Re:A clear, strong, and thermally insulated wood for energy ...
by solarkraft on Sunday October 04, 2020 @12:39PM
(#24680287)
Wood is biodegradable. If mixed with plastic however (which this seems to be), it's not.
While it's relatively easy to recycle pure plastics for composite materials it's notoriously difficult.
Re:A clear, strong, and thermally insulated wood for energy ...
by ajot on Sunday October 04, 2020 @01:37PM
(#24680740)
This plastic, PVA, is the one used in white glue, the one that kids use in school or carpenters use to glue things together. Wikipedia [0] says it biodegrades slowly. I believe (keyword: believe and am not sure) it could be redissolved in warm water, or might even be replaced by a renewable glue like gelatin.
Re:A clear, strong, and thermally insulated wood for energy ...
by watchdogtimer on Sunday October 04, 2020 @01:58PM
(#24680902)
Not sure you'd want a window that easily dissolves in water...
Re:A clear, strong, and thermally insulated wood for energy ...
by xpe on Sunday October 04, 2020 @12:54PM
(#24680438)
To help others parse the last paragraph, I would add a comma because clauses:
While it's relatively easy to recycle pure plastics, for composite materials it's notoriously difficult.
Re:A clear, strong, and thermally insulated wood for energy ...
by xpe on Tuesday October 06, 2020 @06:58AM
(#24696446)
*between clauses I meant to say
Re:A clear, strong, and thermally insulated wood for energy ...
by eloff on Sunday October 04, 2020 @12:42PM
(#24680322)
Neither is glass, which I'd hazard lasts longer in the environment as well - although glass at least doesn't float so it can't "wander off".
Re:A clear, strong, and thermally insulated wood for energy ...
by ClumsyPilot on Sunday October 04, 2020 @03:07PM
(#24681478)
Firstly, it is a natural material - its basically sand. It does as much damage to the envirobment as any random rock.
Secondly it has been recycled for decades and is actually a relatively simple material that can be molten, purigied abd re-cast, much like metals can be.
Re:A clear, strong, and thermally insulated wood for energy ...
by Faaak on Sunday October 04, 2020 @01:11PM
(#24680561)
However glass is inert, whereas plastic is not
Re:A clear, strong, and thermally insulated wood for energy ...
by melolife on Sunday October 04, 2020 @02:27PM
(#24681136)
Apparently if you dump glass into the ocean, within 10 years it looks like those decorative pebbles so it's actually a pretty good way of dealing with it.
Recycling is overrated for cheap products. Plastic is practically impossible to recycle effectively. If it were made to be biodegradable that would make much more sense. But even failing that, there is no shortage of landfill space, as long as it goes to the garage and not to the environment - a huge problem in the developing world and where the plastic in the ocean originates from.