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A global addiction to plastic is turning into an environmental disaster

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Re: A global addiction to plastic is turning into an environmental disaster

#21

Post by culi »

abdullahkhalids wrote: post #3

I have significantly reduced the use of plastic in the kitchen over the past few years. * Only metal or glass containers (sometimes with plastic lids) * But fresh vegetables/fruits (95% of these are not covered in plastic) and grains/spices from bulk barn (take your own glass containers and fill them up). * Meat and dairy comes in plastic wrap or bottles. But I am hoping to find a butcher who will let me take away th…

> But fresh vegetables/fruits (95% of these are not covered in plastic)

That's nice but most of the plastic waste probably happens before you even buy it. If you really wanna reduce your waste in this area you should try to stick to what's in season[0] and grows locally. Also grow your own greens. They're easy to grow and the amount of waste produced and energy consumed just to get these leaves to stay green by the time they get to a customer is pretty shocking

[0] https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/

Re: A global addiction to plastic is turning into an environmental disaster

#22

Post by woodruffw »

logimus wrote: post #19
woodruffw wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably depends on the product. My local butcher sells most things wrapped in paper, but sausages come in a plastic bag (I have no idea why).

Do you really think paper is more sustainable? In my place they burn the rubbish and paper even if recycled is more questionable.

I didn't state a position on that. I only said my butcher uses both.

Re: A global addiction to plastic is turning into an environmental disaster

#23

Post by aziaziazi »

TedDoesntTalk wrote: post #17
Johnny555 wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is another way... Take the cart to your car If you’re really concerned about your environmental impact, you’re probably not driving a car (which itself is made of hundreds of pounds of plastic). Much better to take transit, bike, or walk. My bike has a folding pannier basket that perfectly fits a reusable shopping bag.

Not an option for many people in the US when the nearest grocery store is too far and you need to shop for a family.

Totally an option when you choose a place to live.

“Hey I NEED that plane trip to visit my family 2000km from where I moved last year”

Re: A global addiction to plastic is turning into an environmental disaster

#24

Post by culi »

TedDoesntTalk wrote: post #4
abdullahkhalids wrote: post #3

I have significantly reduced the use of plastic in the kitchen over the past few years. * Only metal or glass containers (sometimes with plastic lids) * But fresh vegetables/fruits (95% of these are not covered in plastic) and grains/spices from bulk barn (take your own glass containers and fill them up). * Meat and dairy comes in plastic wrap or bottles. But I am hoping to find a butcher who will let me take away th…

> Have reusable bags for groceries that last many years There is another way. After you’ve paid for the items, put them back into the shopping cart. This is very easy at self checkout. Take the cart to your car and unload the items into one or more plastic bins (typically used to store stuff long-term and come with lids). Carry the bins into the kitchen when you arrive home and unload. I can fit all groceries into on…

Why don't you just bring your bags inside the store? Then you can put your groceries in your bags and don't need to worry about a cart

Re: A global addiction to plastic is turning into an environmental disaster

#25

Post by aziaziazi »

logimus wrote: post #19
woodruffw wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably depends on the product. My local butcher sells most things wrapped in paper, but sausages come in a plastic bag (I have no idea why).

Do you really think paper is more sustainable? In my place they burn the rubbish and paper even if recycled is more questionable.

Paper comes from trees that extract carbon from air. Trees have a lifecycle wayyyyyy shorter that oil so when you use paper you’re on a ~50y removable scale which is more human manageable that the oil one.

Re: A global addiction to plastic is turning into an environmental disaster

#26

Post by culi »

brocklobsta wrote: post #12

Plastic is just too good a material for too many use cases. On a side note, I had a shower thought the other day. Isn't plastic one form of carbon sequestration? It doesn't decompose easily and holds carbon in place. If plastic is land filed then it will remain out of the atmosphere. I know this is an overly simplistic view, but given plastic is a byproduct of oil refinement, I don't see too much to hate.

