Is it ethically bad to use a large amount of (recycled) plastic on your land?

[user801028]

At the start I had thought to only use sustainable material like wood or stone which would decompose back to the land.

There are only a couple of things like tarps or liquid containers which are plastic.

Well I really needed access on a wet field and you have to get planning consent to build traditional tracks which could take many months and likely to be rejected but I found out about these mats, which would not require consent as they count as temporary surfaces and just lay on top of the ground, that are made from recycled plastic which everyone raves about as being amazing for adding stability even over the worst mud.

See here: https://www.mudcontrol.co.uk/

I have bought a few and sure enough they work amazingly. I would now like more to run a whole track to the other side of the land but I am feeling torn about putting a load of this none degradeable material on there.

I wasn't able to think of a better way given the above restrictions. If I were have to used stone I would have been looking at 40+ tons probably to make a proper solid surface as well as hiring contractors to lay it probably. With these I can just place them down myself.

I was told conversely that even if using compacted gravel this actually damages the soil due to the runoff and/or the engineering work involved or something so is it just a case of picking the lesser evil?

The access track is really important as I wanted to be able to get right into the land and after this I would like to stick to using degradeable things when I can.

Other green minded people use things like polytunnels and plastic sheeting to suppress weeds so isn't this just the same?

They are made from 100% recycled material so that is something but plastic is still plastic.

Edited February 7 by user801028

[LuckyR]

Ethically? Not at all. Healthful? Crops may contain micro and nanoplastics. 

[zapatos]

Sounds like a great solution to me. You are finding a use for recycled materials which only makes the demand for recycling greater. I suspect using recycled milk jugs will be much better for the environment than all the fuel that would go into quarrying and transporting stone. And if you no longer want to use it you should be able to recycle the product once again.

[StringJunky]

There's a guy near me that has a drive going over grass and it's great. If you put tarmac down, that's got to be worse. To reinstate that area, all you have to do is pull it up. I think the overall environmental consequence is a fair bit less than the limited leaching it's going to do.

[dimreepr]

12 hours ago, LuckyR said:

Ethically? Not at all. Healthful? Crops may contain micro and nanoplastics. 

You don't seem to understand the question...

[TheVat]

On 2/7/2025 at 12:10 AM, user801028 said:

was told conversely that even if using compacted gravel this actually damages the soil due to the runoff and/or the engineering work involved or something so is it just a case of picking the lesser evil?

Who told you that?  Gravel is water-permeable, easily spread, and tends to stay in place.  Plastic is a shedder of nanoparticles - oil companies are trying to downplay this because they know plastic products will be their main profit source when the planets vehicle fleet is all EVs.

On 2/7/2025 at 12:10 AM, user801028 said:

Other green minded people use things like polytunnels and plastic sheeting to suppress weeds so isn't this just the same?

Green minded people are avoiding plastic. Recycling plastic is promoted by the oil companies because it "greenwashes" the toxic brew of leachates and microparticles that a robust plastic economy creates.  It's all petroleum wolves in sheep's clothing.  

Other folks are saying nice things about recycling, and it would all be lovely if plastic was not a uniquely persistent material.  Tiny bits of it will stick around, getting into our water and food and tissues for thousands of years.  

 

https://oceanliteracy.unesco.org/plastic-pollution-ocean/

Edited Friday at 07:02 PM by TheVat

[zapatos]

33 minutes ago, TheVat said:

Other folks are saying nice things about recycling, and it would all be lovely if plastic was not a uniquely persistent material.

If we don't recycle it into things like mud control tracks what will happen to it? 

I remember when disposable diapers were the worst thing since unsliced bread, until we looked at the harm done by using cloth diapers. 

No question plastics are bad but I'm guessing the answer of what to do with old milk jugs is not as simple as 'don't recycle them'.

[dimreepr]

18 hours ago, TheVat said:

Other folks are saying nice things about recycling, and it would all be lovely if plastic was not a uniquely persistent material.

Is it though?

Evolution will catch up, despite our moral outrage, ethics may give us the opportunity to board the gravy train... 🤞