It was a good story. It definitely points at Exxon and Shell as large contributors to the plastic crisis for their creation of "virgin polymers", and does acknowledge that microplastics are coming...
It was a good story. It definitely points at Exxon and Shell as large contributors to the plastic crisis for their creation of "virgin polymers", and does acknowledge that microplastics are coming from tires.
I think the easiest thing, and first thing we can do for ourselves now is to effectively displace our guilt of plastic use and waste onto the source. It's not my fault that turtles are dying, and every plastic ring I cut or straw I choose not to use won't matter in the grand scheme of it. That's on Starbucks for ordering the straws and the producers for making the straws or plastic rings. I can bring my own metal straw or I can sip directly from the cup. Make this cultural spin and we might make a dent in how we consume our coffee and drinks.
We also need to collectively agree that this is a problem and that there is a solution that can be achieved within a reasonable time frame. If we were to stop making plastic tomorrow, we would still have all of that plastic all over the world for at least 1000 years. I imagine a solution would be synthesizing some sort of microorganism like plankton or algae that can spread globally to consume it and transform what exists into something harmless, but that's pure science fiction. What's not science fiction is successfully tying microplastics to increasing global cancer incidence and prevalence rates and carbon emissions to the current climate crisis. Let's get on that and let's actually hold big oil accountable.
Lastly, we can try to convince people that public transportation is better than owning, using, and maintaining a car or two or three. Make cars less cool. Make bullet trains masculine and edgy.
Don't you think that's just going to prevent us from reducing our plastic use? I think we need to do both - hold companies accountable AND feel guilty about buying plastic, because if we don't...
I think the easiest thing, and first thing we can do for ourselves now is to effectively displace our guilt of plastic use and waste onto the source.
Don't you think that's just going to prevent us from reducing our plastic use? I think we need to do both - hold companies accountable AND feel guilty about buying plastic, because if we don't keep it in our minds, the companies are certainly happy to conveniently forget about it.
I politely disagree. I'm not a fan of feeling guilty or making others feel guilty. Imposing guilt on ourselves for things that are not our fault is cruel and unproductive. So far, all the finger...
I politely disagree. I'm not a fan of feeling guilty or making others feel guilty. Imposing guilt on ourselves for things that are not our fault is cruel and unproductive. So far, all the finger pointing we've done to ourselves has not stopped big oil from making virgin polymers. That's the big target. They're laughing all the way to the bank. Let's convert that guilt into a proactive and focused goal, I say.
These types of problems generally are only solved by regulation - top down. Once laws come into force companies start to act, the only other time large global companies react is when they identify...
These types of problems generally are only solved by regulation - top down. Once laws come into force companies start to act, the only other time large global companies react is when they identify a different path that is more profitable. Saving the environment is not profitable - it is the polar opposite. Regulations that effectively reduce emissions, or save the environment, are almost always profit reducing. Hence why they have to be regulations and can't be volontary.
The EPA under RCRA has a "Cradle to the grave" policy for virgin toxic waste. In other words, the company that orginally produced the material is responsible for its disposal regardless of how...
The EPA under RCRA has a "Cradle to the grave" policy for virgin toxic waste. In other words, the company that orginally produced the material is responsible for its disposal regardless of how long its been or who bought or exchanged it. Certain plastics should be classified under RCRA and the companies that make the garbage should be responsible for its reduction, recycling, and safe disposal. Unfortunately the EPA has been gutted and ran by cronies but a boy can dream
The problem of plastics is becoming more and more mainstream, and I feel this is the Asbestos for Millenials and Zoomers. However, unlike Asbestos, plastics can't in many cases just be unused, but...
In the form of empty water bottles, used shopping bags, and tattered snack packages, plastic waste turns up pretty much everywhere today. It has been found at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, thirty-six thousand feet below sea level
The researchers found that a single bag from CVS leached more than thirteen thousand compounds; a bag from Walmart leached more than fifteen thousand. “It is becoming increasingly clear that plastics are not inert in the environment,” the team wrote. Steve Allen, a researcher at Canada’s Ocean Frontier Institute who specializes in microplastics, tells Simon, “If you’ve got an IQ above room temperature, you have to understand that this is not a good material to have in the environment.”
