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U.S. generates more plastic trash than any other nation, report finds (2020)

nationalgeographic.com

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Re: U.S. generates more plastic trash than any other nation, report finds (2020)

#141

Post by alkonaut »

INTPenis wrote: post #15

I believe it. But that doesn't mean we're innocent in the rest of the western world. One really cool improvement here in Sweden recently, besides "banning" plastic bags at supermarkets, was one store called ICA started selling their burger pattys in cardboard packaging. So the only plastic is a top foil that you peel off to open the package, the rest is cardboard. Pretty cool! That's one area where we're all guilty,…

I think for plastic it's important to note what the usage is. A plastic straw is much more likely than a meat package to end up in the wrong place. Because a meat pack is unpacked in a kitchen so probably 99.99% will end up in a garbage can. If just 1 straw of 100 ends up in a river that's much worse.

(This is assuming the problem with plastic is direct pollution and not CO2)

Re: U.S. generates more plastic trash than any other nation, report finds (2020)

#142

Post by amalcon »

zabatuvajdka wrote: post #129
alienth wrote: post #121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm in the US and tried donating our child's potty chair. The donation spots I tried refused it because they weren't allowed to take anything which a child has to sit in or on for safety reasons. I even tried Value Village, which is a private second-hand store, and got the same response. Into the garbage it went, sadly.

Couldn’t you chop it up and put in recycling bin?

Technically yes, but this would not cause it to be recycled.

Re: U.S. generates more plastic trash than any other nation, report finds (2020)

#143

Post by mike_d »

pharmakom wrote: post #140
mike_d wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Reason Foundation (which is slightly right leaning of center, but makes its case using actual studies and facts) has a great explainer on how plastic bag bans for example hurt the environment more than help and cost consumers (including low income individuals) an extra $1b/yr: https://reason.org/wp-content/uploads/files/california_plast...

Does anywhere have an actual plastic bag ban ? Usually it’s just a minimum price to discourage people from grabbing a new bag on every visit

Yes. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out_of_lightweight_plast...

Re: U.S. generates more plastic trash than any other nation, report finds (2020)

#144

Post by [deleted] »

pharmakom wrote: post #140
mike_d wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Reason Foundation (which is slightly right leaning of center, but makes its case using actual studies and facts) has a great explainer on how plastic bag bans for example hurt the environment more than help and cost consumers (including low income individuals) an extra $1b/yr: https://reason.org/wp-content/uploads/files/california_plast...

Does anywhere have an actual plastic bag ban ? Usually it’s just a minimum price to discourage people from grabbing a new bag on every visit

[deleted]

Re: U.S. generates more plastic trash than any other nation, report finds (2020)

#145

Post by bserge »

alkonaut wrote: post #134
Causality1 wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You also have to think in terms of actual harm. Considering the US has an absurd amount of junk land it can use for landfills, a single use plastic object that has 1/1000 the carbon emissions of the reusable alternative may be the best environmental choice.

I'm surprised every time I hear the concept of "land fill" in conjunction with trash. As if the natural thing to do with waste is... put it in a hole in the ground? It feels like some 50's conception of environment policy to me. Shouldn't things be either recycled as much as possible, and the rest incinerated for energy?

Surprisingly, no - just dumping shit in a big hole is the most environmentally friendly thing to do - least energy used, least pollution created.

The problem is having the space in some place where neither flora nor fauna will be affected.

Re: U.S. generates more plastic trash than any other nation, report finds (2020)

#146

Post by Shacklz »

Causality1 wrote: post #88
eastendguy wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> a single use plastic object that has 1/1000 the carbon emissions of the reusable alternative may be the best environmental choice. Is there any data that single use stuff (of any kind) creates less carbon emissions? I would expect it to be the other way around, except for some edge cases.

Yes, mostly because of the energy used in their creation. For example you have to reuse a cotton grocery bag 7100 times before you break even with plastic bags for carbon footprint. https://www2.mst.dk/Udgiv/publications/2018/02/978-87-93614-... You're probably not going to do that.

Aren't the plastic bags mainly a problem because they tend to end up in places where they don't belong at all, like oceans etc.? They can't really decompose or anything like that, they just shred to tiny little pieces that mess with animals (and ultimately also our) digestion, no?

Re: U.S. generates more plastic trash than any other nation, report finds (2020)

#150

Post by kibwen »

edoceo wrote: post #63
cpuguy83 wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never mind how everything in Trader Joe's is packaged in plastic.

Plastic wrapped fruit. I can't believe it. Fruit comes with its own already biodegradable container! F Trader Joe's fruit and veg.

Is this a regional thing? Ours just has fruit and veggies for the taking, like any other supermarket.
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