Future of inflatables looking bleak?

[Pvc_and_Pooltoys]

Having seen a couple of recent articles about PVC waste and the environment, one particular comment stuck out from a BBC article about pool toys.

"Yet John Hourston, founder of the Bournemouth-based campaign group Blue Planet Society, says that they should stop being produced all together.

"They shouldn't be manufactured and they shouldn't be sold. In order to stop the plastic tap, or to turn it right off, we're going to have to do it at a corporate [and] governmental level," he said"

What do you think about this? Do you think there will be a time when they are banned altogether?

[craggy2012]

Re: Future of inflatables looking bleak?

If proper recycling facilities actually existed then folks would be a lot less inclined to leave tossed inflatables on the beach, or chucked in the bin with their general waste- that often heads for land fill. Over the years local authorities fund recycling schemes less and less (yet your rates go up and up..... funny that?) so obviously we’re heading back to the bad old days of burying plastic back in the ground again. I’ll repair my inflatables so far as is possibly to do so, but ultimately they all end up in the bin at some point once beyond repair or once the plastic starts to deteriorate.

[BalloonBoyUK]

Re: Future of inflatables looking bleak?

They've said similar things about balloons too.

The problem isn't that balloons and inflatables are being used. The problem, is solely people being idiotic and ignorant with them, and in the way they use these items.

With helium balloons, the rule is simple - what goes up must come down. So when you release a helium balloon, it will come down somewhere else eventually. If it's got a ribbon attached to it, and that ribbon gets caught in a tree or bush somewhere, it'll stay there until someone (if that actually ever happens) can retrieve it, and dispose of it properly. So either DON'T let them go in the first place, or if you do, then accept the fact that you are responsible for littering.

I'm no paragon of virtue here. I've let helium balloons go, in the past. But I'm now older and wiser, and I don't do it. Any balloons I have to dispose of, are put into my household rubbish, or in a bin, if I'm out-and-about. What I don't do, is just leave an inflated (or popped) balloon on the floor, and let someone else deal with it. That's just not on.

Also, yes, I know balloon releases look stunning - for numerous reasons. They DO look amazing, watching the blue sky fill with coloured orbs, does look incredibly beautiful! But they do travel huge distances, and people need to remember this. Releasing even a dozen balloons, for whatever reason (e.g. for a birthday, or a funeral, or whatever other event you do this at), is NOT acceptable, if you don't then collect the balloons when they come down in some farmer's field, or they get wrapped around a tree branch in a park, or they come down in rivers, lakes and oceans.

Likewise, with inflatables, and/or plastic bags: if they break or deflate or whatever, then cut them up and put them in a bin. Don't just leave them for someone else to deal with - even if you are told that it's okay. Take it home, and bin it/recycle it accordingly.

Anyone who doesn't do this, is making all of us look bad. There are so many lawyers, and politicians, that are just looking to ban these items in full, and that's not good. So let's not give them any assistance in making that decision easier for them.

It bugs the hell out of me, that people just don't care about littering, and then these same people will watch a nature documentary showing sea creatures being trapped in an ocean of waste-plastic, and they go "Oh, those poor animals. Such a tragedy"!

Yes, it IS a tragedy, but it's a tragedy that you are helping cause in the first place, when you leave that popped balloon on the floor, or when you leave a semi-deflated beachball in a pile of rubbish by an overflowing bin at the beach, thinking that someone else will clean it away.

This is why I get so annoyed with people, when they misuse balloons, by B2P'ing them in the streets, and then they just leave discarded rubber/latex shards everywhere - or in some cases - leave an inflated balloon on a stick on a floor, or wherever else.

Be a good citizen! Clean up after yourselves, folks!

[Roye]

Re: Future of inflatables looking bleak?

Noooooooo, I want my inflatables!!! My only love! Woe is me!

[Seasidelad]

Re: Future of inflatables looking bleak?

It is a shame with inflatables that they get used once then binned. A couple of years ago I think Booking.com or a similar site did a scheme in Majorca where inflatables could be left for others to take and keep. I wish I could have been there.

I do sometimes manage to get inflatables that have been left behind and re use them. Last year I got an Intex croc and could of had a flamingo but it was too big for my case but Someone else took it with them so least it didn’t get trashed.

I have bought used inflatables off eBay. This year I got a large unicorn at a bargain as I was the only bidder. Also hit the Intex flamingo which I can also use on holiday.

[craggy2012]

Re: Future of inflatables looking bleak?

In the past when on holiday and checking out before heading home we’ve gave our inflatables to other guests checking in if they’ve wanted them, in-fact I can recall quite a few hotels I’ve stopped in with an area near to the reception where guests could leave unwanted pool toys for other guests to use when they were going home too which was a good idea.

Any nice inflatables we want to keep though we’ll pack and bring home, but the more common Bestway, Jilong or Intex Wetset stuff we’ll just pass on to others.

I’ve also watched hotel staff at the end of the day take abandoned pooltoys left around the pool areas where they simply slash them open and chuck them into a wheeled bin which was pointless and sad. There was a lovely gloss red one man dinghy at a place in Benidorm I’d of literally gave my right arm for to take home with me that got ‘slashed and trashed’. I was a bit gutted as I never got to find out who made it, nor did I see any others on sale around Benidorm after either as I’d of loved to buy one for myself.

I have noticed though different country’s have sort of differing views on pooltoys too. Spanish resorts tend to round them up and dispose of them if unclaimed at the end of day- one girl at a family hotel did say though they cleared the pool area to stop young children wandering off to the pool area after dark when there were no staff on duty to keep an eye on them, which made sense. Other countries on the other hand though simply left them out overnight..... for what looked by weeks at a time from the looks of these faded, bloated, heat stretched looking Lilo’s and swim tubes we saw out in our hotel pool in Albufeira each morning.

[Seasidelad]

Re: Future of inflatables looking bleak?

Last year I stayed in a Spanish hotels and noticed some clear Intex lilo’s with coloured cup shapes. Thought they belonged to some girls but later they left lying near the pool but no other inflates were there. I took one one to use and noticed the following day someone had moved the inflatables but only the lilo’s were in tact behind the toilet block. I brought one home but used another whilst there but on my last full day the had all been trashed. On the next holiday I got another inflatable to use in the sea and pool.

I am not a great swimmer and like to use an inflatable in the sea. It”s nice that helping the environment by using a pre-owned inflatable instead of buying another.

[Big Thud Joe]

Re: Future of inflatables looking bleak?

Well, this summer's range of inflatables have just appeared on the shelves here down under. Checking the offerings at BIG W yesterday, seems all the same canvas matte shit. Saw a huge inflatable duck (almost two meters, about six foot), and immediately opened box to feel PVC, but was made of thick tent canvas. Saw one potential item (36 inch swim ring made of white PVC), pulled open the bag for checking the material type, PVC was actually not bad (soft white stretchy gummy plastic), but underside was completely covered by warning notices and icons; complete turn off.

Shortly after putting the item back on the shelfe, what seemed to be security came up. He didn't mention anything about me opening one of the packages, but rather more asked if everything was okay. Had my ready-made question, "ah sir, just looking for an inflatable thong?", which I knew they didn't have, but was just something to break any tension (if there was any), but it was a case of nothing to see here, so left with nothing as (again) they weren't any decent offerings.

[floatingeri]

Re: Future of inflatables looking bleak?

Looks like they can make these out of recycled plastic:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CSKYYLX/