Look at East Palestine. Those chemicals are chemicals used to make a type of plastic.

PET is made of ethylene glycol and dimethyl terephthalate. Ethylene glycol in particular is known as a teratogen (a chemical which causes physical deformities).

In addition, there is a big difference in forever chemicals that are now geographically distributed throughout the world, especially the ocean seabeds, vs having it all in one place. And the environmental and health effects of certain microplastics are still being studied but research in mice and rats shows they accumulate in the liver and kidney and induce significant alterations in blood biomarkers for neurotoxins

Re: A global addiction to plastic is turning into an environmental disaster

#27

Post by midoridensha »

Johnny555 wrote: post #8
TedDoesntTalk wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Have reusable bags for groceries that last many years There is another way. After you’ve paid for the items, put them back into the shopping cart. This is very easy at self checkout. Take the cart to your car and unload the items into one or more plastic bins (typically used to store stuff long-term and come with lids). Carry the bins into the kitchen when you arrive home and unload. I can fit all groceries into on…

There is another way... Take the cart to your car If you’re really concerned about your environmental impact, you’re probably not driving a car (which itself is made of hundreds of pounds of plastic). Much better to take transit, bike, or walk. My bike has a folding pannier basket that perfectly fits a reusable shopping bag.

My bike has a non-folding rear basket that fits two full-size reusable shopping bags. :-)

Totally agreed on the car. Seems silly for someone to talk about small amounts of plastic when they're driving a gigantic gas-guzzling SUV and pouring tons of carbon into the atmosphere.

Re: A global addiction to plastic is turning into an environmental disaster

#28

Post by hammock »

Most plastic is not consumer but business use. As much as you think your veggies wrapped in plastic is bad, everything in the supply chain leading to your veggies was wrapped in plastic: the pallet they came on, every part that went into making the truck that shipped it (multiple times, as the truck in various states of manufacture made its way around several different geographically dispersed factories), the soil and fertilizer and pesticides that grew it, the hose that watered it, etc

Re: A global addiction to plastic is turning into an environmental disaster

#29

Post by petre »

TedDoesntTalk wrote: post #4
abdullahkhalids wrote: post #3

I have significantly reduced the use of plastic in the kitchen over the past few years. * Only metal or glass containers (sometimes with plastic lids) * But fresh vegetables/fruits (95% of these are not covered in plastic) and grains/spices from bulk barn (take your own glass containers and fill them up). * Meat and dairy comes in plastic wrap or bottles. But I am hoping to find a butcher who will let me take away th…

> Have reusable bags for groceries that last many years There is another way. After you’ve paid for the items, put them back into the shopping cart. This is very easy at self checkout. Take the cart to your car and unload the items into one or more plastic bins (typically used to store stuff long-term and come with lids). Carry the bins into the kitchen when you arrive home and unload. I can fit all groceries into on…

I've got two big reusable bags in my car for that purpose. They fold up and take very little space. If you're buying salad and leafy vegetables, a basket is even better. Next time i go to the farmer's market I'll definitely take the basket.

Re: A global addiction to plastic is turning into an environmental disaster

#30

Post by Scoundreller »

abdullahkhalids wrote: post #3

I have significantly reduced the use of plastic in the kitchen over the past few years. * Only metal or glass containers (sometimes with plastic lids) * But fresh vegetables/fruits (95% of these are not covered in plastic) and grains/spices from bulk barn (take your own glass containers and fill them up). * Meat and dairy comes in plastic wrap or bottles. But I am hoping to find a butcher who will let me take away th…

> * Have reusable bags for groceries that last many years.

I find that now I need to buy bags (in a box!!!) for trash. Bags that are much thicker than I need most of the time.

> Buy fresh vegetables/fruits (95% of these are not covered in plastic)

In France, supermarket customers have to self-weigh their vegetables/fruit purchases and only recently did stop making you put things like your weighed bananas in bags. Cashier used to always look at me funny when I just slapped the label on the banana peels.

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