Robotic One Dimensionality At Work At Launceston's Tip

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Polystyrene might keep your coffee hot without burning your hand, but plastic foam – more commonly known as Styrofoam – is one of the most harmful materials around when it comes to the environment. This petroleum-based plastic has gained a lot of negative attention in recent years, prompting bans in many cities such as New York City and Washington D.C. But some cities are still on the Styrofoam bandwagon. Check out the infographic here to see why it’s time to ditch the stuff as often as we can. 

So Launceston has invested in Polly – a recycling 'robot' – to better combat the huge amount of polystyrene  – one of the most widely used plastics on the planet – that makes its way into landfill each year. Perhaps a timely move but on face value not necessarily a well thought through initiative.

Launceston's robot melts the polystyrene/styrofoam into ingots which are sent on for recycling. There are some interesting thing in play here but more of that later. This simply put the material back in circulation in order to go on threatening 'the environment' in time and possibly time and time again.

Mayor Albert van Zetten has said that people would now be able to dispose of their polystyrene for free at the "Waste Centre". Here we go again, the  "Waste Centre"that 'cost centre' Launceston's council insists that 'resources' get to be wasted in order that the status quo can be maintained.

Yes, yes, polystyrene in landfill is a concern and up a large volume of space compared to its weight but only if it is imagined as 'waste' and ignored as a 'resource'. 

Polystyrene's environmental impact s pretty well known and like plastic bags every effort should be made to mitigate its environmental impacts.

As for the "Council [being] thrilled to be able to install this machine at the Launceston Waste Centre and to cut down on the amount of polystyrene that is going to landfill in Northern Tasmania", well it is a bit of a worry in one-dimensionality.  People just dropping polystyrene off for recycling is hardly dealing with the issues that need need to be dealt with.

Possibly Local government needs to give first priority to engaging with the community and persuading people to refuse and/or resist the burgeoning use of polystyrene. polystyrene resource, and sustainably, Repurposing and reinventing 'the resource' would/should/could be a second tier strategy with recycling being the 'last ditch' strategy. But here we have it being put out there as the 'way to go'.

Increasingly there are bio-degradable packaging material becoming available and local government has a roll to play in ensuring that they get greater acceptance.

Repurposing and reinventing 'a resource' comes with the potential of 'keeping the material/resource out of the environment' long-term – or at least much longer than disposable packaging materials. But repurposing and reinventing things requires innovation and enterprise. Neither of these qualities have a place in 'cost centre management' and more to the point they run counter to the maintenance of the status quo – the condition that also tends to maintain salary levels with benefits. Moreover, the status quo allows for 'empire growth' which in turn can be sold as a 'good'.

The demonstrated advantage of 'cost centre management' in local government is that apart from being self-sustaining and additional funding can be conscripted – and typically by stealth. This is a paradigm that has been in operation in Launceston for decades – longer arguably – and it is time that it is challenged.

The images here are a quick survey of the various was polystyrene can be repurposed and reimagined in order to keep it well out of the way of "landfill" albeit not always perfectly. However, do not imagine that you will find a 'council operative' enthusiastically cheering you on. This kind of think disrupts the status quo!

CLICK ON AN IMAGE TO ENLARGE