Coca-Cola most common source of packaging pollution on UK beaches: study • Hacker News Board

Re: Coca-Cola most common source of packaging pollution on UK beaches: study

#101

Post by AmericanChopper » Fri, May 17, 2019, 2:02 AM UTC

osrec wrote: post #100

AmericanChopper wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you wanted to talk about the costs of disposing of packaging, then there’s some valid points you could make. But to say producers are responsible for littering is insane. There’s nothing about Coca Cola as a company, or the way their products are packaged, or the way they sell them that would lead me to throw the packaging on the ground rather than in the trash can. Anybody that litters is wholly responsible for t…

People litter because it's convenient. Corporations ignore litter because it's convenient. The truth is everyone plays their part in this, but it is my opinion that those that produce waste must have a plan to deal with it. For example, Coke could offer to refill their drink bottles, but the truth is, if you're out and about and want another pint of coke, you need to buy another container with it, which ultimately wi…

>my opinion that those that produce waste must have a plan to deal with it.

Any plan to deal with waste is going to be entirely thwarted by people who choose to litter. The lifecycle of Coca Cola packaging could become 100% waste free, but litter would still be created any time somebody chooses the throw the packaging on the ground. People have an individual responsibility to not litter, and it really doesn’t have to do much with the discussion on sustainable packaging. If your starting premise to solving any problem is ‘people are 100% not responsible for their choices’, then you’re never going to solve anything.

Re: Coca-Cola most common source of packaging pollution on UK beaches: study

#102

Post by musgrove » Fri, May 17, 2019, 2:02 AM UTC

Technically, Coca-Cola consumers are the most common source of packaging pollution on UK beaches. That's a lot different than what the title states. Since Coca-cola is the largest seller of beverages in containers, it only is common sense that would be true. But hey, blame Coke. Let's blame the ocean for people drowning as well, or the local utilities for people being electrocuted or gravity for people falling to their death.

Re: Coca-Cola most common source of packaging pollution on UK beaches: study

#103

Post by musgrove » Fri, May 17, 2019, 2:07 AM UTC

SteveGerencser wrote: post #8

The survey found that 10 companies were responsible for more than half of the identifiably branded rubbish found on the UK’s beaches." But are they? Isn't this shifting the blame from the end user that improperly disposes of their trash to the company? Sure, they could do more to reduce packaging issues, but in the end, it is the consumer that is tossing these things out rather than recycling them.

Personal accountability is a concept that's nonexistent with activist groups. They're comprised of people who live to pass blame for consequences that are individual's faults onto faceless entities who can be demonized and hopefully sued, or have money extorted from in the name of a cause du jour.

Re: Coca-Cola most common source of packaging pollution on UK beaches: study

#104

Post by baroffoos » Fri, May 17, 2019, 2:15 AM UTC

siedes wrote: post #23

m3nu wrote: post #16

Just spent 2 weeks on Sabah, Borneo. Even the very remote beaches hours away from large human settlements are littered with plastic bottles and grocery bags. While diving you often see bags floating around. Both, on the surface and below. Ironically even the island hopping boat carried a tray of bottled water for anyone to take. Not sure what % of bottles gets left behind at the end of the day. Maybe a small deposit…

A small deposit is no incentive. Now if it were a significant amount like $.50-$1.00 per bottle you recycle, then you'd have people literally racing to get those bottles. Then just increase the price on the drinks itself by a bit to make up for that, which is also a disincentive to discourage a number of people from buying them in the first place.

Most of Australia has 10c deposits on plastic bottles. You virtually never see them laying around outside. Its fairly common to see homeless people walking around with bags full of bottles they found in public bins or on the street.

We also have a 10c charge on plastic bags at supermarkets and you rarely see those floating around anymore and people use them multiple times now.

Coffee cups and fast food boxes are all over the side of the street unfortunately.

Its amazing what a massive difference such a tiny fee can make.

Re: Coca-Cola most common source of packaging pollution on UK beaches: study

#105

Post by baroffoos » Fri, May 17, 2019, 2:17 AM UTC

ppseafield wrote: post #98

jerrysievert wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

oregon has 90% redemption rate[1] at 10 cents per bottle, so there is obviously some incentive. 1. https://www.opb.org/news/article/oregon-bottle-deposit-redem...

It's actually a problem at the moment. After the raise to $0.10 deposit, some people started hauling bottles over from Washington. The way the program is funded depends on less than 100% of bottles being returned. We need something national. And just bottles isn't going to cover it - single use plastic products are cheap enough, and companies have no incentive not to use them, so of course everyone else ends up deali…

Australia has it per state and they have the refund logo printed on the bottle label. Bringing bottles from another state will result in a fine if caught.

