‘Vegan spider silk’ provides sustainable alternative to single-use plastics
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Re: ‘Vegan spider silk’ provides sustainable alternative to single-use plastics
#2Something I don't fully understand is why single-use plastics are still in use. Every once in a while, a replacement is advertised, but still not used.
The reasons I can think of are:
1. cost - this could be an very simple reason;
2. conflictual requirement - the supposition that chemical indestructibility is what makes plastic at the same time necessary but problematic.
Is there any other factor/complexity I'm missing?
Re: ‘Vegan spider silk’ provides sustainable alternative to single-use plastics
#3Something I don't fully understand is why single-use plastics are still in use. Every once in a while, a replacement is advertised, but still not used. The reasons I can think of are: 1. cost - this could be an very simple reason; 2. conflictual requirement - the supposition that chemical indestructibility is what makes plastic at the same time necessary but problematic. Is there any other factor/complexity I'm missi…
Because single use plastics are transformatively essentially for the entire modern way of life? Until we acknowledge that reality any solution will only sound hypocritical and be ineffective in the end.
The only real solution I see for plastic waste is just to incinerate it and try to build carbon capture plants to undo that fire.
Re: ‘Vegan spider silk’ provides sustainable alternative to single-use plastics
#4Something I don't fully understand is why single-use plastics are still in use. Every once in a while, a replacement is advertised, but still not used. The reasons I can think of are: 1. cost - this could be an very simple reason; 2. conflictual requirement - the supposition that chemical indestructibility is what makes plastic at the same time necessary but problematic. Is there any other factor/complexity I'm missi…
We already have multiple bioplastics better than PLA, which are not so expensive.
Cellophane for example is "only" few times more expensive than PE (which is borderline free,) but that's more than enough to sway the industry.
Re: ‘Vegan spider silk’ provides sustainable alternative to single-use plastics
#5Something I don't fully understand is why single-use plastics are still in use. Every once in a while, a replacement is advertised, but still not used. The reasons I can think of are: 1. cost - this could be an very simple reason; 2. conflictual requirement - the supposition that chemical indestructibility is what makes plastic at the same time necessary but problematic. Is there any other factor/complexity I'm missi…
> Something I don't fully understand is why single-use plastics are still in use.
Because it's not so simple to replace them in the supply chain, taking everything into account.
I am also not convinced that there really are better alternatives in term of pollution in all cases. I think analysing the pros and cons fully in the complete chain (e.g. from mining to disposal of waste) is also complex.
For instance: Is a thin and light plastic used once and incinerated in a state of the art facility (that might produce heat/electricity in the process) necessarily worse than re-useable glass that is much heavier, may require more energy to produce, and require energy and resources (including water) to re-use? (I take this example because there seems to be a revival of glass bottles and containers as a green alternative to plastic) I don't think this is a simple question and it touches on many things including how energy is produced, whether plastic is produced from fossil fuels or not, etc.
Moreover, do we necessarily need an alternative to single-use plastics, or would different plastics (fully compostable, sustainably sourced, etc) fit the bill?
It seems to me that "let's ban all single-use plastics" is a simplistic approach in a world that likes simplistic "solutions".
Re: ‘Vegan spider silk’ provides sustainable alternative to single-use plastics
#6Something I don't fully understand is why single-use plastics are still in use. Every once in a while, a replacement is advertised, but still not used. The reasons I can think of are: 1. cost - this could be an very simple reason; 2. conflictual requirement - the supposition that chemical indestructibility is what makes plastic at the same time necessary but problematic. Is there any other factor/complexity I'm missi…
3. Business Incentive.
It's very simple. If I'm the owner a plastic factory not only will I fight any product that can potentially replace the product I make, but I will delude myself and pay to delude others into thinking the replacement product is inferior.
No system is perfect and one of the negative side effects of capitalism is that short term individual interests often overpower long term collective interests.