The problem of plastics is becoming more and more mainstream, and I feel this is the Asbestos for Millenials and Zoomers. However, unlike Asbestos, plastics can't in many cases just be unused, but instead we will have to make significant changes to the way we live our lives if we want to cut back.
Pardon my IQ, but just because it's many differently shaped particles and it gets everywhere¹, I find it a bit presumptuous to say that it must be bad and anyone who says otherwise has a literally...
Pardon my IQ, but just because it's many differently shaped particles and it gets everywhere¹, I find it a bit presumptuous to say that it must be bad and anyone who says otherwise has a literally immeasurably low intelligence.
I expect it to have negative consequences (and minimize plastic use as well as do very dilligent trash sorting, often to the point where it annoys of people I live and work with) but that's not the same as knowing what it's truly going to be like in fifty years.
plastics may contain any number of additives. Many of these—for example, [PFASs], which confer water resistance—are also suspected [to cause cancer]. Many of the others have never been adequately tested.
Microplastics—and in particular, it seems, microfibres—can get pulled deep into the lungs. People who work in the synthetic-textile industry, it has long been known, suffer from high rates of lung disease.
I think these would be better quotes to take away from the article, as they indicate the concerns without cancelling any and all conversion on the topic
This is also good to be aware of, and goes for paper as well:
The problem with the process, and with plastic recycling more generally, is that a polymer degrades each time it’s heated. Thus, even under ideal circumstances, plastic can be reused only a couple of times
Anything that mixes materials (e.g. juice packs) is also uneconomical to recycle and will end in a landfill at best, though it's probably better than straight plastic because their plastic layer can be so thin, idk. Trade-offs...
Glass recycles to a very high percentage iirc, but takes a lot of energy to ship and melt back into something usable. Reduce and reuse before you recycle (e.g. one can buy flavored yoghurts for dessert in jars that have a deposit for returning it, rather than the plastic tubs that occupy most of the shelves)
Single use anything is bad. Single use straws out of paper may be biodegradable but not recyclable, and iirc not significantly lower in greenhouse emissions to produce either. For example, when I'm going to eat at home anyway then I decline the icky paper straws McDonald's tries to push at me and use plastic straws at home that go in the dishwasher and are meant for reuse.
There's a lot of opportunity to improve things, just be aware of what's greenwashing (replacing single use plastic with single use paper for climate reasons), what's peanuts (replacing straws), and what makes a real difference (voting for the right party, reducing beef/lamb in particular, voting with your wallet for more sustainable products, heat pump and optionally solar panels instead of gas heating, avoiding needing a car for daily commutes (e.g. bus/train/cycling), etc.)
¹ as a wise person once said: "it's coarse and rough, and it gets everywhere"!
Exactly. Some things will be easier than others. In the end, plastics are too damn useful in some very specific cases. But we could also dramatically decrease pointless usage to reserve for...
Exactly. Some things will be easier than others. In the end, plastics are too damn useful in some very specific cases. But we could also dramatically decrease pointless usage to reserve for important use cases (like medical equipment).
Useless stuff:
Ban Shrinkwrap packaging over most consumer goods, especially if it's just for antitheft. I could see a reasonable case for food for preservation, but even then you could probably ditch a good 2/3 of it there with metal/paper/cloth alternatives.
Plastic single-use shopping bags. They're banned in New Jersey, and I don't really miss them at all. Turns out remembering your reusables or just not using bags, isn't that hard.
Beverage bottling. Force a return to cans and glass. I've discussed a detailed idea before, but it basically boils down to making bottling companies responsible for collecting and reusing/recycling the containers they manufacture... the way it used to be. Say Pepsico can only manufacture cans, costs them say $0.10 a can to make. They should be expected to collect 80% or more of the cans they manufacture by weight, and have to pay a $1 fine for every 'lost' can. This would provide them the proper incentive structure to pay customers to return their cans.
