Duraplas

from Don Matthews
to paulh@duraplas.com.au
Jul 15, 2008
subject Recycling spent poly tanks
mailed-by gmail.com

I wonder if you could assist me in some research I am doing into the recycling of spent poly tanks-those which have been completely degraded by UV and reached the end of their useful life. These tanks are now beginning to make an appearance in our enviroment.

I noticed on your website you say "tanks can be recycled" and wondered what you are doing to recycle these spent tanks and what products they are being turned into.

Thanking you for your help.
Don Matthews

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No reply. try another approach
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from Don Matthews
to info@duraplas.com.au
Sep 30, 2008 5:06 PM
subject Recycling spent poly tank
mailed-by gmail.com

Dear Duraplas,

I notice you manufacture poly rainwater tanks and wondered if you could help me.I am wanting to buy a poly tank but would like to know if it can be recycled when it eventually is broken down by sunlight. I would like to think I was doing the right thing by the environment in buying a tank which can be recycled at the end of its life.

Thanks for your help
Don Matthews
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from Matt Rigby
hide details
to Don Matthews
Oct 1, 2008
RE: Recycling spent poly tank

Dear Don

Yes the plastic can be recycled into items that are not used for human consumption we use recycled plastic for our reed beds

Kind Regards
Matt Rigby

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from Don Matthews
to Matt Rigby
Oct 1, 2008
Re: Recycling spent poly tank
mailed-by gmail.com

Hi Matt,

Thanks for getting back to me. Its amazing the number of people who don't even have the courtesy to acknowledge or reply to my emails. Your effort to respond is much appreciated however I am still having a problem with all this. You see I am sceptical that recycling of spent poly tanks is currently being carried out by the industry as claimed, or that it is even possible. You may be able to help me sort things out. Let me explain why.

Sunlight eventually breaks down plastic making it brittle and lose all its strength. The long-chain polymer molecules which allow plastic to be moulded and give it its strength and rigidity are ruptured by UV light. No amount of added UV stabilizers will prevent this occurring. Essentially the plastic disintegrates and loses all its properties. I therefore don't see how it is possible to then remould it into other products. Is the correct? (QUESTION 1)

Would I be correct in saying that the recycled plastic you are using for reed beds is clean plastic such as factory offcuts, seconds etc and not fully UV degraded spent polyethylene ? (QUESTION 2)

If I am not correct (and I am more than happy to be corrected) and fully UV degraded plastic is being remoulded what evidence can you provide to support this? What process is being used and what products is the spent plastic being turned into? (QUESTION 3)

My concern stems from the fact that in the not too distant future there will be millions of spent tanks waiting to be disposed of. If the problem of their recycling is not resolved quickly I fear we could be heading for a major environmental pollution problem.

Regards

Don Matthews

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from Matt Rigby
to Don Matthews
Oct 1, 2008 11:53 AM
RE: Recycling spent poly tank

Dear Don

I have been doing a little research on the net and found to my surprise that you have your own web site. So I hope that you publish my reply on the site and that you forward people to our site so they can view the reed beds that are made from this recycled material

Kind Regards
Matt Rigby

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from Don Matthews
to Matt Rigby
Oct 1, 2008 3:38 PM
Re: Recycling spent poly tank
mailed-by gmail.com

Hi again Matt,

You are the first one to have done a bit of research on the net and find me. Well done! Have just done a bit of research myself. Got such a surprise when I actually popped up!

I like what you are doing with the reed beds. I vaguely saw something about it in a magazine a while back and thought I must get back to look at this sometime. I'm a gardener to private clients and interested in rainwater collection etc and wondered what the best way to go on greywater was. The reed bed idea sounds a very 'working-with-nature' way to go and being underground the poly would not degrade in the sun which is good. I would be happy to assist with this idea through the websites when I can get time to organize them properly .....

Regards

Don

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