost the whole leadership frowns upon him (Not to mention the pressure from UMNO and i am sure SB too), . Now, everyone is blogging due to his urging the younger members to take up blogging, in national meetings and state meetings and speak out.

You can call him stubborn, but you should not blacken his name... Read his blogs articles, 700 odds, all about fair and equal society and these at least have influence a few people to move away from race politics... ad money politics...

So it is unfair to insinuate him using stories, watermannon, "may I" and so on. Criticise if you want to, blame him for asking you to leave his blog if you wnat to, but pls be fair.

Anonymous said...

In fact, it is the urging of all his friends and members that made him decide to go into CC. Which is just like a committee member of an association. You meet regularly , discuss and debate.

His wife asks him just fade away and do nothing. But his friends in the party said that he needs to give it a try to influence inside the CC. Since after 916, the voice asking to go out of BN among memebrs are getting softer, he needs to go in, that is what his freinds tell him. So in the end he decided to give it a try.

Attending meetings ad so on, needs to take time off from his clinic, which is actually quite a busy clinic even at this time of recessioon, because he never turns away any patients, even those who cannot pay.

But he is willing to sacrifice his earnings to do something to help and save the party with so many of his like minded friends inside. Everyone knows that the aprty would not stand a chance in the next election, but he believes it can be built up again , as a third option, in 10 to 15 years time, by which time, he would be 70 plus old( he is now 56). You still think he wants something? Anyone wants something in BN would not dare to criticise UMNO, and I can tell u, even UMNO members hates him for being such a thorn in BN.

If he wants anything he would have stood for election 4 years ago, and contest CC at a much younger age.

His thinking is like this, since he has a good life, and his children are all blessed, (with the 4th one also applying medicine overseas), it is ow time for him to pay back society, since he has more than enough to support his children (2 and a half already doctors and one and the half to go ), and he has more than enough to live comfortably till death, it is now time to do something.

He started his blog in 2006 when almost the whole leadership frowns upon him (Not to mention the pressure from UMNO and i am sure SB too), . Now, everyone is blogging due to his urging the younger members to take up blogging, in national meetings and state meetings and speak out.

You can call him stubborn, but you should not blacken his name... Read his blogs articles, 700 odds, all about fair and equal society and these at least have influence a few people to move away from race politics... ad money politics...

So it is unfair to insinuate him using stories, watermannon, "may I" and so on. Criticise if you want to, blame him for asking you to leave his blog if you wnat to, but pls be fair.

Anonymous said...

In fact, it is the urging of all his friends and members that made him decide to go into CC. Which is just like a committee member of an association. You meet regularly , discuss and debate.

His wife asks him just fade away and do nothing. But his friends in the party said that he needs to give it a try to influence inside the CC. Since after 916, the voice asking to go out of BN among memebrs are getting softer, he needs to go in, that is what his freinds tell him. So in the end he decided to give it a try.

Attending meetings ad so on, needs to take time off from his clinic, which is actually quite a busy clinic even at this time of recessioon, because he never turns away any patients, even those who cannot pay.

But he is willing to sacrifice his earnings to do something to help and save the party with so many of his like minded friends inside. Everyone knows that the aprty would not stand a chance in the next election, but he believes it can be built up again , as a third option, in 10 to 15 years time, by which time, he would be 70 plus old( he is now 56). You still think he wants something? Anyone wants something in BN would not dare to criticise UMNO, and I can tell u, even UMNO members hates him for being such a thorn in BN.

If he wants anything he would have stood for election 4 years ago, and contest CC at a much younger age.

His thinking is like this, since he has a good life, and his children are all blessed, (with the 4th one also applying medicine overseas), it is ow time for him to pay back society, since he has more than enough to support his children (2 and a half already doctors and one and the half to go ), and he has more than enough to live comfortably till death, it is now time to do something.

He started his blog in 2006 when almost the whole leadership frowns upon him (Not to mention the pressure from UMNO and i am sure SB too), . Now, everyone is blogging due to his urging the younger members to take up blogging, in national meetings and state meetings and speak out.

You can call him stubborn, but you should not blacken his name... Read his blogs articles, 700 odds, all about fair and equal society and these at least have influence a few people to move away from race politics... ad money politics...

So it is unfair to insinuate him using stories, watermannon, "may I" and so on. Criticise if you want to, blame him for asking you to leave his blog if you wnat to, but pls be fair.

Anonymous said...

Monster,
In fact it would be much easier for him just quit and concnetrate on blogging. He would have earned a good name , rather than being insinuated. But buddhist teaching says that : if i do not go to hell, who would go to hell", so i do not want to skirt my duty to save a party which i joined a few years ago. I told those friends of mine the sam thing, but they said i must give it a try before giving up.

By virtue of our training, we are stubborn and we do not give up even when patients heart stop. We will still administer CPR. Now this party is almost dead, but the heart is still beating, i can take the easy way of just going away and win applause from the blogosphere, or i can do it the hard way of keeping my hands on his cheast and doing the CPR.

If you are the patient, which way would you want me to do? If you are my memebrs, you will realise why they want me to do this.

SO, by all means attack me, but be fair. Afterall, I am also an old man of 56. But please do not resort to name calling, fruit brains (at least can still study until becoming a doctor, with distinction in master degree), , pea brains, racists (which i am not). I hv the offer letter for work in AUstralia which offered up to A$300,000 a year for me, but which i rejected and chose to stay back in Malaysia.

I hv the letter and can show you in person if you insist, though i would rather show to a middle man like romerz and let him tell you.