Those three things alone would probably make a gigantic impact on eliminating microplastics without significantly hampering usage in other sectors.
A very large part of microplastics come from car tyres, that's one big area that would require a fair bit of unprofitable research to figure out what the hell to do. There's also a lot that can be...
Those three things alone would probably make a gigantic impact on eliminating microplastics without significantly hampering usage in other sectors.
A very large part of microplastics come from car tyres, that's one big area that would require a fair bit of unprofitable research to figure out what the hell to do.
There's also a lot that can be done with packaging to reduce plastic waste.
E.g. only allow plastic packaging for liquids if the store sells the same soap in bulk and allows the sale of refills for the customer. Then place a large tax on the plastic packagin itself so that convenience ends up costing more for the consumer.
The issues with plastic plague me daily. Just today, I was shopping on target for their "buy 3 household items, get $10 gift card" deal. Of course it's only certain items but definitely items I...
The issues with plastic plague me daily. Just today, I was shopping on target for their "buy 3 household items, get $10 gift card" deal. Of course it's only certain items but definitely items I would use. First it was laundry detergent - this one cleans well but isn't very good for the biodegradable. This one is biodegradable but doesn't clean well. This one is both biodegradable and cleans well but comes in a plastic bottle. And it was like this for every item I tried to purchase. I never did end up buying anything because it wasted so much time trying to weigh my damn carbon footprint that I got distracted by life and forgot about it. Now I'm just too tired to go back and try to figure it out. Trying to be a conscientious person gets harder and harder every day.
What irks me the most with detergents is that it would be absolutely trivial to sell those in bulk. Ship detergents to grocery stores in IBC's and have consumers bring their own containers to...
What irks me the most with detergents is that it would be absolutely trivial to sell those in bulk. Ship detergents to grocery stores in IBC's and have consumers bring their own containers to re-fill.
Better yet, require detergents to be sold as powders so that 1) we don't transport water needlessly 2) we can package detergents in cardboard.
Alternatively, packages can be made from waxed paper or waxed cardboard to keep liquid detergent as an option. I do mean a hardy wax, such as beeswax. That stuff has a melting point of about...
Alternatively, packages can be made from waxed paper or waxed cardboard to keep liquid detergent as an option. I do mean a hardy wax, such as beeswax. That stuff has a melting point of about 144°F, and most regions on earth don't reach that level of heat yet. I'm also hinting that we would need to mass-produce bees to accomplish this task, which could vicariously solve our global bee problem if we could execute the idea properly.
Something to be aware of... currently packaging that looks like waxed paper/cardboard is often coated with PFOAs or their friends (of forever chemical fame). If not then it's probably lined with...
Something to be aware of... currently packaging that looks like waxed paper/cardboard is often coated with PFOAs or their friends (of forever chemical fame). If not then it's probably lined with plastic, much like aluminum drink cans.
Meanwhile the other sort of aluminum cans (soup, beans, etc..) are coated with BPA epoxy or a similar compound. BPA is known for it's role as an endocrine disrupter. Also among it's many talents, potentially interfering with brain development. You can find it in many plastics.
The entire industrialized food industry is dramatically under-regulated. Plastics are just one example of things in the food supply that have well established negative health impacts, and there's every indication that we don't know the half of it yet.
Yes! This goes for so many things we buy on daily basis. I feel like it would be cheaper for the manufacturers as well so I'm not sure why there isn't a push for something like this everywhere.
Yes! This goes for so many things we buy on daily basis. I feel like it would be cheaper for the manufacturers as well so I'm not sure why there isn't a push for something like this everywhere.
Usually the go-to argument is that cardboard is worse for the environment due to the energy (and emissions) required to produce it. This is exactly true - which is why the actual solution to the...
Usually the go-to argument is that cardboard is worse for the environment due to the energy (and emissions) required to produce it.
This is exactly true - which is why the actual solution to the climate crisis is to consume less, not to consume more plastic, or to give up because we're all dead anyway.
