Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work
theatlantic.com
Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work
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Re: Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work
#2There are a lot things that are plastic but need to be (e.g., straws, snow shovels, etc.) but too often we as consumers don't get a choice. It's plastic. Plastic. And more plastic.
The fact that many organic food products (e.g., peanut butter) come in plastic boggles my mind.
What's concerning is that if we even kick our oil addiction and the bottom drops out of the price of oil, plastic will get even cheaper.
What's a green-minded consumer to do?
Re: Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work
#3There are a lot things that are plastic but need to be (e.g., straws, snow shovels, etc.) but too often we as consumers don't get a choice. It's plastic. Plastic. And more plastic. The fact that many organic food products (e.g., peanut butter) come in plastic boggles my mind. What's concerning is that if we even kick our oil addiction and the bottom drops out of the price of oil, plastic will get even cheaper. What's…
Lobby Congress and force them to change the laws to make sure external factors are priced in. Glass is a viable alternative but more expensive compared to plastic, if the balance was tipped you wouldn’t need as much plastic for certain goods.
Re: Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work
#4There are a lot things that are plastic but need to be (e.g., straws, snow shovels, etc.) but too often we as consumers don't get a choice. It's plastic. Plastic. And more plastic. The fact that many organic food products (e.g., peanut butter) come in plastic boggles my mind. What's concerning is that if we even kick our oil addiction and the bottom drops out of the price of oil, plastic will get even cheaper. What's…
I don't think just being a living example works, you need to get into serious activism
Re: Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work
#5I think GJenge has the right approach on mixed plastic recycling (the category that seems to have the best chance of getting the biggest volumes of recycling).
https://www.impacc.org/en/ventures/gjenge-makers/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH7ahGR28JP4Gy47CGhCZTg
Varieties of brick varying in size and shape have very good potential for use in automated road repair systems, which patch potholes in roads by cutting out around pothole, and then filling the cavity.
Until packaging services start sharing some recycling burden, or get rated and taxed on how recycling friendly their recyclables are, low grade mixed plastics seem like they will be and remain the bulk.
Re: Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work
#6There are a lot things that are plastic but need to be (e.g., straws, snow shovels, etc.) but too often we as consumers don't get a choice. It's plastic. Plastic. And more plastic. The fact that many organic food products (e.g., peanut butter) come in plastic boggles my mind. What's concerning is that if we even kick our oil addiction and the bottom drops out of the price of oil, plastic will get even cheaper. What's…
Lobby Congress and force them to change the laws to make sure external factors are priced in. Glass is a viable alternative but more expensive compared to plastic, if the balance was tipped you wouldn’t need as much plastic for certain goods.
Good luck lobbying without money. You’re essentially competing with ultra rich corporations that are also lobbying except in the opposite direction.
Re: Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work
#7There are a lot things that are plastic but need to be (e.g., straws, snow shovels, etc.) but too often we as consumers don't get a choice. It's plastic. Plastic. And more plastic. The fact that many organic food products (e.g., peanut butter) come in plastic boggles my mind. What's concerning is that if we even kick our oil addiction and the bottom drops out of the price of oil, plastic will get even cheaper. What's…
The driver is logistics: You can package peanut butter in plastic, and if there's something like, a shipping crisis or pandemic, it can sit in a warehouse for months without spoiling.
If you can solve that problem cost-effectively, plastic packaging would disappear quickly.
Re: Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work
#8There are a lot things that are plastic but need to be (e.g., straws, snow shovels, etc.) but too often we as consumers don't get a choice. It's plastic. Plastic. And more plastic. The fact that many organic food products (e.g., peanut butter) come in plastic boggles my mind. What's concerning is that if we even kick our oil addiction and the bottom drops out of the price of oil, plastic will get even cheaper. What's…
Snow shovels need to be plastic? I think I was in my thirties before I encountered a plastic snow shovel. Of course, metal was a lot cheaper Back In The Day.
Re: Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work
#9There are a lot things that are plastic but need to be (e.g., straws, snow shovels, etc.) but too often we as consumers don't get a choice. It's plastic. Plastic. And more plastic. The fact that many organic food products (e.g., peanut butter) come in plastic boggles my mind. What's concerning is that if we even kick our oil addiction and the bottom drops out of the price of oil, plastic will get even cheaper. What's…
Snow shovels need to be plastic? I think I was in my thirties before I encountered a plastic snow shovel. Of course, metal was a lot cheaper Back In The Day.
Even Tonka toys are plastic. WTH? How long does one last with the average 8yo ?
Re: Plastic Recycling Doesn’t Work and Will Never Work
#10There are a lot things that are plastic but need to be (e.g., straws, snow shovels, etc.) but too often we as consumers don't get a choice. It's plastic. Plastic. And more plastic. The fact that many organic food products (e.g., peanut butter) come in plastic boggles my mind. What's concerning is that if we even kick our oil addiction and the bottom drops out of the price of oil, plastic will get even cheaper. What's…
The driver is logistics: You can package peanut butter in plastic, and if there's something like, a shipping crisis or pandemic, it can sit in a warehouse for months without spoiling. If you can solve that problem cost-effectively, plastic packaging would disappear quickly.
Why would it last any longer than in a glass jar?