Re:Exposing the Myth of Plastic Recycling
by mindslight on Monday September 23, 2019 @01:40PM
(#21051319)
Each of these "sides" is a simplistic half-idea rooted in using only half of a brain - deductive/inductive right/left etc.
The dichotomies are better seen as thesis-antithesis, with the goal of synthesis. It's only the political machine that emphasizes and exacerbates each half-idea, pits them against one another, to ultimately foster commercial expedience winning out.
> The answer almost certainly involves more (genuine) recycling
The converse here is retuning the economy to produce less stuff in general, as well as dismantling the economic treadmill that causes us to value "convenience" above all else. Which even fewer people want to hear.
Re:Exposing the Myth of Plastic Recycling
by neuralRiot on Monday September 23, 2019 @03:41PM
(#21052753)
Probably the best solution would be a “waste tax” i’m not that old and i still remember the days when you had to bring an empty glass container for beer or soda those where replaced for plastic because it’s cheaper than having to transport/ process/ clean/ refill empty ones.
Re:Exposing the Myth of Plastic Recycling
by quacked on Monday September 23, 2019 @02:57PM
(#21052270)
I agree with you. It seems to me that we have two choices to address "sustainability":
- Give up the convenience of modern life, permanently, for everyone (don't allow any more industrialization than already exists) - Drastically reduce population
One is suggesting avoiding nearly all plastics, while they other has studies showing that replacing plastic bags with organic cotton bags is 20,000x worse for the planet and will probably give you salmonella.
One complains that recycling is too hard, because you have all the different boxes and people only do it to punish themselves out of some puritan impulse and the other thinks it's too easy and people do it to make themselves feel better about their consumption.
These are not the same thing, they only seem to agree that recycling is bad, but for opposite reasons.
The answer almost certainly involves more (genuine) recycling but that seems to be the only thing people are united against, so it's not likely to end well.