It's easy to devolve into such thoughts when trying to do the right thing. I keep telling myself that a +2°C world is still better than a +5°C world, and at minimum it would buy us more time to...
or to give up because we're all dead anyway.
It's easy to devolve into such thoughts when trying to do the right thing. I keep telling myself that a +2°C world is still better than a +5°C world, and at minimum it would buy us more time to adapt. Reducing is good, even if net zero is practically unattainable today for most people. Perfect is the enemy of good.
Another thing I tell myself is that I at least don't want it to be my fault. I made a difference, even if I can't solve the problem by myself.
I recently bought laundry detergent that comes in a 100% cardboard envelope, and the detergent itself is powder but pressed in A3 size sheets. You break off half a sheet for a load and that's it....
I recently bought laundry detergent that comes in a 100% cardboard envelope, and the detergent itself is powder but pressed in A3 size sheets. You break off half a sheet for a load and that's it.
It was dirt cheap, very environmentally friendly, it cleans well and it takes up a minuscule amount of space.
I live in Europe so I can't recommend a shop, but you should keep an eye out for this type of detergent.
I've seen them but in tbe US the options are slim and not great. I'm hoping it gets better where I can get them in a store instead of being shipped. Thanks for the recommendation.
I've seen them but in tbe US the options are slim and not great. I'm hoping it gets better where I can get them in a store instead of being shipped. Thanks for the recommendation.
Have that in Giant Food stores across PA @ $17.... It seems like it would be so much cheaper by weight/volume... but somehow this is $4 for "more loads" (32 vs 36) its 5x the price, and that's got...
I recently bought laundry detergent that comes in a 100% cardboard envelope
its 5x the price, and that's got to change. Tax not eco friendly products until they are more expensive... if people really prefer them, they'll pay a premium.
I was using these for a while but they don't work well in a high efficiency washer. I kept having to rinse my clothes multiple times or else they would have white chunks all over them. Same with...
I was using these for a while but they don't work well in a high efficiency washer. I kept having to rinse my clothes multiple times or else they would have white chunks all over them. Same with the powder detergent.
I wish they would just stop putting everything in plastic. Had to buy a new coin battery and it was in a plastic casing inside the plastic packaging! Whyyy
Hah I also had to deal with that extremely frustrating battery packaging yesterday. Apparently it’s to prevent a child from getting to the battery? I don’t know what’s stopping them from eating...
Hah I also had to deal with that extremely frustrating battery packaging yesterday. Apparently it’s to prevent a child from getting to the battery? I don’t know what’s stopping them from eating the battery AND the plastic but it was probably some executive’s big PR win at the battery company.
My big one is PB... No sugar in plastic jar... Glass jar but with palm oil etc I have dissolvable paper tabs for laundry, bars of hand soap/shampoo/shave soap, powder dishwasher detergent (run hot...
this one cleans well but isn't very good for the biodegradable. This one is biodegradable but doesn't clean well. This one is both biodegradable and cleans well but comes in a plastic bottle
My big one is PB... No sugar in plastic jar... Glass jar but with palm oil etc
I have dissolvable paper tabs for laundry, bars of hand soap/shampoo/shave soap, powder dishwasher detergent (run hot water first, less is more), old school safety razor, cardboard old spice deodorant
only problem is toothpaste tabs.. those are horrible
I’ve given up on fighting plastic, it’s too damn useful and convenient and every time we single out a dangerous compound it gets replaced by something we later learn is just as bad or worse. The...
I’ve given up on fighting plastic, it’s too damn useful and convenient and every time we single out a dangerous compound it gets replaced by something we later learn is just as bad or worse.
The only way out I imagine is a wholesale ban on plastic production but that would basically be turning society on its head.
It’s killing me, for sure, but so is everything else in our modern way of life it seems. Viable alternatives have never worked out for me except maybe for glass containers in the kitchen and trying to reuse my plastics as much as possible before they inevitably end up in the trash.
