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I gotta say, I'm not into this whole moving away from plastic thing
- Thread starter DragoonKain
- Start date
Ionian
Member
Ireland was one of the first adopters of the plastic bag levy and smoking ban. People moan for a bit and just get on with their lives.
You can still get plastic bags just they cost 15c (I think? I never check). Most supermarkets sell reusuable bags. Hell when I was in Rotterdam as a teen (over 20 years ago) people just used cardboard boxes, seen it elsewhere in Europe as well. Even here in Aldi and LIDL. Workers leave boxes out from stacking shelves.
Doesn't bother me, I bring a bag or a backpack. I have a bag full of plastic bags for refuse use under my sink.
Made a difference for rubbish here on the streets for sure. Still rubbish just very little plastic bags.
You can still get plastic bags just they cost 15c (I think? I never check). Most supermarkets sell reusuable bags. Hell when I was in Rotterdam as a teen (over 20 years ago) people just used cardboard boxes, seen it elsewhere in Europe as well. Even here in Aldi and LIDL. Workers leave boxes out from stacking shelves.
Doesn't bother me, I bring a bag or a backpack. I have a bag full of plastic bags for refuse use under my sink.
Made a difference for rubbish here on the streets for sure. Still rubbish just very little plastic bags.
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Fbh
Member
I don't know Op, those sound like pretty small Incovences.
I guess I agree people are more of a problem than plastic but when a large part of the population doesn't seem to give a shit you need to start treating them like little children and taking away stuff.
Getting used to carrying a reusable bag had been a small inconvenience to see way less platic bags lying around town.
Personally I'd take everyone who is found littering to some special community service jail where they have to spend 3 months getting up at 6 am to pick up trash for 12 hours.
I guess I agree people are more of a problem than plastic but when a large part of the population doesn't seem to give a shit you need to start treating them like little children and taking away stuff.
Getting used to carrying a reusable bag had been a small inconvenience to see way less platic bags lying around town.
Personally I'd take everyone who is found littering to some special community service jail where they have to spend 3 months getting up at 6 am to pick up trash for 12 hours.
ÆMNE22A!C
NO PAIN TRANCE CONTINUE
Bamboo straws... aren't you the hipster.. What's next? A bamboo car??
#Bamboolivesmatter
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ipukespiders
Member
No man should ever be using a straw.
Nah for that I have 2 cars 400hp and 600hp. Not quite eco friendly but I dont drive a lot
I find i drink more water throughout the day if in a glass with a straw. But I never use them for cocktails or at a restaurant.
trikster40
Member
Paper straws are the worst invention in the history of mankind.
ipukespiders
Member
Turn in your badge.
Keihart
Member
Paper straws can go straight to hell, someone needs a better solution to that one.
The rest? yeah, whatever, plastic bags and plastic bottles were never good either way (in a practical sense) their only advantage was being cheap. Paper bags can be as sturdy or better, boxes are superior and glass bottles too.
That being said, there are some specific package presentations that use plastic that i see no practical replacecment, like those korean ice cream sealed containers or the mustard ketchup japanese packages and so on, recicling should be bigger even if it meant increased costs on the garbage pickups.
The rest? yeah, whatever, plastic bags and plastic bottles were never good either way (in a practical sense) their only advantage was being cheap. Paper bags can be as sturdy or better, boxes are superior and glass bottles too.
That being said, there are some specific package presentations that use plastic that i see no practical replacecment, like those korean ice cream sealed containers or the mustard ketchup japanese packages and so on, recicling should be bigger even if it meant increased costs on the garbage pickups.
DarkestHour
Banned
Plastic is OK if not overdone and the problem is it is overdone. Plus, the amount of waste in packaging for items is ridiculous. I bought a phone case that was packaged in materials that cost more than the phone case itself. So stupid and it all just goes in the trash.
synchronicity
Member
We, generally speaking, think we're so clever in our "advancements". We manipulate the environment in such "amazing" ways in our wonderful "progress". We've never known what the hell we were doing. We just do it because we can, consequences be damned. Little serious thought is given to long-term outcomes of our actions prior to implementation.
DragoonKain
Neighbours from Hell
The first thing I thought was DexterDragoonKain are you going to wrap your neighbour in plastic before disposing the body (Patrick 'Pat Batman' Bateman style)?
There's actually plastic in your body right now and probably has a high chance of giving you cancer.
GreenAlien
Member
A lot of the time, plastic is the option that has the lowest environmental impact. You really have to evaluate the alternatives, and not blindly take them just because it's not plastic..
