Re:3M to end 'forever chemicals' output at cost of up to $2.3B
by Reason077 on Wednesday December 21, 2022 @04:18AM
(#34078384)
A lot of it doesn’t just go into the ground. It ends up getting washed (or dumped) into the ocean where it pollutes beaches, and gets ground down into micro-plastic particles which poison sea life. Still more gets incinerated, creating local air pollution and contributing to carbon emissions.
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Re:3M to end 'forever chemicals' output at cost of up to $2.3B
by concordDance on Wednesday December 21, 2022 @07:32AM
(#34079830)
If you're putting single use plastic in a non-recycling bin in the developed world its pretty much guaranteed to go to landfill, not the sea. More so than putting it in a recycling bin where they might transport it on a ship to China.
Re:3M to end 'forever chemicals' output at cost of up to $2.3B
by Reason077 on Wednesday December 21, 2022 @09:41AM
(#34081278)
In many (most?) European countries the non-recycling bin will go to an incinerator, not landfill.
Re:3M to end 'forever chemicals' output at cost of up to $2.3B
by DocTomoe on Wednesday December 21, 2022 @09:54AM
(#34081440)
Welcome to the developed world (in my case: Germany), where recycling is enforced by ordinances and/or contracts with your waste removal organisation, which will check if you did so properly, and refuse to take your refuse away if they think you have not recycled properly enough.
Re:3M to end 'forever chemicals' output at cost of up to $2.3B
by dtgriscom on Wednesday December 21, 2022 @01:37PM
(#34084535)
> It ends up getting washed (or dumped) into the ocean
Not where I live (northeastern USA), where the vast majority of discarded plastic ends up in landfills. Virtually none gets "washed (or dumped) into the ocean"; the minor exception is trash dropped by thoughtless people.
Re:3M to end 'forever chemicals' output at cost of up to $2.3B
by Reason077 on Wednesday December 21, 2022 @02:19PM
(#34085111)
> "the minor exception is trash dropped by thoughtless people."
In many parts of the world, this is completely normal, unfortunately, not a "minor exception". Even here the UK, canals and rivers are often full of floating plastic bottles, bags, and other litter. I know because I've volunteered to clean it up: the quantities we pull out is insane. And a few weeks later, it's all back again. Frustrating and sad.