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Stomach of Dead Whale Contained 'Nothing but Nonstop Plastic'

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Re: Stomach of Dead Whale Contained 'Nothing but Nonstop Plastic'

#31

Post by EGreg »

RileyJames wrote: post #21
hbarka wrote: post #7

Why hasn’t Amazon, Costco, or Walmart used their clout to effect a positive change? Have you seen all the plastic and unnecessary packaging in the goods they sell. The size of the packaging relative to the actual product is so ridiculous sometimes.

I was in Walmart last night and they had no bags. I asked, “have you stopped providing bags now?” Fully expecting the answer to be yes, BYO only now. “No, we’ve run out of the paper bags. We’re switching to plastic bags tomorrow” Seriously? Wow.

Stores should provide non plastic bags and give you a large discount for returning/reusing them.

Re: Stomach of Dead Whale Contained 'Nothing but Nonstop Plastic'

#32

Post by chrisco255 »

EGreg wrote: post #25
jl2718 wrote: post #4

Third grade me believed that my recycling got recycled. But it didn’t. We paid extra taxes for corrupt deals to get it dumped in the ocean. That was my plastic that killed the whale. Why did they lie to me? I did always wonder where all the recycling plants were. Would it really have been worse if we had put it in the landfill?

Government propped up fossil fuels and held back electric cars since 1910. We could have had CHOICE in how our energy is generated. Why in all this time haven’t some alternatives to non-biodegradable plastic emerged?

It's called glass. We used to bottle everything with it.

Re: Stomach of Dead Whale Contained 'Nothing but Nonstop Plastic'

#33

Post by kirkules »

A2017U1 wrote: post #18
Ultramanoid wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As already mentioned, many Western countries ( and others, like Japan ) shipped their plastic waste to China, until recently China refused to take it in anymore.

So you are claiming China paid money for recycling waste and then threw it straight in the ocean? Seems incredibly implausible.

I think the claim is rather that China got paid for taking recycling waste and then did that.

Re: Stomach of Dead Whale Contained 'Nothing but Nonstop Plastic'

#34

Post by chrisco255 »

Ultramanoid wrote: post #17
hbarka wrote: post #7

Why hasn’t Amazon, Costco, or Walmart used their clout to effect a positive change? Have you seen all the plastic and unnecessary packaging in the goods they sell. The size of the packaging relative to the actual product is so ridiculous sometimes.

I routinely reply on Amazon's feedback that packaging was clearly excessive whenever I am given the change to do so. To receive a micro SD card in (1) a plastic container, inside a (2) cardboard container, inside an (3) A4 Amazon cardboard envelope is bordering criminal.

Cardboard is perfectly biodegradable to be fair.

Re: Stomach of Dead Whale Contained 'Nothing but Nonstop Plastic'

#35

Post by cageface »

These stories rarely mention this for some reason but the bulk of the plastic junk in the ocean is discarded fishing nets, not consumer waste. Reducing the plastic waste you personally generate is still a good idea, of course, but if you really want to have an impact then stop eating fish.

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/ocean-plastic-made-disca...

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/great-pacific-ga...

Re: Stomach of Dead Whale Contained 'Nothing but Nonstop Plastic'

#36

Post by nhebb »

eecc wrote: post #3

Just like Climate Change, oceanic plastic pollution is a case of Tragedy of the commons. I can separate my waste and recycle as much as I want (and I do!) but it’s all useless if a random idiot proceeds to dump my weekly household recycling output into a river and call it a day. This is nothing that can be solved with personal initiative and responsibility; it requires international regulation and enforcement. There’…

Considering the current state of recycling, it may be better to just throw our plastics away instead of putting them in recycling bins. With China turning away our recycling, some cities have started burning them (according to recent headlines - I don't have a source). I would think that would be worse for our environment that putting them in landfills.

According to the study by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research [1], 90% of ocean waste comes from 10 rivers - 8 in Asia and 2 in Africa. I'm not sure if what we do in the U.S. and Europe will have much impact on the oceans.

[1] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/06/90-of-plastic-polluti...

Re: Stomach of Dead Whale Contained 'Nothing but Nonstop Plastic'

#37

Post by NeedMoreTea »

jstewartmobile wrote: post #20

It wasn't that long ago that we used wax paper, cardboard, tin foil, and glass--and it all worked well enough! And with the glass, you didn't even have to worry about getting man-boobs or low sperm count from pseudoestrogens. Nothing more expensive than something too cheap, and it looks like the kids will have to settle the final bill.

Not only that it was all pretty easy to recycle and often reused. None of the countless types of plastic, and composite materials that can't be currently recycled.

Re: Stomach of Dead Whale Contained 'Nothing but Nonstop Plastic'

#38

Post by Ultramanoid »

A2017U1 wrote: post #18
Ultramanoid wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As already mentioned, many Western countries ( and others, like Japan ) shipped their plastic waste to China, until recently China refused to take it in anymore.

So you are claiming China paid money for recycling waste and then threw it straight in the ocean? Seems incredibly implausible.

I am not saying such thing. Quite the opposite. First of all, China was paid to receive it. And I am pointing to the fact that the Western plastic waste problem ( to the point of the comment saying if you're in the West, whatever happens in China is not something to feel guilty about ), is not limited to the West, when for processing it is sent to Asia.

Re: Stomach of Dead Whale Contained 'Nothing but Nonstop Plastic'

#39

Post by avuton »

chrisco255 wrote: post #32
EGreg wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Government propped up fossil fuels and held back electric cars since 1910. We could have had CHOICE in how our energy is generated. Why in all this time haven’t some alternatives to non-biodegradable plastic emerged?

It's called glass. We used to bottle everything with it.

Don't know why you got downvoted. I've made a effort in my life to replace new plastics in my life with glass & metal when it makes sense.

Re: Stomach of Dead Whale Contained 'Nothing but Nonstop Plastic'

#40

Post by RileyJames »

EGreg wrote: post #31
RileyJames wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was in Walmart last night and they had no bags. I asked, “have you stopped providing bags now?” Fully expecting the answer to be yes, BYO only now. “No, we’ve run out of the paper bags. We’re switching to plastic bags tomorrow” Seriously? Wow.

Stores should provide non plastic bags and give you a large discount for returning/reusing them.

Agreed.

But their latest option is going to be “reusable plastic bags”, which means stronger plastic bags, containing more plastic, which many customers will still treat as disposable.

I’m confused as to how that’s a step forward.

How fucking hard is it to use the trolley to move your goods to your car, and then into your cupboard? You managed to collect all the goods and get them to the register without any bags...

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