Replace with glass and aluminum, with what's left over burn it. That way it has no way of creating any other problems in the future. If you are efficient with burning it you could even capture the greenhouse gasses produced as a result and sequester those.
Asian countries take a stand against the rich world’s plastic waste
31–40 of 228 posts
Re: Asian countries take a stand against the rich world’s plastic waste
#32Earlier quoted context omitted.
As someone who rides a bicycle and hikes, glass bottles are the bane of my existence.
Get reusable plastic ones and decant then.
Edit: though I do dislike the idea of biking with glass bottles, especially in a backpack. A plastic container absorbs impact and can make falls safer. Not so much for a glass container.
Re: Asian countries take a stand against the rich world’s plastic waste
#33The first time I really started thinking about this was years ago after watching the recycling episode of "Penn & Teller: Bullshit" where they essentially warn that many recycling programs consist of shipping our waste elsewhere for someone else to deal with and that some day the countries we send our "recycling"/waste to will likely get sick of it and start rejecting it and we'll be fucked. That was almost 10 years…
Especially when ships and containers are going that way empty anyway.
Re: Asian countries take a stand against the rich world’s plastic waste
#34Earlier quoted context omitted.
People often mention hygiene and complicated logistics as the reason disposable plastic packaging was adopted. I think as with lots of other examples through history, it is hard to know beforehand the negativities of an application of technology.
Hygiene? You can safely clean glassware with the most aggressive of chemicals, then maybe run it through an autoclave for extra safety. Funny that people complain about glassware hygiene while chugging phtalate-infused beverages from plastic bottles.
Re: Asian countries take a stand against the rich world’s plastic waste
#35Why can't the US develop domestic waste-processing capabilities? We could be generating power from incineration plants.
It’s not like the US is going to run out of land for landfills.
Re: Asian countries take a stand against the rich world’s plastic waste
#36From what I understand, shipping containers are sent out from Asia stuffed with goods, but there isn't nearly as much going in the other direction. The containers need to go back whether they're full or not, which is why it ends up being so cheap to ship plastic. And the CO2 caused doesn't really change as a result. To the rest of your point though, I agree. My wife is a hardline recycler. I generally am too, but I h…
Re: Asian countries take a stand against the rich world’s plastic waste
#37Why can't the US develop domestic waste-processing capabilities? We could be generating power from incineration plants.
Pollution control standards make incineration expensive. It’s not like the US is going to run out of land for landfills.
Re: Asian countries take a stand against the rich world’s plastic waste
#38Earlier quoted context omitted.
Pollution control standards make incineration expensive. It’s not like the US is going to run out of land for landfills.
Yes but can't you have a closed system that compacts the exhaust into solid matter?
Re: Asian countries take a stand against the rich world’s plastic waste
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
Hygiene? You can safely clean glassware with the most aggressive of chemicals, then maybe run it through an autoclave for extra safety. Funny that people complain about glassware hygiene while chugging phtalate-infused beverages from plastic bottles.
Most "aggressive of chemicals" doesn´t sound too good...
Meanwhile, plastic containers are easily damaged by heat or UV light, and contaminate their contents.
Re: Asian countries take a stand against the rich world’s plastic waste
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
Hygiene? You can safely clean glassware with the most aggressive of chemicals, then maybe run it through an autoclave for extra safety. Funny that people complain about glassware hygiene while chugging phtalate-infused beverages from plastic bottles.
Most "aggressive of chemicals" doesn´t sound too good...