Science!

[andrewducker]

So, it turns out that if you leave a biodegradable plastic bag* in a desk drawer for two years then you're left with a little pile of plastic flakes that stick to everything.

*Tesco. No other brands have been tried, no control group was used, this data has not been replicated, and this post has no been peer reviewed.

Comments

[marrog.livejournal.com]

Haven't you heard the latest thing is 'peer2peer' review nowadays?

Aside: Fun thing to do btw. Watch 4:19 - 4:50 in the above video, then watch this one.

[diotina.livejournal.com]

aha! this happened to me and I was v surprised because I thought it was mice, but there was no other evidence confirming this.

[andrewducker]

I shall look forward to taking a look at this when I get home!

[poisonduk.livejournal.com]

I can peer review for you if you wish? But you have to accept my QA feedback andact on it accordingly.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

My nonrigorous memory is that tesco bags degrade a lot more than anything else.

[nmg.livejournal.com]

The first biodegradable plastic bag that I ever saw came from the gift shop at the Millennium Dome, and contained a bookmark that I bought for ias.

While moving her bookmark collection to a larger box a couple of years ago (she has a lot), we found that it had completely disintegrated.

[nmg.livejournal.com]

Jeez. The comments on the first video really seem to be missing the point.

[andrewducker]

Sadly, I have now disposed of my specimen, so a repeat of the experiment will tkae two more years (of using the same desk).

[poisonduk.livejournal.com]

Two years, Same Desk - that could be an IS record! If I get 2 months in the sane desk I feel lucky.

[nameandnature]

Yep: left one in the bottom of the wardrobe. Thought I had mice when I cleared it out recently until I realised what had happened.

[jsburbidge.livejournal.com]

I have observed this as well with biodegradable bags here in Leftpondia.

[andrewducker]

Well, kinda the same desk. We wheel pedestals from desk to desk when we move within the team, and I've been in the same team for two years (four if you include the six godawful months I spent seconded to Application Management - because the project I was in before that was basically the same team, in the same place).

[paddie-gal.livejournal.com]

Yup, here it actually only took 8 months with a bag from PC World under the bed. Still picking that shit up 6 months on....

[lilaanne.livejournal.com]

You could sell it as 'stage snow' that's all it is afterall....

[pigwotflies.livejournal.com]

Happened to me too, but in my car. When I sold it (actually gave it away - it was a dangerous rust bucket and impossible to sell) the guy who took it asked if I'd had mice in the car.

[alextfish.livejournal.com]

Yup, have had this happen. Those little plastic flakes get everywhere.

What's particularly frustrating is when you try to pick up a bunch of old carrier bags to take them down to the Tesco Carrier Bag Recycling point... and they disintegrate in your hands and scatter plastic flakes everywhere. As woodpijn is fond of pointing out, biodegradable carrier bags are a good thing, and carrier bag recycling is a good thing, but these two good things only lead to irritation when combined.