Live data from Hacker News

A global addiction to plastic is turning into an environmental disaster

barrons.com

31–40 of 55 posts

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

#31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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”

At least we're doing all doing our part to make those seat pitches shorter and shorter.

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

#32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reducing your motion will reduce your need to consume. So true, I've been practicing slow shallow breaths to reduce carbon output. Staying totally still most of the day reduces some of the dizziness.

Laying down in a box (of course made of locally sourced wood) makes it very easy to stay still. Sometimes I still feel the urge to move so to prevent this a wooden cover is place and nailed to the top.

[deleted]

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

#33

I spent some time in SE Asia. Plastic consumption is rampant there, with styrofoam trays, plastic wrap, and plastic bags used for most items in stores. Street food vendors put their food in plastic. Straws and hard plastic cups are commonplace. Litter is common and waste management is nonexistent in many areas. One problem I’ve noticed there is the high volume of single-use plastic water bottles in use to deliver pot…

Also comes down to why the water is non-drinkable. Could it be filtered on-premises?

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

#34

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.

There are cargo bikes, but some places are very bike unfriendly and culture is very hard to change.

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

#35
Markets are efficient and fossil fuel companies are ruthless in making money. So obviously they will price their new plastics always cheaper than recycled.

Cost of recycled and new plastic can easily be inverted by just taxing new plastic until it’s twice as expensive as recycled. Recycled can be subsidized with new plastic taxes. Problem solved!

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

#36

Markets are efficient and fossil fuel companies are ruthless in making money. So obviously they will price their new plastics always cheaper than recycled. Cost of recycled and new plastic can easily be inverted by just taxing new plastic until it’s twice as expensive as recycled. Recycled can be subsidized with new plastic taxes. Problem solved!

Globally only 9% [1] of plastic waste is recycled, and there's a lot of reasons why. It can be dirty, contaminated, low-grade, or simply require more inputs than producing new plastic. The idea that plastic can be meaningfully recycled was an oil industry propaganda campaign to make people feel better about consuming it.

The only way to really make a dent here is to reduce consumption.

We do agree though that the externalities should be priced in and that is a good use of government.

[1] https://www.oecd.org/environment/plastic-pollution-is-growin...

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

#37

I spent some time in SE Asia. Plastic consumption is rampant there, with styrofoam trays, plastic wrap, and plastic bags used for most items in stores. Street food vendors put their food in plastic. Straws and hard plastic cups are commonplace. Litter is common and waste management is nonexistent in many areas. One problem I’ve noticed there is the high volume of single-use plastic water bottles in use to deliver pot…

Also comes down to why the water is non-drinkable. Could it be filtered on-premises?

And/or boiled beforehand?

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

#38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Take the cart to your car I think it would be better if you rode a bicycle or took a public transit, preferably train. unload the items into one or more plastic bins whoa there.. Not sure about those plastic bins. There is another way, unload them into handcrafted wood (sustainably sourced, of course), bins.

This is an unnecessary degree of sneering and disdain directed at someone sharing an an anecdote.

It's not unreasonable though. A small, reasonably efficient car uses the equivalent of 15 plastic bags of oil for every mile driven.

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

#39
post #28

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 an…

Farmers use enormous amounts of plastic to wrap animal feed or cover bunker silos.

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

#40
post #21

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 t…

Yes, we go to the farmer's market in the summer.

Unfortunately, can't grow anything where we live, besides herbs, which we do.

Post reply on HN