I’ve read that these PFAS particles and other chemicals are literally everywhere, in our blood, soil, air, plants, etc. how do you even fight that when it seems like it’s too late?
The same way you clean a messy room or tackle a large coding project. You break it down into smaller parts and handle them one at a time. This is not a problem we need to solve by next quarter,...
I’ve read that these PFAS particles and other chemicals are literally everywhere, in our blood, soil, air, plants, etc. how do you even fight that when it seems like it’s too late?
The same way you clean a messy room or tackle a large coding project. You break it down into smaller parts and handle them one at a time. This is not a problem we need to solve by next quarter, but a problem that needs to be solved none the less.
People here say that an individuals contribution is worthless, but the current state of affairs is every individuals contribution, no?
Those of us who are politicians or in positions of power can do more, those of us who aren’t can do less. We should still all do our best.
In the scouts I was taught to always leave a place better than when I arrived. I’ve always like that, it doesn’t meant that you have to make it perfect, it just means that you clean up one more thing than what you dirtied. If everyone does this over time, big things happen.
I think this is the perfect example of "don't let perfect be the enemy of good." There are many small things each of us could do any any point in our life that is "good" but not perfect when it...
I think this is the perfect example of "don't let perfect be the enemy of good."
There are many small things each of us could do any any point in our life that is "good" but not perfect when it comes to plastics.
We got rid of my plastic "togo box" type containers I used for lunch and bought glass ones.
We switched back to bar soaps (big brand and locally made) instead of body washes.
We bought a pack of metal forks and keep 1 or 2 in each of our vehicles and pass on plastic utensils (often wrapped in a plastic bag) if we grab something to go.
We also keep metal or silicon straws in our vehicles
I started carrying around a metal water bottle or using a reusable cup to get water at work instead of water bottles when I can.
We politely decline a grocery bag if we're just getting a few things and just carry them out like animals or bring our reusable grocery bags
We don't beat ourselves up if/when we grab a plastic water bottle while running around. We're not super strict about removing ALL plastics from our lives but we're doing a few things here and there where we can. It doesn't ruin our day if we forget the reusable grocery bag, we just put effort into remembering the next time.
One thing that helped tremendously is that knowing the phrase REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE. have the steps are also listed in the order of importance.
We reduce our usage when we can (ie decline a bag for the gallon of milk from the store, etc). I still get plastic togo boxes when we get Chinese, however, we reuse those for everything from painting projects to seed starters. The kids were weaving grocery bags into plant hangers for a little bit and handing them out.
The truth is that most people were sold a lie about recycling plastic. Sure, it can be done to varying degrees but its impracticle because each plastic recycles differently and with different methods. It is also cost prohibitive so it either gets dumped out at sea or taken to a 3rd world country that doesn't have environmental protections.
Worst case, our contributions don't amount to much by themselves but we tried.
Best case, we add in to others' contributions and less plastic silverware or straws are ordered which leads to less being produced.
This very very specifically. We don't all have to become Oatley drinking vegans, we just need to reduce our steak usage. We don't need to start working 100% remote, but doing so 3 or so days a...
One thing that helped tremendously is that knowing the phrase REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE. have the steps are also listed in the order of importance.
This very very specifically. We don't all have to become Oatley drinking vegans, we just need to reduce our steak usage. We don't need to start working 100% remote, but doing so 3 or so days a week reduces miles driven.
This goes for everything. Trying to lose weight? Don't do a crazy diet, just drink a bit less soda/beer and have a smaller portion of ice cream, and go for a short walk after dinner. Give it a few years and you'll have lost a bunch of weight!
It was a good story. It definitely points at Exxon and Shell as large contributors to the plastic crisis for their creation of "virgin polymers", and does acknowledge that microplastics are coming from tires.
I think the easiest thing, and first thing we can do for ourselves now is to effectively displace our guilt of plastic use and waste onto the source. It's not my fault that turtles are dying, and every plastic ring I cut or straw I choose not to use won't matter in the grand scheme of it. That's on Starbucks for ordering the straws and the producers for making the straws or plastic rings. I can bring my own metal straw or I can sip directly from the cup. Make this cultural spin and we might make a dent in how we consume our coffee and drinks.
