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fxykty · 24-07-2019, 21:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I know this is drifting the joke thread, but it will come back.
I believe that at least as important as the amount of trash, is what the trash is made of.
Vast majority or plastic trash we simply don’t need and could be eliminated without a drop in standard of living ,there are of course biodegradable plastics as well.
It’s way past time that most single use plastics ought to be outlawed, I don’t need flashlight batteries sealed in an impregnable plastic cocoon, a cardboard box would work just as well, and my breakfast cereal and saltine crackers etc could own wrapped in waved paper.
Product were manufactured and bought and sold before plastic.
It’s sing;e use plastics that are designed trash that I think should be eliminated

I was given a waxed paper straw with a margarita recently. I was thirsty and the margarita was delicious, so the straw survived two drinks. I needed another straw for margarita #3. I don’t remember after that. Point is that paper works, but not great.

Plastic replaced paper, glass and cloth as the packaging material of choice due to effectiveness and lower cost. Health standards increased and will be barriers for wide spread adoption of the old alternatives. Raw meat or fish wrapped in paper, even waxed, leaks. And isn’t hygienic (at least by developed world health and safety standards). Glass weighs a ton and breaks. Cloth doesn’t stop bugs and bacteria.

(Over-)Packaging of food is a feature of the industrial supply of food. With 7+ billion people on this planet we aren’t going back to organic mixed crop farming for anything more than a small privileged minority, so reforming plastic packaging is the issue, not virtue signalling removal trends.

In NZ we’ve recently had single use plastic carry bags banned, but the produce and meat and bread is still packaged and seemingly over-packaged in plastic and/or plastic trays. Non perishable food and other products still come in layer upon layer of plastic. Is there less plastic? Probably not.

The best action individual consumers can do is to remove as much of the plastic packaging as possible at the store (after purchase) and leave it with the store. They’ll get the message pretty quickly that consumers don’t want excessive packaging. Of course, that means you bring your own alternatives. I like bulk food stores for that reason, but I’m not going to pay double for milk to buy it in a glass bottle.

Ok, back to the jokes, please.