====== The curse of plastics =======

In today’s world, plastics are our modern “golden touch” — like King Midas turned everything into gold, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7uPzZq0et8|everything we create or consume seems to be wrapped, coated, or made from plastic]]. It brings convenience, durability, and abundance — at first. But just like Midas’s golden gift turned to a curse, our overuse of plastic has come back to haunt us: clogging oceans, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_Garbage_Patch|the great pacific garbage patch]]*, poisoning ecosystems, even fishes nourishing on microplastics. What once seemed like a miracle material has become an inescapable burden. Waiving is the only solution. \\
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* (the patch is [[https://theoceancleanup.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch/|three times the size of France or twice the size of Texas]]!)


Do what is possible in your situation to see plastics as the good: \\

- reuse plastic bags (e.g. from cereals) for (bathroom) trash bin \\
- drive anticipating: cars and heavy vehicles create fine dust of road-tire abrasion (avoid immense braking and accelerating) - better ride your bicycle \\
- start seeing plastics as an engineering material for 3D-printing or CNC machining \\
- reduce plastic as packaging waste where possible
  * wash your freezer bags
  * use plastic packaging (of ice boxes or yogurt) for food as freezing boxes or takeaway for your guests \\
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__You are responsible__ for the stuff you buy! Throwing away (for whatever reason) is no __taking care of__! Sell the things you don't need. Always think twice and wait a day before you buy new stuff! Only buying what you really need is the motto. 

====== Fixing ======

===== Sticky rubber sweating =====
When you feel that rubber is sticky, then its chemical softeners "sweatened out". Remove greasy stickiness with [[life_hacks:fluids|isopropyl or brake cleaner]]. Apply talcum if needed. As dirty quickfix carefully sprinkel with wheat flour and rub off the stickiness. \\

===== Sticky velour paint =====
Velour paint on casings like on [[sony_ericsson:start|Sony Ericsson]] K800/W880 can get sticky over years. With Razor Orocchi mouse flour did not work, I had to rub it off with (isopropanol) alcohol, polished afterwards and now have a black shiny hardplastic surface - totally different feel, but not sticky anymore :) \\

===== Shiny plastics, polished =====
- cotton dremel power-tool head: always use low RPM with enough polish cream. Too high RPM will create heat and MELT YOUR SURFACE with irremovable burn scars! \\
- polish by hand instead with rotating movements and appropriate pressure and screen polish. \\
- everything can be a worse polish: [Caution of microplastics!] scrubbing milk, tooth paste (varies) etc \\
- spray water on __glas__ surface/screen for applying plastic screen protectors. It is possible to shift the protector around a bit, then take a credit card with a cloth and push the water out. \\