Re:The $0.006 Object in a Sushi Container
by crooked-v on Tuesday January 08, 2019 @03:25PM
(#18859307)
> It is cheaper, which actually suggests less resource consumption.
Cheaper so long as you ignore the externalities of long-term use of disposable plastic. Using a little piece of harmlessly biodegradable waxed paper instead might be "more expensive" in strict manufacturing terms but would the cheaper option if the externalities of plastic were properly taxed.
Re:The $0.006 Object in a Sushi Container
by code_duck on Tuesday January 08, 2019 @04:34PM
(#18859943)
You’re right that there is a third option which wasn’t mentioned in the article, which is a non-edible biodegradable separator.
Re:The $0.006 Object in a Sushi Container
by darkpuma on Tuesday January 08, 2019 @03:07PM
(#18859146)
Maybe it's regional, but when I get takeout food it's in compressed cardboard-type material containers. If nothing else, it biodegrades. Some of these containers are segmented.
Regardless, I am asserting that the "grass" divider is purely aesthetic and should be left out completely. The supposed practical purpose is transparent BS, those flavors are going to get mixed in my mouth more than they would in the tray merely by touching each other.
The article seems to convey that plastic is considered inferior to vegetable matter for this. It is cheaper, which actually suggests less resource consumption. Plenty of plastic and other resources (petroleum itself) would be expended to provide lettuce or bamboo for this instead of PET, with even less efficiency since it’s perishable. It would be worth comparing whether it would save resources.
Another option would be to redesign the container to reduce any need for a separator. A new design could end up using just as much plastic as the current tray + the grass - who knows.