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India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

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Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#41

Post by cdolan »

PaulHoule wrote: post #18
andrewstuart wrote: post #4

The dumping of "recycling" onto other countries just goes to show what a lie recycling actually is. It's not recycling, it's just garbage, but the word recycling makes us feel good about sending it to some other country to be dumped. With India and China refusing it, look to the "recycling" companies to make deals with countries that don't have the political will to say no to accepting the worlds plastic and paper ga…

Part of the problem is that markets for commodities are always volatile. That is, recycling plastic X might be very profitable in 2015 and not at all be profitable in 2019. It is the same problem that producers of oil, aluminum and everything else have from time to time. Prices go up and prices go down.

People in the commodities business are used to this, it’s not as big a problem as you’d think.

The bigger factor that makes recycling harder to justify is that it’s very easy and cheap to make new stuff.

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#42

Post by WheelsAtLarge »

itissid wrote: post #35

I have seen a few biodegradable things used for takeout like in chipotle. Can someone tell me why those are not more popular in at least some processed food, e.g. my hummus.

The cost makes it hard to use biodegradables. They are way more expensive so companies won't buy them if they don't have to. Industries like fast food restaurants survive on a very tight profit margin so a few cents makes a difference. Also, if they aren't properly handled so they can decompose they are just as bad since they won't break down.

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#43

Post by cobookman »

NullPrefix wrote: post #22
PaulHoule wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Part of the problem is that markets for commodities are always volatile. That is, recycling plastic X might be very profitable in 2015 and not at all be profitable in 2019. It is the same problem that producers of oil, aluminum and everything else have from time to time. Prices go up and prices go down.

Subsidies would help with that.

+1 us gov Does this for agriculture. Ensuring that farmers have a price floor by purchasing surplus

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#44

Post by maxxxxx »

frankbreetz wrote: post #39
NeedMoreTea wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Before the neoliberal revolution globally, and the Thatcher+Reagan dogma, there was an awful lot that was not about profit that did not require a communist state. Things were done "for the good of the nation/town", or just because it was thought good to do. The NHS was not about profit. Flowers outside the town hall were not about profit. Nor were youth clubs, libraries, parks or a free town swimming pool. It is the…

I agree with you completely. Imagine if Libraries didn't already exist and the US Government tried to implement a Public Library. Fox New would have a field day.

Good point. Or think about the Interstate system. No way the country could so such a thing today.

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#45

Post by maxxxxx »

WheelsAtLarge wrote: post #42
itissid wrote: post #35

I have seen a few biodegradable things used for takeout like in chipotle. Can someone tell me why those are not more popular in at least some processed food, e.g. my hummus.

The cost makes it hard to use biodegradables. They are way more expensive so companies won't buy them if they don't have to. Industries like fast food restaurants survive on a very tight profit margin so a few cents makes a difference. Also, if they aren't properly handled so they can decompose they are just as bad since they won't break down.

If they were forced to use biodegradable everybody would have to raise prices by a few cents and nobody would notice.

I agree with the concern about not being handled properly. How many biodegradable really end up in a compost pile>

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#46

Post by ip26 »

nothrabannosir wrote: post #15
andrewstuart wrote: post #4

The dumping of "recycling" onto other countries just goes to show what a lie recycling actually is. It's not recycling, it's just garbage, but the word recycling makes us feel good about sending it to some other country to be dumped. With India and China refusing it, look to the "recycling" companies to make deals with countries that don't have the political will to say no to accepting the worlds plastic and paper ga…

> It's all about the packaging industry and profit. Everything is about profit. The invention of the assembly line was about profit. Toothpaste is about profit. YC companies are about profit. It’s how our society works, and it’s not enough to just claim it’s about profit and call it a day. Good things are also about profit. What makes this bad? The lack of pricing in negative externalities. That is the root of all ca…

The lack of pricing in negative externalities. That is the root of all capitalist evil.

I have come to a similar conclusion; the funny part is I have observed the most ardent supporters of capitalism and the free market generally seem to plug their ears and go "lalalala" the moment I utter the word "externality"

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#48

Post by Tade0 »

godzillabrennus wrote: post #11
andrewstuart wrote: post #4

The dumping of "recycling" onto other countries just goes to show what a lie recycling actually is. It's not recycling, it's just garbage, but the word recycling makes us feel good about sending it to some other country to be dumped. With India and China refusing it, look to the "recycling" companies to make deals with countries that don't have the political will to say no to accepting the worlds plastic and paper ga…

Maybe Russia needs a new industry? Is there any other nation (North Korea aside) that would let foreigners ship trash to be dumped on their land?

Yes, my country - Poland, and what happens is this:

1. Some other country exports its trash to Poland.

2. The trash is stored at a specific place and not a few days go by until an "accidental" fire erupts.

3. The "entrepreneurs" who originally took the trash profit not only from that, but any potential insurance claim.

4. Rinse and repeat.

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#49

Post by quakeguy »

andrewstuart wrote: post #4

The dumping of "recycling" onto other countries just goes to show what a lie recycling actually is. It's not recycling, it's just garbage, but the word recycling makes us feel good about sending it to some other country to be dumped. With India and China refusing it, look to the "recycling" companies to make deals with countries that don't have the political will to say no to accepting the worlds plastic and paper ga…

You are absolutly right. To others seeing this comment, i‘d recommend you watch the Documentary named „Plastic China“. It is on YT, but you support the makers here:

https://www.plasticchina.org

We need to stop plastic polluttion now, or im afraid the earths ecosystem will collapse sooner or later.

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#50

Post by TheSpiceIsLife »

cdolan wrote: post #37
andrewstuart wrote: post #4

The dumping of "recycling" onto other countries just goes to show what a lie recycling actually is. It's not recycling, it's just garbage, but the word recycling makes us feel good about sending it to some other country to be dumped. With India and China refusing it, look to the "recycling" companies to make deals with countries that don't have the political will to say no to accepting the worlds plastic and paper ga…

There is a powerful (sub?)culture in the business world based upon proclaiming your company is sustainable. LEED is actually part of the problem in a way. The metrics are based on unimportant factors like “diversion” (meaning it was dumped in a foreign country as “recycling” rather than safely burned or land filled), and the measurements are almost All estimates. It will be a long road to change a culture that demand…

What does safely burned in the context of plastic packaging mean?
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