We also need to collectively agree that this is a problem and that there is a solution that can be achieved within a reasonable time frame. If we were to stop making plastic tomorrow, we would still have all of that plastic all over the world for at least 1000 years. I imagine a solution would be synthesizing some sort of microorganism like plankton or algae that can spread globally to consume it and transform what exists into something harmless, but that's pure science fiction. What's not science fiction is successfully tying microplastics to increasing global cancer incidence and prevalence rates and carbon emissions to the current climate crisis. Let's get on that and let's actually hold big oil accountable.
Lastly, we can try to convince people that public transportation is better than owning, using, and maintaining a car or two or three. Make cars less cool. Make bullet trains masculine and edgy.
I'm prattling on but you get the point.
Don't you think that's just going to prevent us from reducing our plastic use? I think we need to do both - hold companies accountable AND feel guilty about buying plastic, because if we don't keep it in our minds, the companies are certainly happy to conveniently forget about it.
I politely disagree. I'm not a fan of feeling guilty or making others feel guilty. Imposing guilt on ourselves for things that are not our fault is cruel and unproductive. So far, all the finger pointing we've done to ourselves has not stopped big oil from making virgin polymers. That's the big target. They're laughing all the way to the bank. Let's convert that guilt into a proactive and focused goal, I say.
These types of problems generally are only solved by regulation - top down. Once laws come into force companies start to act, the only other time large global companies react is when they identify a different path that is more profitable. Saving the environment is not profitable - it is the polar opposite. Regulations that effectively reduce emissions, or save the environment, are almost always profit reducing. Hence why they have to be regulations and can't be volontary.
The EPA under RCRA has a "Cradle to the grave" policy for virgin toxic waste. In other words, the company that orginally produced the material is responsible for its disposal regardless of how long its been or who bought or exchanged it. Certain plastics should be classified under RCRA and the companies that make the garbage should be responsible for its reduction, recycling, and safe disposal. Unfortunately the EPA has been gutted and ran by cronies but a boy can dream
The problem of plastics is becoming more and more mainstream, and I feel this is the Asbestos for Millenials and Zoomers. However, unlike Asbestos, plastics can't in many cases just be unused, but instead we will have to make significant changes to the way we live our lives if we want to cut back.
Pardon my IQ, but just because it's many differently shaped particles and it gets everywhere¹, I find it a bit presumptuous to say that it must be bad and anyone who says otherwise has a literally immeasurably low intelligence.
I expect it to have negative consequences (and minimize plastic use as well as do very dilligent trash sorting, often to the point where it annoys of people I live and work with) but that's not the same as knowing what it's truly going to be like in fifty years.
I think these would be better quotes to take away from the article, as they indicate the concerns without cancelling any and all conversion on the topic
This is also good to be aware of, and goes for paper as well:
Anything that mixes materials (e.g. juice packs) is also uneconomical to recycle and will end in a landfill at best, though it's probably better than straight plastic because their plastic layer can be so thin, idk. Trade-offs...
Glass recycles to a very high percentage iirc, but takes a lot of energy to ship and melt back into something usable. Reduce and reuse before you recycle (e.g. one can buy flavored yoghurts for dessert in jars that have a deposit for returning it, rather than the plastic tubs that occupy most of the shelves)
Single use anything is bad. Single use straws out of paper may be biodegradable but not recyclable, and iirc not significantly lower in greenhouse emissions to produce either. For example, when I'm going to eat at home anyway then I decline the icky paper straws McDonald's tries to push at me and use plastic straws at home that go in the dishwasher and are meant for reuse.
There's a lot of opportunity to improve things, just be aware of what's greenwashing (replacing single use plastic with single use paper for climate reasons), what's peanuts (replacing straws), and what makes a real difference (voting for the right party, reducing beef/lamb in particular, voting with your wallet for more sustainable products, heat pump and optionally solar panels instead of gas heating, avoiding needing a car for daily commutes (e.g. bus/train/cycling), etc.)
