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Scientists find ‘plastic rocks’ on remote island
11–20 of 47 posts
Re: Scientists find ‘plastic rocks’ on remote island
#12Spicy take, but isn't this kind of a blessing in disguise? Plastic in this form wouldn't be disturbing the ecosystem as much. This is better than microplastics being found in fish or choking turtles.
Re: Scientists find ‘plastic rocks’ on remote island
#13The amount of plastic we use is sad. When I go to the grocery store, the apples are wrapped in plastic, broccoli wrapped in plastic, baked goods are in plastic, plastic everything. Why do they do this? I'm going to wash the produce when I get home, I don't need a plastic wrapper on my broccoli just to throw it out immediately and then was the vegetable anyway.
This is not done at every grocery store. It can preserve freshness and prevent some types of damage during shipping and handling (getting dirty, etc.)
Re: Scientists find ‘plastic rocks’ on remote island
#14The amount of plastic we use is sad. When I go to the grocery store, the apples are wrapped in plastic, broccoli wrapped in plastic, baked goods are in plastic, plastic everything. Why do they do this? I'm going to wash the produce when I get home, I don't need a plastic wrapper on my broccoli just to throw it out immediately and then was the vegetable anyway.
By now brocolli and fish are also wrapping plastic. Which themselves are wrapped in plastic.
Re: Scientists find ‘plastic rocks’ on remote island
#15The amount of plastic we use is sad. When I go to the grocery store, the apples are wrapped in plastic, broccoli wrapped in plastic, baked goods are in plastic, plastic everything. Why do they do this? I'm going to wash the produce when I get home, I don't need a plastic wrapper on my broccoli just to throw it out immediately and then was the vegetable anyway.
If there wasn't a wrapper I'd pack it in a little baggie to not have to deal with broccoli bits at the bottom of my backpack. Also washing won't get rid of everything and that way a sick cashier has a lower chance of smearing something onto the produce (especially relevant if I'm not going to cook it). But why do those wrappers and baggies and whatnot need to be non-biodegradable? This stuff needs to survive for a week or two at most, they should make it rot away afterwards.
Re: Scientists find ‘plastic rocks’ on remote island
#16The amount of plastic we use is sad. When I go to the grocery store, the apples are wrapped in plastic, broccoli wrapped in plastic, baked goods are in plastic, plastic everything. Why do they do this? I'm going to wash the produce when I get home, I don't need a plastic wrapper on my broccoli just to throw it out immediately and then was the vegetable anyway.
Plastic is cheap, durable, and water-resistant, that's really all there is to it. When individual items are all packaged like this you can cut corners in a lot of other places. Until there's an equally cheap equally effective alternative plastic will be used unless we regulate against it, it's simply too convenient.
>cheap
More like not properly priced.
Re: Scientists find ‘plastic rocks’ on remote island
#17Given enough time, nature will evolve towards a more plastic accepting genome. Hopefully it will be fast enough!
Trees did not decompose for millions of years and just piled up, since there were no fungi or bacteria that evolved to decompose wood. I'd rather not wait millions of years to see plastic decompose.
Re: Scientists find ‘plastic rocks’ on remote island
#18The amount of plastic we use is sad. When I go to the grocery store, the apples are wrapped in plastic, broccoli wrapped in plastic, baked goods are in plastic, plastic everything. Why do they do this? I'm going to wash the produce when I get home, I don't need a plastic wrapper on my broccoli just to throw it out immediately and then was the vegetable anyway.
This is not done at every grocery store. It can preserve freshness and prevent some types of damage during shipping and handling (getting dirty, etc.)
True not in every store, but at least in the UK I see it in most stores, for a large selection of produce.
I found an article stating that it actually increases food waste:
https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/ulstergrocer/ret...
Obviously I cannot verify these claims, but it seems like could be one of many easy wins to reduce our plastic consumption.
And getting dirty should be expected, these things come from the ground most of the time, that's why you wash your vegetables at home before eating them.
Re: Scientists find ‘plastic rocks’ on remote island
#19Spicy take, but isn't this kind of a blessing in disguise? Plastic in this form wouldn't be disturbing the ecosystem as much. This is better than microplastics being found in fish or choking turtles.
Just like rocks become sand, these will erode into microplastics
Re: Scientists find ‘plastic rocks’ on remote island
#20The amount of plastic we use is sad. When I go to the grocery store, the apples are wrapped in plastic, broccoli wrapped in plastic, baked goods are in plastic, plastic everything. Why do they do this? I'm going to wash the produce when I get home, I don't need a plastic wrapper on my broccoli just to throw it out immediately and then was the vegetable anyway.
If there wasn't a wrapper I'd pack it in a little baggie to not have to deal with broccoli bits at the bottom of my backpack. Also washing won't get rid of everything and that way a sick cashier has a lower chance of smearing something onto the produce (especially relevant if I'm not going to cook it). But why do those wrappers and baggies and whatnot need to be non-biodegradable? This stuff needs to survive for a we…
Is this something that a paper bag could solve for?