Do the public really know about chemicals? Are consumers aware that they rely on petrochemicals and polymers each and every day? And are chemical producers doing enough to highlight the importance of their products?
Can anybody get through a week without coming into contact with a certain chemical?
I'm going to give it a go!
A few volunteers at your favourite chemical magazine are planning to go cold turkey and give up a selection of chemical products - trying to entirely avoid using them or anything they're used in for a week. We'll post our efforts on this site and let you know how the challenge goes...
For example, cutting out polyethylene could see an end to drinking from milk bottles, using yoghurt pots, driving a car or carrying shopping home in plastic bags!
What do you think we would struggle to do without for a week? Post your suggestions here...
You can take a look at the Chemical Intelligence pages on ICIS.com for ideas http://www.icis.com/v2/chemicals/intelligence.aspx
You could cut out PET - used in drinks bottles. Or PVC - might be tricky to avoid in the home though. Or how about titanium dioxide (TiO2) - used in products such as paints, coatings, plastics, paper, inks, fibres, food and cosmetics.
If I wanted to be frivolous today (which I do), I'd suggest cosmetics!
I coud give up drinking tap water (it contains chemicals) and bottled water. So I would have drink ale all day as people did hundreds of years ago.
I'd bet that you'd not want to give up Sodium laureth sulfate, which seems to be in everything from shampoo to toothpaste. If you do give it up for a week then please work at home from Wednesday.
Plastic bags seems the obvious choice to give up with most supermarkets now going to charge for them. And I am now the proud owner of some very nice hessian bags for my shopping. BUT, will find it difficult to dispose of my rubbish as that has to go in plastic sacs in the dustbin - any alternatives?
you're right, it would be difficult to give up the plastic bags for rubbish. unless you went down the wormery route ...
Cosmetics, plastic bags, paints - all good suggestions...but I fancy giving up some type of plastic - particularly the type that's used in my computer...I'd happily spend a week not typing anything or checking emails!!!
This could be tough. How about giving up watching/listening to DVDs and CDs for a week? These are made out of polycarbonate
Acetone - chipped nail varnish for a week - can you live with it? Polyester? Naked and chipped nails - nice...
What about superabsorbent polymer (SAP)??? Stop using nappies for a week!!!
Most shop assistants still need to give up the 'do you want a bag to go with your bag' approach at the till. Most of them must be on quotas they way they try to push the polythene.
Carlos:This could be tough. How about giving up watching/listening to DVDs and CDs for a week? These are made out of polycarbonate
Very easy to give these up as you can just download them to your computer and store movies and songs to your handheld devices...Or play them directly on your computer.
chirp...chirp
I really tried cutting back on plastic bags and brought my cloth bag for my groceries for the past 5 shopping trips. Unfortunately, my supply of used plastic bags is running low and I don't know what to line my small trash cans in the bathroom and bedroom as well as where to place my recyclable plastic bottles and soda cans...It is also unsanitary (to me personally) to reuse those plastic bags for small trash purposes. I might have to wave a white flag on this one.