¹ as a wise person once said: "it's coarse and rough, and it gets everywhere"!
Exactly. Some things will be easier than others. In the end, plastics are too damn useful in some very specific cases. But we could also dramatically decrease pointless usage to reserve for important use cases (like medical equipment).
Useless stuff:
Those three things alone would probably make a gigantic impact on eliminating microplastics without significantly hampering usage in other sectors.
A very large part of microplastics come from car tyres, that's one big area that would require a fair bit of unprofitable research to figure out what the hell to do.
There's also a lot that can be done with packaging to reduce plastic waste.
E.g. only allow plastic packaging for liquids if the store sells the same soap in bulk and allows the sale of refills for the customer. Then place a large tax on the plastic packagin itself so that convenience ends up costing more for the consumer.
The issues with plastic plague me daily. Just today, I was shopping on target for their "buy 3 household items, get $10 gift card" deal. Of course it's only certain items but definitely items I would use. First it was laundry detergent - this one cleans well but isn't very good for the biodegradable. This one is biodegradable but doesn't clean well. This one is both biodegradable and cleans well but comes in a plastic bottle. And it was like this for every item I tried to purchase. I never did end up buying anything because it wasted so much time trying to weigh my damn carbon footprint that I got distracted by life and forgot about it. Now I'm just too tired to go back and try to figure it out. Trying to be a conscientious person gets harder and harder every day.
What irks me the most with detergents is that it would be absolutely trivial to sell those in bulk. Ship detergents to grocery stores in IBC's and have consumers bring their own containers to re-fill.
Better yet, require detergents to be sold as powders so that 1) we don't transport water needlessly 2) we can package detergents in cardboard.
Alternatively, packages can be made from waxed paper or waxed cardboard to keep liquid detergent as an option. I do mean a hardy wax, such as beeswax. That stuff has a melting point of about 144°F, and most regions on earth don't reach that level of heat yet. I'm also hinting that we would need to mass-produce bees to accomplish this task, which could vicariously solve our global bee problem if we could execute the idea properly.
Something to be aware of... currently packaging that looks like waxed paper/cardboard is often coated with PFOAs or their friends (of forever chemical fame). If not then it's probably lined with plastic, much like aluminum drink cans.
Meanwhile the other sort of aluminum cans (soup, beans, etc..) are coated with BPA epoxy or a similar compound. BPA is known for it's role as an endocrine disrupter. Also among it's many talents, potentially interfering with brain development. You can find it in many plastics.
The entire industrialized food industry is dramatically under-regulated. Plastics are just one example of things in the food supply that have well established negative health impacts, and there's every indication that we don't know the half of it yet.
Yes! This goes for so many things we buy on daily basis. I feel like it would be cheaper for the manufacturers as well so I'm not sure why there isn't a push for something like this everywhere.
Usually the go-to argument is that cardboard is worse for the environment due to the energy (and emissions) required to produce it.
This is exactly true - which is why the actual solution to the climate crisis is to consume less, not to consume more plastic, or to give up because we're all dead anyway.
It's easy to devolve into such thoughts when trying to do the right thing. I keep telling myself that a +2°C world is still better than a +5°C world, and at minimum it would buy us more time to adapt. Reducing is good, even if net zero is practically unattainable today for most people. Perfect is the enemy of good.
Another thing I tell myself is that I at least don't want it to be my fault. I made a difference, even if I can't solve the problem by myself.
I recently bought laundry detergent that comes in a 100% cardboard envelope, and the detergent itself is powder but pressed in A3 size sheets. You break off half a sheet for a load and that's it.
It was dirt cheap, very environmentally friendly, it cleans well and it takes up a minuscule amount of space.
I live in Europe so I can't recommend a shop, but you should keep an eye out for this type of detergent.
I've seen them but in tbe US the options are slim and not great. I'm hoping it gets better where I can get them in a store instead of being shipped. Thanks for the recommendation.
