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Just Bury Your Trash

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Re: Just Bury Your Trash

#161

Post by lanfeust6 »

smartmic wrote: post #51
duggan wrote: post #7

I don't remember energy use being the problem with plastic bags? It was plastic bags being absolutely everywhere in the environment. Streets, parks, trees. Wrapped around anything sticking out of the ground. On your face on a windy day. Pollution is the problem with plastic. Probably health, too, now that microplastics are being recognized as an issue.

> Streets, parks, trees You forgot the biggest and probably the most sensitive dump: the (deep) sea.

The article goes over this. Plastic in oceans is from east asian countries without a good municipal waste system, not from developed countries.

Re: Just Bury Your Trash

#162

Post by lanfeust6 »

xboxnolifes wrote: post #64
Symmetry wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But the pollution problem from plastic bags is solved equally well if we bury them or recycle them. Provided your municipality doesn't just dump trash in the nearest river which is an issue in some parts of the world. Since we can't get 100% compliance in rich countries and poor countries can't afford landfills that's a good reason to not use plastic. But it's not a good reason to have plastic recycling programs.

That doesn't solve the problem of people littering. Obviously if trash gets into the trash can it ends up at the landfill.

Littering is mostly cans, disposable cups and food-related containers; not bags straight from the grocery store.

Re: Just Bury Your Trash

#163

Post by lanfeust6 »

SamBorick wrote: post #58

"Instead of paying more to recycle, we could spend that money far more effectively on other environmental mitigation measures like carbon capture." Yeah, let's stop doing the fairly well established recycling programs that have knock on benefits like reducing pollution, and instead start scaling an entirely unproven and expensive mitigation program. These are some prominent Effect Altruism guys so I know "cause prior…

> benefits like reducing pollution

Not over burying the waste, as mentioned in the article. And, it has the added externality of using more energy... leading to more pollution.

Re: Just Bury Your Trash

#164

Post by lanfeust6 »

SamBorick wrote: post #58

"Instead of paying more to recycle, we could spend that money far more effectively on other environmental mitigation measures like carbon capture." Yeah, let's stop doing the fairly well established recycling programs that have knock on benefits like reducing pollution, and instead start scaling an entirely unproven and expensive mitigation program. These are some prominent Effect Altruism guys so I know "cause prior…

> These are some prominent Effect Altruism guys

https://www.chalmermagne.com/about

I don't see the link with Chalmers. I know Wiblin is.

Re: Just Bury Your Trash

#165

Post by Smoosh »

trencedamp wrote: post #153
zejn wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, as you can also reuse single use razors. But the main benefit of single use is reducing the chances of skin inflammation after using the razor. If using single-use razors, I'd recommend replacing just the blades, not the razor.

You can't replace the blades on a single use razor any more than you can replace the bristles on a toothbrush

Sorry to be that guy, but…

https://www.amazon.com.au/hello-Toothbrush-Replacement-Refil...

(And for the record, I think this is an absolutely stupid idea).

Re: Just Bury Your Trash

#166

Post by ZeroGravitas »

The emphasis on cotton tote bags seems weird. It's like the attacks on EVs that focus on cobalt or copper mining. You wonder if they realize that those materials are used for other things too. Or is their ire mysteriously specific in its targets?

Similar to the classic anti-recycling contrarian article in the 90s that argued that washing in warm water heated via coal generated electricity caused pollution. But didn't dwell on any ideas to remove coal from the wider electricity system, or introduce heat pumps, because that wasn't "contrarian".

You can cut the gordian knot in the current case by using a tote made of recycled cotton (and/or plastic).

Re: Just Bury Your Trash

#168

Post by card_zero »

duggan wrote: post #7

I don't remember energy use being the problem with plastic bags? It was plastic bags being absolutely everywhere in the environment. Streets, parks, trees. Wrapped around anything sticking out of the ground. On your face on a windy day. Pollution is the problem with plastic. Probably health, too, now that microplastics are being recognized as an issue.

I do. I remember arguing "you just want this requirement for aesthetic reasons, you're enforcing your aesthetic values", and getting told no, no, it's a way to fight climate change. There was also something about dolphins eating the single use bags.

Re: Just Bury Your Trash

#169

Post by elil17 »

yunwal wrote: post #67
elil17 wrote: post #44

Such a reductive title/framing. Yes, plastic recycling doesn't work very well. But that doesn't mean that getting rid of trash is simple/there aren't opportunities to reduce waste. Metal recycling, compost, glass bottle reuse, and proper management of landfills are all super important! Also: > In total, Britain’s Environment Agency calculated that a conventional cotton bag needed to be reused 173 times to beat plasti…

In New York City where disposable bag bans occurred I’m quite certain the average “reusable” bag gets used a single-digit number of times. Grocery stores charge 25c for a “reusable” bag in the case that you forgot to bring your own, and every household has a bag full of bags that never get used. Now they’ve re-allowed disposable paper bags, which seems sensible to me.

Surely the reusable bags that cost 25c also use a lot less resources to make than a cotton bag.

Also, I would argue that the paper bag is the worst of both worlds - more carbon emissions than a plastic bag but also unlikely to be reused.

Re: Just Bury Your Trash

#170

Post by card_zero »

whstl wrote: post #89
AlexandrB wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it's beyond many people. A typical pattern is that you forget your bag at home and end up buying another one. After this happens a few times you now have an excess of reusable bags such that you will never recoup the "173 times" on all of them.

One solution for this is reusable bags with a deposit that you can give back at the supermarket in exchange for cash. We have this at some supermarkets in Germany.

So, you forgot your bag, now you just can't have another. This solves the problem of you having any bags.
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