Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

thewire.in

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 206 posts

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#91

Post by torgian »

Nothing perturbs me more than the whole plastic problem we have.

China and India's plastic and garbage pollution is one thing, but Japan is the place that irks me the most when it comes to plastic use.

I bought bananas that were wrapped in plastic (go figure, right? ) And what did the cashier do? She wrapped it in more plastic! THEN she gave me a plastic bag to put it in!

That blew my mind. Like, why? Just _why_?

Go to any supermarket in Japan and you'll see fruit and vegetables wrapped in plastic for no good reason at all. It's one of the reasons I typically buy my produce from the local farmers instead of the market now.

I mean, why would you _individually_ _wrap_ oranges?

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#92

Post by TylerE »

Nasrudith wrote: post #33
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…

I wonder about garbage and recycling why we don't see more sorted stockpiles in a "junkyard" ethos for "might be worth something in the future when resource extraction vs new costs" change. My best guess is that the sorting is too expensive.

Not just sorting, but contamination.

Cardboard is recyclable.

A pizza box soaked with grease ins't, and can contaminate other potential recyclables as well.

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#93

Post by gotocake »

sagartewari01 wrote: post #89
gotocake wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe, or maybe it would be unprofitable.

I don't think it will be even fractionally unprofitable compared to billions of us dying. I just realized I'm making an argument for socialism. Anyone up for it?

People have to care about those people, and have to believe in that reality instead of a pleasing fantasy, and they have to believe it will happen soon enough to matter to them. It turns out that a lot of corporate execs either believe in a fantasy (tech will save us), don’t give a shit if they make their money (lovely fallout shelters in NZ), or even see opportunities in a few thousand megadeaths.

If you can sell cigarettes to kids...

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#94

Post by dforrestwilson »

torgian wrote: post #91

Nothing perturbs me more than the whole plastic problem we have. China and India's plastic and garbage pollution is one thing, but Japan is the place that irks me the most when it comes to plastic use. I bought bananas that were wrapped in plastic (go figure, right? ) And what did the cashier do? She wrapped it in more plastic! THEN she gave me a plastic bag to put it in! That blew my mind. Like, why? Just _why_? Go…

Yes it’s so odd! The cultural attitude is all about presentation, sometimes to the detriment of practicality.

Environment be damned and let’s get it out of sight once it is ugly.

If there was any country to lead a full on plastic bag ban you would think it would be Japan just given the heavy reliance on imports.

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#95

Post by Iv »

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…

I am skeptical of the idea that it is all about the profits of the packaging industry. All the revenues they make is from costs for other, more powerful, industries that would not mind cutting down on packaging costs.

In the end that is really just about giving the good incentives. India blocking waste imports is a good way. Countries blocking waste exports or forcing actual, effective and demonstrable recycling may be another.

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#96

Post by arvinsim »

djsumdog wrote: post #84
quakeguy wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I feel like the debate on human induced climate change is a red haring. It's so abstract, it basically invites conflict and CO2 is absolutely nothing compared to issues of mass consumption. There are huge floating patches of plastic waste our oceans, being swallowed by sea life, killing fish and making its way into our food supply. There are massive lakes of sludge in Chinese and South Pacific factory cities used to…

Essentially, we need a better system than capitalism.

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#97

Post by nonamechicken »

gzeus wrote: post #29

This is just funny for me. India already is one of the countries where you can see waste everywhere.

Depends on the area. Some areas are clean, some areas are filthy. The city I live in is successfully reducing the usage of plastic. They banned plastic bags that are at a certain thickness (the kind you get in grocery stores). Everyone uses paper/cloth bags and lot of times its reused. Now the government authorities are talking with restaurants to see how they can reduce plastic on take out food.

At home, they collect plastic waste once a week. We are expected to clean the plastic properly and dry it before handing them over. I was really surprised to see how much plastic waste we generate every week in our 2 people household. Seeing that has motivated me to reduce waste as much as possible.

They are also replacing all the city public transport buses with electric. They had some trial runs and electric buses made good amount of profit for them. So hoping to see an all electric fleet in another 5 years. Another major source of pollution is the 3 wheeler auto rickshaws (tuk tuk). News reports say they will also eventually become electric.

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#98

Post by immernerstheime »

14 wrote: post #78
quakeguy wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

That documentary saddened and disgusted me. I realized that recycling is nothing more then moving my garbage to another country where some of it is recycled at the cost of their health and environment. I realized it is actually better to just toss my stuff in the trash and at least it stays in my country. But this still bothers me. In the past every jar you would buy at the store would fit the same lids as the cannin…

there maybe something very easy to recycle some kind of plastic maybe PET maybe PP or whateve that maybe could be easy to produce and cheap to produce in a small plant like bricks for say Dog HOuses for example or to pile at the borders of gardens or something like this oreven to rplace bricks at some parts of a barn wall or even fences whateve anything kind of that size maybe roof tiles yeah...

The goal is to keep them at a sight at the same time not small parts and particles around and easy to take to some other recicling step if demand demands or whatever righ

and to keep it contained at same places not fucking around like garbage yeah with small plants for rough simple cheap shape of tile or roof or whatever Jars for water right BIg and THick Jars of water to have rain water or so for gardens yeah

thanks

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#99

Post by hguhghuff »

torgian wrote: post #91

Nothing perturbs me more than the whole plastic problem we have. China and India's plastic and garbage pollution is one thing, but Japan is the place that irks me the most when it comes to plastic use. I bought bananas that were wrapped in plastic (go figure, right? ) And what did the cashier do? She wrapped it in more plastic! THEN she gave me a plastic bag to put it in! That blew my mind. Like, why? Just _why_? Go…

Gotta love it when you go to the supermarket and the cashier “double bags” your plastic wrapped product.

Re: India Imposes Complete Ban on Solid Plastic Waste Imports

#100

Post by [deleted] »

arvinsim wrote: post #96
djsumdog wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like the debate on human induced climate change is a red haring. It's so abstract, it basically invites conflict and CO2 is absolutely nothing compared to issues of mass consumption. There are huge floating patches of plastic waste our oceans, being swallowed by sea life, killing fish and making its way into our food supply. There are massive lakes of sludge in Chinese and South Pacific factory cities used to…

Essentially, we need a better system than capitalism.

[deleted]
Post reply on HN