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90% of “eco-friendly” paper straws contain traces of toxic forever chemicals
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Re: 90% of “eco-friendly” paper straws contain traces of toxic forever chemicals
#92Re: 90% of “eco-friendly” paper straws contain traces of toxic forever chemicals
#93All this stuff sold to us as eco alternatives are horrendous. They are harmful imo as they detract from the ideal and usually attainable solution of reducing consumption.
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Re: 90% of “eco-friendly” paper straws contain traces of toxic forever chemicals
#94Any place which serves paper straws (in my area) gets an automatic no-go. Not interested in a business virtue signaling to superficial ecology preservation. It is akin to anti-gunners betting all in on stopping made up categories of firearms (assault weapons) which make up a tiny portion of murders. Whereas if they were serious they would focus on restrictions of hand-guns. The two stats of crime committed with both…
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Re: 90% of “eco-friendly” paper straws contain traces of toxic forever chemicals
#95i think the bigger issue is probably that the paper straws are about an order of magnitude higher in mass, virtually 100% organic chemicals, and so represent about an order of magnitude higher resource consumption the bigger issue than that is that disposable straws, even after that order-of-magnitude increase in impact, are an absolutely insignificant issue in ecological terms and yet have somehow become a political…
Sources needed. This study says paper straws uses slightly less energy and emits about the same CO2 as a plastic one: https://www.appropedia.org/HSU_straw_analysis#:~:text=A%20si....
Even if that’s not the case, “resource usage” is not the right metric to optimize for, this cost-focused mentality is exactly how we ended up with plastic [literally] everywhere.
Hundreds of billions of plastic straws are thrown away every year, this is a massive problem even if its only a few % of the total.
Re: 90% of “eco-friendly” paper straws contain traces of toxic forever chemicals
#96I'm sure someone probably feels strongly about this, but I will ask anyway: Do we as a society even need straws? I never use a straw at home. The only time I would consider wanting one would be for a milkshake maybe, due to its thickness making it hard to sip otherwise. I am not anti-straw, just think it is sort of a weird thing for our society to use when I stop to think about it.
Do we need disposable straws?
Some people need straws (kids, disabled people), but in most cases it's better to bring your own reusable straw to fill that need rather than relying on whatever straws they have at the place you are going to.
My toddler for example will just chew up most types of straws (especially those disgusting paper straws). Bringing a stainless steel, a glass straw, or one of those cups with integrated straw is a much better alternative.
People with movement disorders will probably want something more flexible, so I guess a reusable silicone straw is probably best.
I don't think we need disposable straws.
Re: 90% of “eco-friendly” paper straws contain traces of toxic forever chemicals
#97What utensils/containers should I be using to avoid all forever chemicals and microplastics?
Glass. Metal.
Ceramic, as a glass, is valid too. Pottery I’m thinking as well but maybe with some caveats such as non-leaded paint.
Edit-I wish store items could be bought in reusable containers made from such materials. It would make groceries heavy and the cost of the containers might need to be “leased” some way (like old milk jugs were perhaps). But I’d do it.
Re: 90% of “eco-friendly” paper straws contain traces of toxic forever chemicals
#98Earlier quoted context omitted.
Some of it is, but not all. > usually attainable solution of reducing consumption. Hell no. I'm a real life example of this "unicorn" — someone so utterly uninterested in acquiring material things that I spent an average of €1131 per month on everything combined in the last six months. Rent, travel, food, new laptop… and I'm not even trying to be frugal, this is with a lot of eating out and organic groceries. If ever…
Edit: Misread and assumed 1100 euros / 6 months. Have removed comment
I think you may have misread something; €1131 per month, of which €468 is rent and utilities (in Berlin, so still a good rate).
€7.6 euros per week for food is doable, I think, but last time I really tried to optimise that I was at university, in the UK, and it was 2003. (£0.50/day: Lidl instant noodles that they don't even sell any more, Quaker oats packs that aren't sold here, skimmed milk, dried fruit in the oats; I don't recommend reproducing this, it was a game to see how little I could spend without going hungry).
Re: 90% of “eco-friendly” paper straws contain traces of toxic forever chemicals
#99i think the bigger issue is probably that the paper straws are about an order of magnitude higher in mass, virtually 100% organic chemicals, and so represent about an order of magnitude higher resource consumption the bigger issue than that is that disposable straws, even after that order-of-magnitude increase in impact, are an absolutely insignificant issue in ecological terms and yet have somehow become a political…
To me it doesn’t seem that paper straws is about the resource consumption or oil used or anything like that. I think you have completely misunderstood the purpose. Even with the order of magnitude increase in resources used it’s still insignificant, as you touch on. What’s not insignificant is that in the contexts where straws are used.. fast food and coffee shops and such, they’re all too likely to be just thrown ou…
from my point of view, it depends on how much of it there is and what effect it has on the environment
sand, glass, metal, and rust aren't biodegradable either, but i don't think we should ban mountains because they throw sand out into nature when they erode
plastic straws are generally polypropylene, which is photodegradable to relatively nontoxic materials
Re: 90% of “eco-friendly” paper straws contain traces of toxic forever chemicals
#100I'm sure someone probably feels strongly about this, but I will ask anyway: Do we as a society even need straws? I never use a straw at home. The only time I would consider wanting one would be for a milkshake maybe, due to its thickness making it hard to sip otherwise. I am not anti-straw, just think it is sort of a weird thing for our society to use when I stop to think about it.
When people wear lipstick and are drinking something, a straw helps keep it on. If society's going to have lipstick and people go out, I think society sorta has to have straws! See e.g. https://stylecaster.com/beauty/makeup/468366/how-to-make-lip...
I see that there might be some cases where a straw can be helpful or necessary. But there are handed out so many straws wh ich aren't needed. I never understood why they put a straw into my whiskey cola or cuba libre.
We should get there where we just hand out straws if people ask for them as it is with other extras.