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Plastic recycling is a problem consumers can't solve

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Re: Plastic recycling is a problem consumers can't solve

#41

Post by narag »

gambiting wrote: post #27
protonimitate wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I agree with that order of operations so to speak, I'm not sure why the responsibility is pushed onto consumers. It's hard to make a choice when it comes down to plastic, plastic, or plastic. What is being/can be done to get companies to stop using plastic in packaging? I understand that it is necessary for a lot of modern conveniences, but surely there is something that can be done to curb the production and u…

The problem is that companies use a stupidly ridiculous amount of plastic. The other week I bought some dessert which had a non-recyclable box, then each portion was in a non-recyclable plastic cup, held in place by a non-recyclable plastic tray with a non-recyclable plastic lid on each cup. Absolutely insane.

That's the place for regulation. Let's forbid the damned thing or at least tax it heavily. Anything not reusable? Make them pay for externalities.

Re: Plastic recycling is a problem consumers can't solve

#42

Post by rm_-rf_slash »

I think the basic problem is that there is no feedback mechanism for recycling. For example, I could judge an eaten-but-not-entirely-washed-out plastic container of hummus to be clean enough for recycling, but I will never know if it is ultimately recycled or thrown away once it leaves the green bin.

Machine learning could help consumers by leaps and bounds by being able to say with a picture or two whether a given item is recyclable.

I don’t know how you would incentivize people to use such an app, but I imagine options such as redeemable points or discounts (like paying less for coffee in a reusable container at most coffee shops) or public shaming (like when the power company tells you how much you spend on electricity versus your neighbors) could help make recycling more efficient.

Aside from that, though, I’m not sure how to do much more on the consumer side of things. As others have mentioned here, the choices are often plastic, plastic, and plastic.

Re: Plastic recycling is a problem consumers can't solve

#43

Post by samatman »

Startup I will never get around to:

A store which sells only bulk and fresh food, and durable containers: mesh bags, Mason jars, glass bottles.

Every container, dispenser, and display has a scale, and unlocks with a nearfield chip. Enter the store, tap phone or insert chip card, get a card.

Fill up your cart, stick the card back into the slot, get charged, done. One customer service kiosk for buying back clean containers at 80% of retail cost.

Re: Plastic recycling is a problem consumers can't solve

#44

Post by vkou »

aaron_oxenrider wrote: post #19
wlesieutre wrote: post #9

I have single stream recycling and the shit that people put into it is ridiculous sometimes. Greasy pizza boxes are a popular one.

Our recycle company specifically told us to throw pizza boxes in the recycling. I'm told there are some ways to still use it just not in making paper again.

They can probably be composted.

Re: Plastic recycling is a problem consumers can't solve

#45

Post by jdavis703 »

colechristensen wrote: post #34

I'm not sure I want to live in a world where people are allowed to vote and drive cars and own guns who can't figure out which bin their garbage belongs inside. I have never lived in a place where the instructions weren't provided and clear. Here are some instructions from Sweden. There are 10 categories. I think there could be more. https://www.affarsverken.se/Documents/Renhallning/Sorterings...

I've worked at many tech companies (arguably dealing with the smarter side of humanity), and have had to re-educate many people including software engineers on what's garbage, recycling or trash. The problem isn't that people are too dumb to recycle, it's that they don't care.

Re: Plastic recycling is a problem consumers can't solve

#46

Post by pwenzel »

wlesieutre wrote: post #9

I have single stream recycling and the shit that people put into it is ridiculous sometimes. Greasy pizza boxes are a popular one.

In Minneapolis, greasy pizza boxes specifically go in organics recycling (aka "municipal compost"). Chicken bones and dairy products too - It's amazing what you can put in there.

http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/solid-waste/organics/index.h...

Re: Plastic recycling is a problem consumers can't solve

#47

Post by gascan »

gaius wrote: post #15
idbehold wrote: post #8

Perhaps we should start doing something like what Taiwan did with their trash: https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/separation-anxiety/ > The trucks only accept trash bags officially sanctioned by the government of Taiwan which come in a distinctive blue color, complete with an official seal. The bags range in price and size, from 3 liters to 120 liters. The most popular bag is 25 liters (similar to a tiny bathroom…

which costs about $5 for a pack of 20 I’ve never understood why recycling wasn’t self-sustaining, isn’t there value in the raw material? When I was young reusing was the thing; a glass milk bottle went back to the dairy was sterilised and used again the next day. One bottle, with a recyclable aluminium foil lid, could be used again and again and again. Nowadays we make a glass bottle, use it once, then melt it down a…

Some recyclables are really valuable (metal, quality cardboard), but others that we really want to recycle aren't particularly (plastics, glass). Also, morons throw shocking amounts of obvious trash into the recycling stream, which is a huge pain for recyclers, and thus can significantly devalue what should otherwise be a profitable stream of recycling.

Re: Plastic recycling is a problem consumers can't solve

#48

Post by narag »

gambiting wrote: post #25
gaius wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

which costs about $5 for a pack of 20 I’ve never understood why recycling wasn’t self-sustaining, isn’t there value in the raw material? When I was young reusing was the thing; a glass milk bottle went back to the dairy was sterilised and used again the next day. One bottle, with a recyclable aluminium foil lid, could be used again and again and again. Nowadays we make a glass bottle, use it once, then melt it down a…

It's always cheaper to make new packaging than recycle old one. It's extremely hard to make any sort of business out of recycling old material. Like you said, reusing would help - but glass has the issue of being very heavy so you're burning more fuel to move it around, while it only takes a drop of oil to make a new plastic bottle that weighs 1/20 of an equivalent glass one. I'd love to see all drinks being sold exc…

It was the same in Spain, we carried the casco in the basket (of course not plastic, but hemp)... only the meat and the fish were wrapped in waxed paper and of course the cans, but there were only a few products that weren't fresh.

Now there's an absurd mass of plastics.

Re: Plastic recycling is a problem consumers can't solve

#49

Post by StudentStuff »

aaron_oxenrider wrote: post #19
wlesieutre wrote: post #9

I have single stream recycling and the shit that people put into it is ridiculous sometimes. Greasy pizza boxes are a popular one.

Our recycle company specifically told us to throw pizza boxes in the recycling. I'm told there are some ways to still use it just not in making paper again.

Can't you just compost it?

Re: Plastic recycling is a problem consumers can't solve

#50

Post by dboreham »

retbull wrote: post #17
blang wrote: post #6

I used to live in central New Jersey, where the people of Waste Management would send out quarterly fliers telling people "When in doubt throw it out"[0] I now live in Seattle, and when I tell people this campaign, they get extremely preachy and judgmental. Then when I try to explain that no, it's actually better for the environment, things really go no where. I should probably just give up on that. [0] http://www.ha…

I've had this fight with my roommate here in Seattle as well. He obsesses over which thing goes into our recycle bin. Trashing it fixes a lot of the overhead and you can always recycle glass/metal easily.

If you are forced to haul your own trash 10 miles to town as we are, you really want to separate the recycling because it significantly reduces the volume of trash (which can't be stored for long) vs recycling (which can). Also bears aren't interested in recycling material.
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