Plastics
Shropshire residents can put all plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays and lids, including things like yoghurt pots and food trays, cosmetic, kitchen, and drinks bottles in the fortnightly collection.
Derived from oil, - a finite resource, that has peaked in production, and now on the way down, a throw-away material - we often use plastic (ie packaging) for a very short amount of time before discarding. It remains in the environment for a very long time, (centuries?) creating litter, pollution and a danger of ingestion to animals and wildlife, as it breaks down into smaller and smaller particles. Check out the Great Pacific Garbage Patch online for an idea of the devastation caused in the world's oceans by discarded plastic. 6 times more plastic than plankton in that area!
The hidden dangers of plastics are well described at http://smallfootprintfamily.com/avoiding-toxins-in-plastic
