Something that the article reminded me of: Is gagging a cultural phenomenon? I've only seen gagging mentioned in the US. I've never heard anyone in my country mention gagging, and we don't have a word for it. If there's a very strong putrid smell, we don't make gagging sounds, we just hold our breaths. I wasn't even aware that someone can puke from a strong smell until I saw it on TV, and it seems psychosomatic to me.
My parents collect cans for a living
151–160 of 419 posts
Re: My parents collect cans for a living
#152Something that the article reminded me of: Is gagging a cultural phenomenon? I've only seen gagging mentioned in the US. I've never heard anyone in my country mention gagging, and we don't have a word for it. If there's a very strong putrid smell, we don't make gagging sounds, we just hold our breaths. I wasn't even aware that someone can puke from a strong smell until I saw it on TV, and it seems psychosomatic to me…
Hamlet holding the skull of Yorick says "my gorge rises at it"
Re: My parents collect cans for a living
#153Earlier quoted context omitted.
They would soon get used to it. People are hardly going to give up drinking sugary soft drinks because of high deposit values. They might be reluctant but if there is no other way to get that sugary hit they will do it and eventually it will be just how things are done.
You're right that they won't give up drinking soda! But the experience of Philadelphia, [1] which imposed a per-ounce soda tax (later repealed) shows us that these tend to drive consumers to other jurisdictions (NJ) to buy groceries. This means Philadelphia lost out not only on soda sales, but also on other groceries purchased at the same time. Another issue that arises is that people will actually transport recyclab…
Easy, just make it a federal standard
Re: My parents collect cans for a living
#154Earlier quoted context omitted.
It can never give you more than it cost — the redemption value gets added to the cost of the beverage. So a $1 bottle of Coke would cost $1.05 if the redemption value were 5¢ And it would cost $1.50 if the redemption value were 50¢. The reason the redemption value has not gone up much is that people would balk at paying so much for the goods upfront, IMO. Adding 20¢ per can would add nearly $5 to the cost of a 24-pac…
‘It is incredible what people can pay in tax if they just get used to it.’ — Erik Brofoss, former Norwegian minister of finance and director of the IMF.
It’s not a tax..
Re: My parents collect cans for a living
#155This is why I have always thought that can and bottle deposit prices should keep up with inflation: to give the collectors a living wage.
Precisely what we need is to make the deposit prices so high that the homeless will fight over them. Then we can record them and upload the videos to liveleak.
Oh...
Re: My parents collect cans for a living
#156Something that the article reminded me of: Is gagging a cultural phenomenon? I've only seen gagging mentioned in the US. I've never heard anyone in my country mention gagging, and we don't have a word for it. If there's a very strong putrid smell, we don't make gagging sounds, we just hold our breaths. I wasn't even aware that someone can puke from a strong smell until I saw it on TV, and it seems psychosomatic to me…
Hamlet holding the skull of Yorick says "my gorge rises at it"
Yeah, we say "my stomach turns" too, referring to vomiting. Doesn't mean he's gagging.
Re: My parents collect cans for a living
#157Earlier quoted context omitted.
Here in Norway a half litre or smaller container has a deposit of 2 kr, bigger containers are 3 kr (22 and 33 US cent respectively). But it isn't the size of the deposit that drives the return rate (95% or more here in Norway) it is the ease of doing it. Here all shops that sell such goods are required to accept the containers in return even if they were not purchased in that shop and even if they are of a different…
Same in Germany, there is also the "Pfand gehört daneben" (Deposit [bottles] belong next [to the trashcan]) campaign, often with bottle holder on the trash can. The whole deposit system is extremely convenient when you are drinking in the park or beach, where you usually don't want to bring all the bottles back again, but you'll get people coming by and ask if you have any deposit bottles to give to them.
Isn’t there a decline in deposit bottle usage in Germany?
When I was a kid beer was delivered to your house by the crate and empties picked up. I was led to believe this has become less common, which would be regrettable bc it was elegantly efficient.
Re: My parents collect cans for a living
#158Earlier quoted context omitted.
Ah yes the good old, being poor is a character flaw. There's plenty of evidence that being poor is primarily due to nothing else but lack of money. But the rich/middle class love to feel superior by saying people are poor because of bad financial decisions.
I'm not saying it's a character flaw. I'm saying they held onto a job that wasn't optimal based on their other available options. They could have been middle class had they chosen another job. Down right negligent honestly since they clearly had no healthcare that entire time. One illness could have thrown them on the street.
> They could have been middle class had they chosen another job.
What the effing f? So they "chose" to be poor?
Re: My parents collect cans for a living
#159Earlier quoted context omitted.
In Germany -at least the cities I'm familiar with- everyone places their cans and bottles next to the trash-can. German bottles often have "pfand gehört daneben" (Deposits belong next to it) printed on them[0]. And some cities even placed special holders alongside the trashcans[1]. Like with many things, Germans have made deposit collection into an efficient job. [0] https://kaiserkiwi.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/f…
The only issue is that glass bottles are too cheap and heavy. They should at least have a 25 cent deposit as well. Right now no homeless person picks those up, because it's just not worth it. Even with 25 cents there would still be a disincentive due to the weight, but I also don't want to incentivize bottle makers to produce more plastic, for them to lower the price at the counter.
It is 25 cent for glas, plastic bottles or cans in Germany.
Re: My parents collect cans for a living
#160Ever thought that these people are straight out of the holy books - have little themselves, struggle, and in the same time save the rest of the world by recycling what others would not…? We praise monks in monasteries, but forget to hail those who do the dirt.