For plastic bag alternatives, quite often they only become better if they are reused like 30+ times and you used to throw the "single use" plastic bag away immediately instead of reusing it once or twice or as a trash bag... Cotton bags are the worst, they need to be reused 1000+ times to be worth it.. If you bought a cotton bag, you better make it your lifetime companion.
For drinks, you have to consider transportation. Plastic is light. For reusable bottles to be any good, you need cleaning and refilling stations locally and not ship them around the globe or the country.
If your bamboo straws are imported from china, you might as well use a plastic straw.. Single use paper straws are worse for the environment than single use plastic straws (if both are thrown into the garbage can..). Metal straws need to be used 150 times to make up for their production alone, that doesn't consider that you have to clean it every time.. the amount of water/energy used for cleaning might never make them a good choice..
You can burn plastic trash for energy, as a substitute for coal. It's not better than burning coal.. but it's also not worse (at least, in a proper power plant).
Plastic longevity is only an issue if it's not collected properly.
They right way to go is to improve garbage collection and to not use stuff you don't need, using shit alternatives is worse than changing nothing.
For plastic bag alternatives, quite often they only become better if they are reused like 30+ times and you used to throw the "single use" plastic bag away immediately instead of reusing it once or twice or as a trash bag... Cotton bags are the worst, they need to be reused 1000+ times to be worth it.. If you bought a cotton bag, you better make it your lifetime companion.
For drinks, you have to consider transportation. Plastic is light. For reusable bottles to be any good, you need cleaning and refilling stations locally and not ship them around the globe or the country.
If your bamboo straws are imported from china, you might as well use a plastic straw.. Single use paper straws are worse for the environment than single use plastic straws (if both are thrown into the garbage can..). Metal straws need to be used 150 times to make up for their production alone, that doesn't consider that you have to clean it every time.. the amount of water/energy used for cleaning might never make them a good choice..
You can burn plastic trash for energy, as a substitute for coal. It's not better than burning coal.. but it's also not worse (at least, in a proper power plant).
Plastic longevity is only an issue if it's not collected properly.
They right way to go is to improve garbage collection and to not use stuff you don't need, using shit alternatives is worse than changing nothing.
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D
Deleted member 1159
Unconfirmed Member
“Uranium makes my life slightly more convenient/easier! Put it in everything!”
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Mistake
Member
We should use more bamboo. It grows like crazy and would solve half the complaints in this thread.
As for paper vs plastic, part of the reason we use plastic is because it’s easy to produce and has a lower carbon footprint for its life cycle. Switching to paper has an increased footprint compared to how much plastic could be made. Even if we switched, you’re merely displacing the problem.
DragoonKain
Neighbours from Hell
Anyway, my mini rant aside, this isn't really a topic I'm all that passionate about, but it appears people are really really passionate about plastic and environmentally friendly procedures.
I do think the visual of a guy using paper bags to pack his cases of plastic bottled water, to load into his gas powered car is a funny one.
Though as someone who has most of my daily routines within a 10 block radius, I rarely use my car, so I figure whatever good graces I lose by enjoying plastic bottles that I don't even make and just buy, I've made up for in the lack of CO2 I pump into the air compared to the majority of Americans
I do think the visual of a guy using paper bags to pack his cases of plastic bottled water, to load into his gas powered car is a funny one.
Though as someone who has most of my daily routines within a 10 block radius, I rarely use my car, so I figure whatever good graces I lose by enjoying plastic bottles that I don't even make and just buy, I've made up for in the lack of CO2 I pump into the air compared to the majority of Americans
West Texas CEO
GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief and Nosiest Dildo Archeologist
I also detest paper straws. They're the tool of Satan.
Fugitive Sex
Member
You're an imbecile.Anyway, my mini rant aside, this isn't really a topic I'm all that passionate about, but it appears people are really really passionate about plastic and environmentally friendly procedures.
I do think the visual of a guy using paper bags to pack his cases of plastic bottled water, to load into his gas powered car is a funny one.
Though as someone who has most of my daily routines within a 10 block radius, I rarely use my car, so I figure whatever good graces I lose by enjoying plastic bottles that I don't even make and just buy, I've made up for in the lack of CO2 I pump into the air compared to the majority of Americans
fran.fernandez
Member
Here in japan plastic went down a lot, mostly because they charge for the bag. Now I always walk with my bags.
i was in Taiwan this year as well and plastic also is not much used, people walk with own straws (there’s pocket reused straws) , garbage bag and cups. Is funny that people go out at 8 pm to throw garbage as multiple truck with different type of garbage pass. Recycle at 1000%.
i was in Taiwan this year as well and plastic also is not much used, people walk with own straws (there’s pocket reused straws) , garbage bag and cups. Is funny that people go out at 8 pm to throw garbage as multiple truck with different type of garbage pass. Recycle at 1000%.
