For decades, consumers have been led to believe that recycling plastic saves on waste. Unfortunately, it’s not true, says Simon Wilson. And that could have big consequences for the oil business.
This article and its framing is a bit heavy-handed, in that recycling isn't bad per se, but our systemic plastic usage is absolutely destroying our planet. "It's not worth recycling plastic" misses nuance and takes a profit-oriented approach to the issue. The recycling of PET and HDPE plastics should be encouraged and subsidized, while we need to move away from most other plastics (and single-use containers in general).
The original Three R's framework is absolutely fantastic, and has simply been co-opted by capitalists. Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling are all good and necessary when appropriately administered in an economy.
The world would be so cyber punk if everything was in aluminum or glass. Imagine going to McDonalds and getting an aluminum bottle of diet coke, and little glass jars of dipping sauce
I remember when I travelled in China, there used to be stacks of glass bottles, usually in a fridge, with a aluminium cap on. These bottles were typically used by restaurants, small corner shops etc. And in them, they sell drinks such as soy milk, orange flavoured soft drink, coke etc. Once you're done with the bottle, they take it back to be sterilised elsewhere (probs a large processing unit), and refill with drinks. It was a massive thing, and it was everywhere.
I'm pretty sure it still is this way, and I really liked how it was done.
I mean, in a world where single use plastic is banned, factory farms and private vehicles are right behind them, if not first. So not really sure McD could exist in the world, but the image is cool to think about.
Building highspeed electric trains down the median of every highway in America, next to fiber optic internet, a next generation electrical grid and cover the whole thing with solar panels.
Banning private vehicles is a huge urbanist bro wet dream.
Get cars out of cities and make it so no one would need a car to get to a city. Most of the country would not be able to handle only buses and trains. We'd have a bus route 5 hours long with 6 stops.
People need to remember that the three Rs are in a specific order for a specific reason. If you're recycling, you've already failed twice, no reason to be proud of yourself tbh.
If a tax on plastic was made and used to offset the cost of recycling it, the problem would almost fix itself, but there's no way you're going to do that while the companies that profit from the production of plastic are in charge of making the rules.
That's why it would also need to be accompanied by dramatic execution of anyone trying to thwart it.
I recently moved to Europe from the US, and in my city there's a pretty huge incentive for households to recycle. Trash for curbside pickup has to be in these specific brightly colored bags with the correct logo that cost roughly $2 USD per 35-Liter/10-Gallon bag. Curbside compost pickup is twice weekly and cardboard recycling pickup is once a week, which is free. It's also free to recycle PET bottles, glass, aluminum, batteries, etc. This has really transformed my own approach to waste and recycling: now I only use about 1.5-2 trash bags per month. Plastic/Carbon taxes are of course still a good idea and need wide implementation ASAP.
This article and its framing is a bit heavy-handed, in that recycling isn't bad per se, but our systemic plastic usage is absolutely destroying our planet. "It's not worth recycling plastic" misses nuance and takes a profit-oriented approach to the issue. The recycling of PET and HDPE plastics should be encouraged and subsidized, while we need to move away from most other plastics (and single-use containers in general).
The original Three R's framework is absolutely fantastic, and has simply been co-opted by capitalists. Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling are all good and necessary when appropriately administered in an economy.
The world would be so cyber punk if everything was in aluminum or glass. Imagine going to McDonalds and getting an aluminum bottle of diet coke, and little glass jars of dipping sauce
I remember when I travelled in China, there used to be stacks of glass bottles, usually in a fridge, with a aluminium cap on. These bottles were typically used by restaurants, small corner shops etc. And in them, they sell drinks such as soy milk, orange flavoured soft drink, coke etc. Once you're done with the bottle, they take it back to be sterilised elsewhere (probs a large processing unit), and refill with drinks. It was a massive thing, and it was everywhere.
I'm pretty sure it still is this way, and I really liked how it was done.
deleted by creator
woah interesting
This
I mean, in a world where single use plastic is banned, factory farms and private vehicles are right behind them, if not first. So not really sure McD could exist in the world, but the image is cool to think about.
Stop I can only cum so many times in such a short period.
Building highspeed electric trains down the median of every highway in America, next to fiber optic internet, a next generation electrical grid and cover the whole thing with solar panels.
Buddy. Why should I clean up all this cum that you've forced out of me with your delicious words?
Banning private vehicles is a huge urbanist bro wet dream.
Get cars out of cities and make it so no one would need a car to get to a city. Most of the country would not be able to handle only buses and trains. We'd have a bus route 5 hours long with 6 stops.
People need to remember that the three Rs are in a specific order for a specific reason. If you're recycling, you've already failed twice, no reason to be proud of yourself tbh.
If a tax on plastic was made and used to offset the cost of recycling it, the problem would almost fix itself, but there's no way you're going to do that while the companies that profit from the production of plastic are in charge of making the rules.
That's why it would also need to be accompanied by dramatic execution of anyone trying to thwart it.
I recently moved to Europe from the US, and in my city there's a pretty huge incentive for households to recycle. Trash for curbside pickup has to be in these specific brightly colored bags with the correct logo that cost roughly $2 USD per 35-Liter/10-Gallon bag. Curbside compost pickup is twice weekly and cardboard recycling pickup is once a week, which is free. It's also free to recycle PET bottles, glass, aluminum, batteries, etc. This has really transformed my own approach to waste and recycling: now I only use about 1.5-2 trash bags per month. Plastic/Carbon taxes are of course still a good idea and need wide implementation ASAP.
I agree, I did not believe the original title actually did the contents justice.