Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Grapevine canes can be converted into plastic-like material that will decompose

sdstate.edu

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

201–210 of 351 posts

Re: Grapevine canes can be converted into plastic-like material that will decompose

#201

Post by mschild »

upcoming-sesame wrote: post #180
alexchamberlain wrote: post #148

The UK banned single use plastic bags at major supermarkets. We all moaned about it for a few minutes, forgot our reusable bags a couple of times and then got on with it. Even the small plastic bags you put fruit or pastries in are now gone in a few super markets - initially, they replaced them with transparent paper-based windowed bags, but then I think people realised you really don't need to see inside the bag, an…

For fruits and vegetables - Why is a bag needed at all ? I just put my fruits and vegetables directly on the conveyor belt.

For most you don't. But if you buy loose cherry tomatoes, having 30 of them rolling around everywhere isn't exactly practical.

Thats easily solved though by simple buying some reusable fruit/veggie net. Essentially the same as what you would use for socks or underwear in the laundry.

Re: Grapevine canes can be converted into plastic-like material that will decompose

#202

Post by ahartmetz »

fy20 wrote: post #140
latexr wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why don’t you bring plastic bags from home? They are very much reusable, you don’t have to throw them out. They are also quite easy to fold into small shapes and keep on you, or your car, or whatever. I have plastic bags which have endured for literal years. I also decided early on that if I forget to bring a bag, I either do without or have to go back to get one. You start remembering really fast after a few times o…

I have a cupboard full of bags at home I can reuse. It's right next to my door. Really easy to get to. 75% of the time I forget to take a bag to my car. As well as all the single use bags (paper and plastic) I bought, I also have jute bags that I got years ago and are still holding up. I like them better as they are bigger and stronger. Even if I managed to get a bag, the other 75% of the time I forget to take it int…

The trick is to always have them where you will need them. I always have one or two in my backpack, in my car, in my luggage when I travel... Their size and weight is almost nothing and the only effort is putting them back after use. Which is where it occasionally fails, sure.

Re: Grapevine canes can be converted into plastic-like material that will decompose

#203

Post by mschild »

bn-usd-mistake wrote: post #200
Caelus9 wrote: post #193

Some people are skeptical about biodegradable materials, but honestly, ten years ago nobody believed paper straws would catch on either. I think if we can turn leftover plant waste like grapevines into something useful, there's a real chance to start phasing out throwaway plastics in the kinds of products we only use once and forget.

Paper straws are horrible, I don't think they should be chosen as a counterexample to skepticism about biodegradable materials.

Agree. Give me a metal one or design the cups so that I don't need one at all.

Re: Grapevine canes can be converted into plastic-like material that will decompose

#204

Post by mcv »

jraph wrote: post #189
mcv wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting thing is, the non-organic cucumbers at my supermarket don't come in plastic, but the organic ones do. I never know which ones to get.

Yeah, this is terrible. Obviously the people who want to buy organic and the people who want to avoid plastic the most are probably almost the same group. They know this. It feels like "Fuck you environmental-aware buyers" to me. Of course wrapping everything non-organic is a no go as well, it would be terrible for the environment. And I'm afraid stopping the production of non-organic stuff ain't happening anytime so…

Yeah, the issue is of course that the supermarket sells both kinds of cucumbers, and they need to be able to distinguish between organic and non-organic cucumbers, which is why they wrap one type in plastic. And of course it's better for the environment if that's the type they sell the least of.

So every step makes sense, but the end result looks ridiculous. Maybe they can use paper wrappers instead? Or maybe just settle on one type of cucumber.

Re: Grapevine canes can be converted into plastic-like material that will decompose

#205

Post by gspr »

alexchamberlain wrote: post #148

The UK banned single use plastic bags at major supermarkets. We all moaned about it for a few minutes, forgot our reusable bags a couple of times and then got on with it. Even the small plastic bags you put fruit or pastries in are now gone in a few super markets - initially, they replaced them with transparent paper-based windowed bags, but then I think people realised you really don't need to see inside the bag, an…

> The UK banned single use plastic bags at major supermarkets. We all moaned about it for a few minutes, forgot our reusable bags a couple of times and then got on with it.

I hope you're right. Here in Norway, the sensible people did what you describe. A large minority has, on the other hand, turned the lack of plastic bags (and straws, which I'm sure they barely even used once in a blue moon before) into a battlefield of the culture wars. And far right politicans of course cater to them. They manage to capture discourse talking about "environmentalism gone wild" and "EU overreach". It's terribly annoying and they manage to waste everyone's time and derail important debates with this nonsense.

Re: Grapevine canes can be converted into plastic-like material that will decompose

#206

Post by mcv »

AlecSchueler wrote: post #194
mcv wrote: post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm pretty sure my tea bags are paper, and have always been paper. It's the more recent "pyramid" shaped tea bags that I think are made of plastic. The most recent change to my tea bags was to remove the staple so they could go in organic waste.

You'd be surprised how paper-like the plastic bags appear to be.

I doubt the advice would be to throw them in the organic waste if it was plastic.

Re: Grapevine canes can be converted into plastic-like material that will decompose

#207

Post by WithinReason »

mcv wrote: post #181
jon_adler wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately, all the actual tea bags are usually plastic. The wrapping is probably a small percentage of the plastic in this product.

I'm pretty sure my tea bags are paper, and have always been paper. It's the more recent "pyramid" shaped tea bags that I think are made of plastic. The most recent change to my tea bags was to remove the staple so they could go in organic waste.

Teapigs pyramids are made of cornstarch

Re: Grapevine canes can be converted into plastic-like material that will decompose

#208

Post by AlecSchueler »

mcv wrote: post #206
AlecSchueler wrote: post #194

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You'd be surprised how paper-like the plastic bags appear to be.

I doubt the advice would be to throw them in the organic waste if it was plastic.

Some plastics can go in the organic waste bins, such as the organic waste bin bags.

Re: Grapevine canes can be converted into plastic-like material that will decompose

#209

Post by mcv »

AlecSchueler wrote: post #191
mcv wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I still don't understand why brown paper bags aren't more standard for everything. I do see some manufacturers reducing plastic, fortunately. For example, my box of tea bags used to come wrapped in plastic, and now it suddenly doesn't, and I'm wondering why it ever needed plastic. But there's still so much stuff that comes wrapped in plastic, and often multiple layers of it. Just ban it. There are excellent alt…

> Yeah, I still don't understand why brown paper bags aren't more standard for everything Because plastic is cheaper. As I understand it it's often got a negative cost to it, the companies are paid to take it and use it.

Negative cost? Why? It still needs to be produced and transported, right? I don't understand the business case behind this.

Re: Grapevine canes can be converted into plastic-like material that will decompose

#210

Post by fdsfdsfdsaasd »

Caelus9 wrote: post #193

Some people are skeptical about biodegradable materials, but honestly, ten years ago nobody believed paper straws would catch on either. I think if we can turn leftover plant waste like grapevines into something useful, there's a real chance to start phasing out throwaway plastics in the kinds of products we only use once and forget.

I can't belive that people have been fooled by the environmental credentials of "paper" straws.
Post reply on HN