Re: ‘Vegan spider silk’ provides sustainable alternative to single-use plastics
#7Something I don't fully understand is why single-use plastics are still in use. Every once in a while, a replacement is advertised, but still not used. The reasons I can think of are: 1. cost - this could be an very simple reason; 2. conflictual requirement - the supposition that chemical indestructibility is what makes plastic at the same time necessary but problematic. Is there any other factor/complexity I'm missi…
Because single use plastics are transformatively essentially for the entire modern way of life? Until we acknowledge that reality any solution will only sound hypocritical and be ineffective in the end. The only real solution I see for plastic waste is just to incinerate it and try to build carbon capture plants to undo that fire.
>The only real solution I see for plastic waste is just to incinerate it and try to build carbon capture plants to undo that fire.
I am cool with incinerating and carbon capturing if the Petro-chemical manufacturers pay for it directly or indirectly. The Coca-Cola, Nestle, Procter & Gambles, Unilever etc. need to own up to their sustainability talk.
The externalization of the health and environmental plastic costs needs to stop.
Re: ‘Vegan spider silk’ provides sustainable alternative to single-use plastics
#8Something I don't fully understand is why single-use plastics are still in use. Every once in a while, a replacement is advertised, but still not used. The reasons I can think of are: 1. cost - this could be an very simple reason; 2. conflictual requirement - the supposition that chemical indestructibility is what makes plastic at the same time necessary but problematic. Is there any other factor/complexity I'm missi…
Because single use plastics are transformatively essentially for the entire modern way of life? Until we acknowledge that reality any solution will only sound hypocritical and be ineffective in the end. The only real solution I see for plastic waste is just to incinerate it and try to build carbon capture plants to undo that fire.
> The only real solution I see for plastic waste is just to incinerate it and try to build carbon capture plants to undo that fire.
IF you can capture it in the first place. Litter is a huge problem, and it wouldn't be if the stuff just rotted naturally. Well, it'd still be a problem, but less of an ecological disaster.
Re: ‘Vegan spider silk’ provides sustainable alternative to single-use plastics
#9Something I don't fully understand is why single-use plastics are still in use. Every once in a while, a replacement is advertised, but still not used. The reasons I can think of are: 1. cost - this could be an very simple reason; 2. conflictual requirement - the supposition that chemical indestructibility is what makes plastic at the same time necessary but problematic. Is there any other factor/complexity I'm missi…
Because single use plastics are transformatively essentially for the entire modern way of life? Until we acknowledge that reality any solution will only sound hypocritical and be ineffective in the end. The only real solution I see for plastic waste is just to incinerate it and try to build carbon capture plants to undo that fire.
There is no need to burn when you can pyrolyze.
I see steam pyrolysis followed by land filling to be the recycling method of last resort. It can recover at least few hundred gallons of oil for every ton of plastic.
This method was recently endorsed by Sir Attenborough: https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidrvetter/2021/03/25/sir-dav...
Re: ‘Vegan spider silk’ provides sustainable alternative to single-use plastics
#10Something I don't fully understand is why single-use plastics are still in use. Every once in a while, a replacement is advertised, but still not used. The reasons I can think of are: 1. cost - this could be an very simple reason; 2. conflictual requirement - the supposition that chemical indestructibility is what makes plastic at the same time necessary but problematic. Is there any other factor/complexity I'm missi…
Here in the NL, plastic bags are an extra charge (at least where I shop), it costs just a tiny bit extra to get nice reusable ones or bring your own - you can return most other single use plastics — like bottled water — and get your money back.
This alleviates #1 above, but I don’t think it would ever fly in the US. Here, grocery shopping is almost a daily experience in the city. You can’t walk 10 minutes without passing within shouting distance of a grocery store of some kind. You buy what you can carry or load on your bike. Bulk purchases get delivered.
In the US, I went shopping about once a week and loaded up on a trunk load of groceries at a time.
I don’t know if this is a product of many tiny stores, making it easy to walk/bike to a store; or a cultural one. But charging (and refunding on return) for these things would be a big step in stopping the use of them.