| Author |
 Replies: 17 / Views: 3,492 |
|
Valued Member
United States
442 Posts |
|
|
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
1055 Posts |
They are called polymer banknotes. Made from a plastic polymer. These notes are used by several countries around the world at varying degrees (Romania, Israel, Singapore, Brunei, Australia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, ect). The bills are stronger than paper and can last longer in circulation. They are also harder to counterfeit as they can have many security devices. Not so strange in the world currency realm.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
An episode of "How do they do it" featured the process of manufacturing Australian bank notes from start to finish. It was a really cool episode.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
"The bills are also more green - because the money lasts longer, it will cause a lower impact on the environment, the [Canadian] federal government contends."
That's a silly contention... polymers are plastic... plastic doesn't decompose.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Australia
2830 Posts |
there's another thread about this:
"Canada to replace paper currency with plastic?!"
|
|
Forum Dad
 United States
24150 Posts |
Quote:
That's a silly contention... polymers are plastic... plastic doesn't decompose. Doesn't mean it isn't greener. If you have to manufacture a hundred paper notes for every plastic one your so far ahead of the game it's ridiculous. Plus plastic is recyclable just like paper. I highly doubt many polymer notes will end up in landfills. |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Around me there is a program for reusable items such as plastics. WE put them in containers and they are picked the same day as garbage but separately. So now with this new plastic currency system, when your done with your money you can just use it for recycling.   Wonder what the melting point will be. If your in a hot climate and place a wallet down in the Sun, will you end up with a pile of plastic?  |
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
4227 Posts |
Also, as per the green factor, you are reducing the use of fossil fuels by printing a lesser amount of bills due to their greater lifespan.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
1082 Posts |
Less trees used, also. Don't forget that trees release oxygen.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
731 Posts |
A bit of a tangent... didn't mean to stir up the pot... All I'll say is this w/ respect to currency & plastics... (and btw, for the record, I'm no enviro-nut): - It's a common misconception that all plastic is 100% recycleable.
- Most plastics are made from petrochemicals (crude oil, coal, and natural gas)
- Most jurisdictions are unable to recycle most of the plastics that are set in recycle bins. People have this rosy belief that if they set their plastics at the curb, it is magically recycled. It is not. In fact, most of it ends up in landfills, in the ocean, or overseas.
- A great deal of energy (fossil fuels) is burned and also used to synthesize common plastic - even more is needed to synthesize exotic polymers such as those which are used to make notes. Factor in recycling and re-synthesizing (more fossil fuels), and costs and energies (more fossil fuels) expended increases.
- There will be a lifespan for a note comprised of plastic - it will have to be yanked from circulation at some point. Don't know specifically about Canada, in the U.S. most shredded paper currency ends up in landfills. Plastics don't decompose in landfills.
More info about plastics: http://www.mindfully.org/Plastic/Ho...ics-Made.htmhttp://www.ecologycenter.org/ptf/mi...eptions.htmlU.S. Fed - Destruction & Processing: http://www.federalreserve.gov/gener...q/faqcur.htmhttp://www.newyorkfed.org/aboutthef...t/fed11.html |
|
Moderator
Australia
16809 Posts |
Quote:
There will be a lifespan for a note comprised of plastic - it will have to be yanked from circulation at some point. Don't know specifically about Canada, in the U.S. most shredded paper currency ends up in landfills. Plastics don't decompose in landfills. All withdrawn Australian polymer notes are recycled into other plastic products, such as fence posts, plumbing pipes, etc. Reserve Bank of Australia recycling page. I'm sure the Canadian government is capable of arranging something similar. Quote:
Wonder what the melting point will be. If your in a hot climate and place a wallet down in the Sun, will you end up with a pile of plastic? The polymers used are thermosetting plastics, not thermoplastics, so they won't melt when heated - even the hot Australian sun won't do anything to banknote polymer short-term, though prolonged exposure to UV light will make it brittle and more liable to crack and crumble. However, don't put polymer notes in the oven or microwave - they won't melt, but they'll shrivel up like one of those 1970s "shrinkie" craft kits until they're a quarter of their original size. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
|
|
Valued Member
Australia
155 Posts |
I might shrink a 20 and see how many shops reject it before I take it to the bank.  |
|
Pillar of the Community
Canada
1082 Posts |
I wonder if this will mean a change in design as well, or whether they will just modify the current one. Still, it has been 10 years since the $10 (which was the first in the series) showed up, and the Bank of Canada seems to like changing designs every 10 years or so, on the average...
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
Quote:
A bit of a tangent... didn't mean to stir up the pot... All I'll say is this w/ respect to currency & plastics... (and btw, for the record, I'm no enviro-nut):
It's a common misconception that all plastic is 100% recycleable.
Most plastics are made from petrochemicals (crude oil, coal, and natural gas)
Most jurisdictions are unable to recycle most of the plastics that are set in recycle bins. People have this rosy belief that if they set their plastics at the curb, it is magically recycled. It is not. In fact, most of it ends up in landfills, in the ocean, or overseas.
Odd statistics. From SEVERAL recycling companies in my area I was told that almost ALL platics are reused today for something or other. They are used for roads, bags, toys and on and on and on. But then what does a recycling company know. |
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
20753 Posts |
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Quote:
Less trees used, also. Don't forget that trees release oxygen. But they are NOT used to make paper money. That is mostly cotton and sometimes flax. |
| |
Replies: 17 / Views: 3,492 |
Posted 03/06/2010 3:00 pm
