From Jeremy Matcham
I wanted to pick up on the point made by reader Fred Grisley regarding the
environmental consequences of biodegradable materials
(22 January, p 50).
Any material derived from fossil fuels that ends up in our atmosphere as a
gas is, generally speaking, bad news for the environment. Such products
that remain as stable solids—as many plastics do—can be
effectively disposed of by burying them.
What would be really useful is if a process could be developed to turn the
(used) liquid and gas products back into a more easily stored solid
form—such as turning waste oils into solids for use in building and
landscaping materials.
An advanced solidifying technique may also be the best way to deal with crude
oil spillages at sea.
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Bolton