Call me stubborn, and 'xiao" if you want to,but pls do not blacken people's names..... believe in Karma, I hope you will.

Anonymous said...

in fact, dolittle is having a very difficult position. He is hate by UMNO for being the most vocal grassroots in BN parties to quit BN (see the Straits Time article of Singpaore on this, somewhere in his blog), and he is not endearing himself to those people opposed to BN ( and that is the majority of people, i can tell you). . He is caught in between. But that does not mean that he should give up trying to lead the party back to its original aims of a fair and just society.

Do you still think he will benefit what??? monster..??? Be fair lah

Justin Choo said...

Monsterball,

Dr Dolittle has spoken very clearly. It is only fair that we stop:
"Call me stubborn, and 'xiao" if you want to,but pls do not blacken people's names" (Dr's quote).

Monsterball, if you follow Dr's blog I have put in my LAST comment in "About the ISA Petition" which I quote here under comment # 42:

[Dr Hsu,
I put the blame on the 2 MPs themselves for not having the conscience and interest to do what is right. Forget about the Party.

Of course this is a stale song. Everyone is singing his/her own tune here. We are circling like the carousel.

I won’t continue riding it anymore.]

To cut it short, if we are not happy to continue commenting in another blog, just stop. Of course your situation is a bit different; but let's forgive and get going.

By the way this post is about "plastic: making life difficult" and not "blogging: making life difficult".

Don't worry be happy;
Let it be, Let it be. :)

Justin Choo said...

Gracie,
You're right. "Death" is a very sensitive word, and frightening too.

Why you have your photo in the Reverend's comment section?

monsterball said...

When you are for or against...it is a battle field..killed or to be killed.
However..the situation seems to have changed .with ALL against...BN...and I do not need any newcomer..like dolittle to teach me what to say or do.
I am ALWAYS...against anyone..talking in favour of UMNO and BN....period.
And yes,...this post is about plastic...the most dangerous waste..killing millions of sea creatures...thrown in by humans.......but such a useful product...used properly.
Similarly...a person's brain ...is like so.

Anonymous said...

Justin,

Actaully, it puzzled me too, how come my picture appear in Rev Dhammika's blog, and never in yours.

Maybe it's fated... My picture should appear in a handsome man's blog...hehe

Gracie

monsterball said...

What Dolittle and Justine missed out..is....I do not hate Doc at all.
So you keep talking about the 700 more messages he put out...against UMNO. Who can hate him for that??
I have put out more than 2000 messages against Mahathir and I believe I am the first to dare talk...so much and exposed him...on so many things....yet I am hated by few pro Mahathir guys..non stop...for two years.
Who came to my support......very few.
Yet.it is after the election...I was proven right.
You see...you both missed my most important objective.
If Doc keep talking how to save Gerakan....I will keep exposing him...as both of us are after VOTERS!!...for or against.
I think I did my part..by getting few voters against UMNO in the 12th election. That's how I feel.
You both can talk...how to win friends and be nice guys.
I am after VOTES!!
Put it this way...I have risked my life...for the country...and I feel ten feet talk..right now.
Right or wrong...that's it...I need no one to teach me how to think and say.
Look at RPK. He sacrificed so much..now in ISA.
We may off and on feel for him....but 24 hours per day...for months...who can feel his real pains and hardship...all for the country?
I have seen too much...to know...real friends are very very hard to find.
I repeat...I do not need dolittle..whose nick incidentally was inspired by my message...thus...no original ideas at all...but one big ass ..trying to be judge or advise me?
POOOR LAH!!
Ni chetapor ...na chatapor ...elak.
Chunti..tali marli hei!!

Anonymous said...

Justin,what a crash course in plastics!!I showed it to my children.This is a very GOOD post.

Justin Choo said...

Cilyhot,

Thank you for a relevent comment.

monsterball said...

Justin...Look carefully!
You think "dolittle" is a newcomer?
It is one of the 'cili'...busy body....putting NOTHING...except judging me....playing the sickening nice person image.This is also the type....that votes can be so unreliable.
You think this kind of commentators will attract good readers and teach them something?
They can only destroy all your hard work.
Yes...let them in...le5t hem say what they like..and up to you to moderate...if necessary......but don't let anyone fool you.....including ...from me.

monsterball said...

hhhhhmmmmmm
round and round to no where..like a carousel.
That's a good one.
I am using that idea...at Kit Siang's blog...with my...
"How to win votes & bury UMNO/BN alive!!"
Got to go...earn some money.
Time is really bad.
Few small companies will fail..if they are greedy for business.
Con men will come with huge orders...on Friday....write a CASH cheque..and idiots deliver the goods.
Come Monday..chegue bounced....that kedai..also close shop.
Me..no money....no talk...no credit...no nothing....because we are trusted and reliable...small company..cannot afford to give credit.
Actually...less headaches for me..doing small business...to cari makan..
So far..so good.

Justin Choo said...

Monsterball,

Keep it up. Cash on delivery. No money no talk. Cash is king.

monsterball said...

Than you can imagine....billions stolen by welknown crooks and con men.....what they can do.with that money.
Mahathir said "Money is power"...and showed UMNO ...how to buy up the whole country..Before that...he will accused others..said the same thing...so that no one will suspect him.
That's his art...twisting and turning...best in MALAYSIA....but now ..pecah lobang...tak boleh pakai lagi.

Justin Choo said...

Anonymous,

Thank you for the encouragement; and for visiting this site.

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