Have that in Giant Food stores across PA @ $17.... It seems like it would be so much cheaper by weight/volume... but somehow this is $4 for "more loads" (32 vs 36)
its 5x the price, and that's got to change. Tax not eco friendly products until they are more expensive... if people really prefer them, they'll pay a premium.
I was using these for a while but they don't work well in a high efficiency washer. I kept having to rinse my clothes multiple times or else they would have white chunks all over them. Same with the powder detergent.
I wish they would just stop putting everything in plastic. Had to buy a new coin battery and it was in a plastic casing inside the plastic packaging! Whyyy
Hah I also had to deal with that extremely frustrating battery packaging yesterday. Apparently it’s to prevent a child from getting to the battery? I don’t know what’s stopping them from eating the battery AND the plastic but it was probably some executive’s big PR win at the battery company.
My big one is PB... No sugar in plastic jar... Glass jar but with palm oil etc
I have dissolvable paper tabs for laundry, bars of hand soap/shampoo/shave soap, powder dishwasher detergent (run hot water first, less is more), old school safety razor, cardboard old spice deodorant
only problem is toothpaste tabs.. those are horrible
I’ve given up on fighting plastic, it’s too damn useful and convenient and every time we single out a dangerous compound it gets replaced by something we later learn is just as bad or worse.
The only way out I imagine is a wholesale ban on plastic production but that would basically be turning society on its head.
It’s killing me, for sure, but so is everything else in our modern way of life it seems. Viable alternatives have never worked out for me except maybe for glass containers in the kitchen and trying to reuse my plastics as much as possible before they inevitably end up in the trash.
I’ve read that these PFAS particles and other chemicals are literally everywhere, in our blood, soil, air, plants, etc. how do you even fight that when it seems like it’s too late?
The same way you clean a messy room or tackle a large coding project. You break it down into smaller parts and handle them one at a time. This is not a problem we need to solve by next quarter, but a problem that needs to be solved none the less.
People here say that an individuals contribution is worthless, but the current state of affairs is every individuals contribution, no?
Those of us who are politicians or in positions of power can do more, those of us who aren’t can do less. We should still all do our best.
In the scouts I was taught to always leave a place better than when I arrived. I’ve always like that, it doesn’t meant that you have to make it perfect, it just means that you clean up one more thing than what you dirtied. If everyone does this over time, big things happen.
I think this is the perfect example of "don't let perfect be the enemy of good."
There are many small things each of us could do any any point in our life that is "good" but not perfect when it comes to plastics.
We don't beat ourselves up if/when we grab a plastic water bottle while running around. We're not super strict about removing ALL plastics from our lives but we're doing a few things here and there where we can. It doesn't ruin our day if we forget the reusable grocery bag, we just put effort into remembering the next time.
One thing that helped tremendously is that knowing the phrase REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE. have the steps are also listed in the order of importance.
We reduce our usage when we can (ie decline a bag for the gallon of milk from the store, etc). I still get plastic togo boxes when we get Chinese, however, we reuse those for everything from painting projects to seed starters. The kids were weaving grocery bags into plant hangers for a little bit and handing them out.
The truth is that most people were sold a lie about recycling plastic. Sure, it can be done to varying degrees but its impracticle because each plastic recycles differently and with different methods. It is also cost prohibitive so it either gets dumped out at sea or taken to a 3rd world country that doesn't have environmental protections.
Worst case, our contributions don't amount to much by themselves but we tried.
Best case, we add in to others' contributions and less plastic silverware or straws are ordered which leads to less being produced.
This very very specifically. We don't all have to become Oatley drinking vegans, we just need to reduce our steak usage. We don't need to start working 100% remote, but doing so 3 or so days a week reduces miles driven.
This goes for everything. Trying to lose weight? Don't do a crazy diet, just drink a bit less soda/beer and have a smaller portion of ice cream, and go for a short walk after dinner. Give it a few years and you'll have lost a bunch of weight!