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DragoonKain
Neighbours from Hell
At least my straws work, tough guy.
The Pleasure
Member
How about we all start carrying around funnels?
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Mistake
Member
I saw a japanese guy flip shit one morning because a raccoon wrecked his recycled trash
Soodanim
Gold Member
We haven’t had them here in the UK for a very long time, and I don’t miss them. A hot drink stays hot for plenty long enough, how long does it take you to drink a hot drink?
The topic of carbon footprint and environmental impact keeps coming up in favour of plastic, but that’s short term. The entire point of the anti-plastic argument is that the long term impact of this stuff that doesn’t break down is that it ends up in the oceans and inside living things, and it’s doing god knows what to us.
Bamboo is the future. I’ve got some bamboo socks and they’re the softest thing known to man. All sorts is being made from it now.
I was working in retail when it came to England, and the absolute bollocks that went round social media made it fun to get the people that actually thought what they read was true try to spout it in person. My favourite was “They can’t legally charge you for a bag with a logo on because it’s advertising”. It’s optional you dumb cunt, bring your own bag if you don’t want to buy one. Even better that they were buying branded sportswear at the time. Pay £100 for a tracksuit with logos on to wear every day, but moan about paying 5p for a bag with a logo on that you’ll carry once
Ionian
Member
RJMacready73
Banned
As soon as you make recycling plastic a profit making business you can bet yer arse the problem will go away
Spaceman292
Banned
Uummm
Patrick S.
Banned
What adult uses straws? Put the cup to your mouth, tilt head backwards.
Also, recycling needs to become a thing in more countries. I have FOUR fucking trash cans (which get emptied faar to infrequently GRRRRRRMPHHH).
Also, recycling needs to become a thing in more countries. I have FOUR fucking trash cans (which get emptied faar to infrequently GRRRRRRMPHHH).
Burnttips
Member
Like an hour. I do some shit take a couple of drinks then do some more shit.
I live in Iowa. How the hell is my shit ending up in the ocean? Even if you live by an ocean I don't know how it gets in there unless you're some asshole who tosses your shit in.
I had a bamboo pillow and it was the pillow I liked the least. Got a MyPillow and it's full with foam shit and is the best pillow I've owned.
Ikutachi
Gold Member
I liked the plastic bags. Free garbage bags for small bins.
levyjl1988
Banned
I like the lids on A&W no holes and no straws.
Seeing someone pulling a plastic straw from a turtles nose disturbed me. Just have lids. It also prevents a lot of spillage.
Cyberpunkd
Member
AeonGaidenRaiden
Member
As for straws theres a metal version which i think is a better alternative. Only downside is if you are like me and like to chew on them, you will break your teeth lol. Or....how well do they clean them afterwards as they will be reused by someone else.
I can see what OP is saying but where you are its not that bad. Here in Vietnam you order a street food dish you get the main dish in a plastic bag, you get the soya sauce in a plastic bag, you get another sauce in a plastic bag, the noodles on the side as well in a plastic bag and than all that in one big plastic bag while each of them is knotted with a rubber band. Thats 1 meal for 1 person in a country of 100+ million.
Its safe to say this is a problem.
I can see what OP is saying but where you are its not that bad. Here in Vietnam you order a street food dish you get the main dish in a plastic bag, you get the soya sauce in a plastic bag, you get another sauce in a plastic bag, the noodles on the side as well in a plastic bag and than all that in one big plastic bag while each of them is knotted with a rubber band. Thats 1 meal for 1 person in a country of 100+ million.
Its safe to say this is a problem.
Spaceman292
Banned
Just tip the cup into your mouth you uncoordinated mong
RoboFu
One of the green rats
You don’t think that’s staged? Its maybe a polluted stream but you can easily see it gets way less right before the vid cuts out.
there is a pollution problem for sure but there is a huge number of hyperbolic articles and staged media that’s not helping rational thinking for many issues in the world.
TheDreadLord
Member
The issue is much bigger than the plastic itself. We use a lot of plastic in packing because you need to make sure the overloads in developed countries get their bananas from South America intact…
ResilientBanana
Member
Plastic is a huge issue, it’s literally everywhere there’s no denying that. Anyone that doesn’t think that may as well be a flat-earther.
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