Re: Coca-Cola most common source of packaging pollution on UK beaches: study

#106

Post by jerrysievert » Fri, May 17, 2019, 2:25 AM UTC

pfranz wrote: post #87

jerrysievert wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

oregon has 90% redemption rate[1] at 10 cents per bottle, so there is obviously some incentive. 1. https://www.opb.org/news/article/oregon-bottle-deposit-redem...

I highly doubt the 10 cents per bottle is the exclusive reason--I wish that article talked more about it. The $0.10 could pay for the other reasons, but I think it's equally about infrastructure and culture as it is about cost. Culturally, people are only willing to put up with so much. There's a Penn and Teller BS clip where he has like 10 unique recycling bins and is explaining sorting to them. I've been to towns w…

> I highly doubt the 10 cents per bottle is the exclusive reason--I wish that article talked more about it. The $0.10 could pay for the other reasons, but I think it's equally about infrastructure and culture as it is about cost.

i believe you are correct. note my response to another poster about returning bottles and cans here in oregon.

Re: Coca-Cola most common source of packaging pollution on UK beaches: study

#107

Post by Pfhreak » Fri, May 17, 2019, 2:27 AM UTC

musgrove wrote: post #103

SteveGerencser wrote: post #8

The survey found that 10 companies were responsible for more than half of the identifiably branded rubbish found on the UK’s beaches." But are they? Isn't this shifting the blame from the end user that improperly disposes of their trash to the company? Sure, they could do more to reduce packaging issues, but in the end, it is the consumer that is tossing these things out rather than recycling them.

Personal accountability is a concept that's nonexistent with activist groups. They're comprised of people who live to pass blame for consequences that are individual's faults onto faceless entities who can be demonized and hopefully sued, or have money extorted from in the name of a cause du jour.

Or, perhaps, solve the problem at the source once rather than 7 billion times?

Re: Coca-Cola most common source of packaging pollution on UK beaches: study

#108

Post by Maxious » Fri, May 17, 2019, 2:36 AM UTC

baroffoos wrote: post #104

siedes wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A small deposit is no incentive. Now if it were a significant amount like $.50-$1.00 per bottle you recycle, then you'd have people literally racing to get those bottles. Then just increase the price on the drinks itself by a bit to make up for that, which is also a disincentive to discourage a number of people from buying them in the first place.

Most of Australia has 10c deposits on plastic bottles. You virtually never see them laying around outside. Its fairly common to see homeless people walking around with bags full of bottles they found in public bins or on the street. We also have a 10c charge on plastic bags at supermarkets and you rarely see those floating around anymore and people use them multiple times now. Coffee cups and fast food boxes are all…

Both those measures have almost halved overall street litter in NSW https://returnandearn.org.au/exc_news/a-billion-reasons-to-c...

Re: Coca-Cola most common source of packaging pollution on UK beaches: study

#109

Post by dev_dull » Fri, May 17, 2019, 2:42 AM UTC

I was a little surprised when traveling in India the first time and I got a soda. They expect you to wait and give them back the glass bottle once you’re done. This was at a local stand, of course there’s plastic bottles elsewhere.

At first it felt weird, but then I realized how much better it is for everyone and for the environment to reuse glass bottles. The bottles are washed and reused and even if they ended up in the ocean, we’ll, the world was none the worst for it.

It made me sad we moved away from this. I’d love to see glass used more often again for drinks.

Re: Coca-Cola most common source of packaging pollution on UK beaches: study

#110

Post by JauntyHatAngle » Fri, May 17, 2019, 2:49 AM UTC

siedes wrote: post #23

m3nu wrote: post #16

Just spent 2 weeks on Sabah, Borneo. Even the very remote beaches hours away from large human settlements are littered with plastic bottles and grocery bags. While diving you often see bags floating around. Both, on the surface and below. Ironically even the island hopping boat carried a tray of bottled water for anyone to take. Not sure what % of bottles gets left behind at the end of the day. Maybe a small deposit…

A small deposit is no incentive. Now if it were a significant amount like $.50-$1.00 per bottle you recycle, then you'd have people literally racing to get those bottles. Then just increase the price on the drinks itself by a bit to make up for that, which is also a disincentive to discourage a number of people from buying them in the first place.

From first hand experience, you're wrong.

I had a real littering problem around an area I used to live in, council installed a recycling station that people could bring bottles to for a cash reward (10c a bottle).

It worked. Not only did people stop throwing the bottles on the ground as much, we had people driving around the area trying to find discarded plastic bottles, and there was a noticeable improvement on the amount of discarded bottles around the area within months.

The only real problem was people rifling through recycling bins trying to make a buck.