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New plant-based plastics can be chemically recycled with near-perfect efficiency

academictimes.com

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Re: New plant-based plastics can be chemically recycled with near-perfect efficiency

#151

Post by Alkhwarizmi »

DenisM wrote: post #136
jvanderbot wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe plastic recycling is not motivated by oil use primarily. I believe it is motivated by trash accumulation in oceans and the food chain (microplastics). There are a ton of areas of the world where plastic just piles up.

The countries which are the most preoccupied with recycling plastics, such as the US, are also the least likely to throw they trash into the ocean. Plastic bags do no harm buried in the landfill, and we’re not running out of land.

You seem extremely confused if you genuinely think buried trash in landfill does no harm. Please go and educate your self on the consequences of PLASTIC landfills.

Re: New plant-based plastics can be chemically recycled with near-perfect efficiency

#152

Post by donavanm »

malloryerik wrote: post #116
jvanderbot wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe plastic recycling is not motivated by oil use primarily. I believe it is motivated by trash accumulation in oceans and the food chain (microplastics). There are a ton of areas of the world where plastic just piles up.

What about biodegradable plastics? If regular plastics were made illegal or heavily taxed, wouldn't industry quickly come up with biodegradable alternatives?

Current biodegradable plastics are an industry smokescreen. The biodegradable portion is generally plant starch used as a binder. The “plastic” is just that, a very stable long lived micro/nano plastic. The big chunks break down, and the plastics continue to move through the environment and bioaccumulate.

The work towards truly biodegrade plastic is generally from the other end; identifying or making organisms that can break down the polymers themselves. Those don’t seem to be commercially viable, and in themselves won’t address environmental plastic pollution.

Re: New plant-based plastics can be chemically recycled with near-perfect efficiency

#153

Post by mnouquet »

da_big_ghey wrote: post #145
mnouquet wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> If government say you have only one child you hav xr15 rifle not help What are they gonna do, line me up and execute me and my family ? Kill my children ? Fortunately, Rights are still a thing, including the 2nd.

This is not in need. Fining confiscateing properties limiting from some good jobs all good consicuences. You have politician come to senses but slowly, you have democrat party finaly beat sense into your head on guns, sicund amendment be finaly rimoved. US no simply dictate to rest of world any more. If US continue cause climate change PRC enforce by army. US no more have army hegemony, have less man than PRC and bad…

We will meet on the battlefield in the looming civil war, then.

Re: New plant-based plastics can be chemically recycled with near-perfect efficiency

#154

Post by DenisM »

ehnto wrote: post #139
DenisM wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We’re not running out of land tho.

That's not correct, plenty of countries don't have space for landfill and instead burn off trash in incinerators.

Let’s talk about the US then. Do you agree we’re not running out of land? If so, what is the point of recycling?

Re: New plant-based plastics can be chemically recycled with near-perfect efficiency

#155

Post by sep_field »

specialist wrote: post #25
orev wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There definitely is a way to deal with this in economics: taxes. If you tax the companies making the plastics, the price will go up, and they have an incentive to do things differently. Taxes are a crucial pillar of even a purely capitalist society, it’s just that they are not easy to implement politically.

I read u/AtlasBarfed's point being that we don't have a proper way to put a price on the externalities. To your point, onerously high taxes could largely remove plastics from the waste stream, mooting the need to determine the cost. I'd like to go even further. Incentives and prizes and grants and whatever-it-takes to find alternatives. eg Bulk pills in plant-based baggies, instead of monthly oversized labeled bottle…

The onerously high taxes could help pay for the incentives, prizes, and grants.

Re: New plant-based plastics can be chemically recycled with near-perfect efficiency

#156

Post by sep_field »

TeamXe wrote: post #33
orev wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s not really a benefit if the original carbon came from oil, because the carbon that was originally deep underground is now at the surface. If anything it’s only neutral, however the carbon emitted during oil extraction and the manufacturing process still results in a net negative. Landfill isn’t the worst option, but it’s still better to try to avoid the manufacturing of it to begin with.

REDUCE, Reuse, Recycle. People forget (or never realized) the order was intentional.

Agreed. An even better formulation is REFUSE, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Re: New plant-based plastics can be chemically recycled with near-perfect efficiency

#157

Post by john_moscow »

ArkanExplorer wrote: post #7

Plastic recycling seems heavily motivated by emotion and virtue signaling. In reality, only about 5% of our crude oil use goes towards plastic. If we rolled out EVs, and then just burned all the plastic trash (using waste-to-energy plants), we would still be far ahead. The biggest challenges with plastics are hormone disruption, and microplastics (particularly in the 3rd world without sufficient landfill or W2E infra…

EVs still heavily depend on non-recyclable batteries. A much better option would be to get biodiesel to a practical state. So whatever carbon your car releases will get trapped back into another portion of fuel.

Re: New plant-based plastics can be chemically recycled with near-perfect efficiency

#158

Post by objektif »

DenisM wrote: post #154
ehnto wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not correct, plenty of countries don't have space for landfill and instead burn off trash in incinerators.

Let’s talk about the US then. Do you agree we’re not running out of land? If so, what is the point of recycling?

What is your point? If we are not running out of land should we start dumping plastic all over the place?

Re: New plant-based plastics can be chemically recycled with near-perfect efficiency

#159

Post by srswtf123 »

specialist wrote: post #27
ratsmack wrote: post #12

>plant-based What they're based from isn't the problem, it's chemicals added to the base, such as chlorine compounds, that is the problem.

Please say more. My efforts to buy least processed cotton and wood pulp products have been largely unsuccessful. I don't need my toilet paper or t-shirts to be white.

I suggest using a bidet/washlet, and a dry towel. Toilet paper isn’t truly necessary - to me.

As a particularly hirsute gentleman, I find it both cleaner and more comfortable. YMMV.

Re: New plant-based plastics can be chemically recycled with near-perfect efficiency

#160

Post by ehnto »

DenisM wrote: post #154
ehnto wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's not correct, plenty of countries don't have space for landfill and instead burn off trash in incinerators.

Let’s talk about the US then. Do you agree we’re not running out of land? If so, what is the point of recycling?

Presumably you hope the US has a long and prosperous future beyond our generation, so it's a problem that will need to be solved at some point. The US consumes 70 million plastic water bottles a day, just disposable water bottles. Consider all other plastic waste, and consider that just because there is uninhabited land doesn't mean you can economically put rubbish in it.

I must admit I am surprised that anyone needs to justify the merits of recycling, so I'm curious what your outlook is. What makes you question the need for recycling?

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