The actual cost of plastic

[Penguin]

Plastic waste, oceanic especially, has been on my radar for a while now. Every week or so I come across an article on the topic. The last few years they have finally been admitting that recycling won't work. It just doesn't make a dent in the problem.

A recent example:

https://www.ecowatch.com/recycling-plastic-reality-2615116844.html

With the acknowledgement that micro-plastics are starting to get into the food chain and we don't know if this is dangerous... it makes a man think. I wonder what the actual cost of a bottle of soda would be if you included the expected cost of having a freighter go fish it out of the ocean and fetch it back to shore in a year or two.

I remember first becoming aware of this issue on a "Survivorman" episode where Les Stroud is stranded on remote island and one of the first things he does is go on a scavenger hunt for fishing lines, hooks, and water bottles that were washed up on shore. He said it was everywhere you went on earth. I had no idea.

Will

[Chicken Dinner]

That stuff is everywhere. I think recycling in general is interesting. I just saw something that the town I live in may stop recycling glass as it’s too expensive and they’re losing too much money on it.


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[BarryBobPosthole]

Up until as recently as the 1950’s, glass floats were used by ocean going fishermen. They still ocassionally wash onshore on islands like Hawaii. Its crazy how much flotsam and jetsam there is in the ocean.
Every time I dive I stick trash I see in the pockets of my bcd and its a rare dive that I don’t come back with something. We have quite literally shit our nest. And if you dare say something you get laughed off as a hugger.

So laugh away. Rome is burning.

BKB

[johnboy]

I read an article the other day that micro plastic particles are now being found in our own organs. This can not be good. It bugs me that all the pundits and politicians rave on about co2 'pollution' but don't seem to care about plastic pollution.

[Arty]

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch itself is enough to make even the fiddlers think about the damage we’ve done. We haven’t had plastic that long all things considered. Fast forward 100 years from now, The ocean will be full enough to walk across it.

[airbud7]

No more plastic straws I tell ya!....Make it a law now!....:pistols

[Penguin]

I'm not sure anyone could laugh at what we are seeing around us Posty. Just about everyone can agree we've a problem the disagreement comes when trying to figure out what to do about it. It is almost a textbook case of "externalities". When considering the cleanup and associated costs, the retail price of plastic stuff doesn't come close to covering it. And on top of that it isn't just a US or Canada issue. Things done around the globe contribute to the problem. It is a libertarian's nightmare and watching them squirm when confronted with a problem like this is almost funny.

Outlawing straws? ~snort~ Talk about pissing in the ocean. I thought it was a joke the first time I heard of it.

The answer is as plain as the nose on your face: Bring the total associated costs of plastic up front and make the consumer pay for it. Period. The question is do we have the guts to do it.

Will

[BarryBobPosthole]

I think the plastic straw business was as much about taking a small step and promoting awareness of the issue as it was about preventic plastic pollution.

BKb

[LJ3]

The answer is as plain as the nose on your face: Bring the total associated costs of plastic up front and make the consumer pay for it. Period. The question is do we have the guts to do it.

Will

If we did, the industry around selling us water in stores would die the quick death it deserves. One the restaurants I frequent has stopped providing straws. You have to ask for one. That should solve the problem.

Also, maybe the huge plastic blob is what's actually causing the oceans to rise and and has nothing to do with global warming?

This seems like a topic better suited for after-doobie.

[johnboy]

Banning straws is just a way for useless politicians to show that they are 'doing something' about the plastics pollution problem when, in actual fact, they are not.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Banning straws is just a way for useless politicians to show that they are 'doing something' about the plastics pollution problem when, in actual fact, they are not.

I’m not trying to be contrary, John. But what about the politicians who are doing nothing at all? It almost seems like doing nothing at all is considered to be better than anything at all.

I agree the straw thing won’t solve doodly, but I’m also at a loss as to what we could ban that would pass muster with the public and be effective at reducing plastic trash?

BKb

[johnboy]

I think a big start would be the reduction of the amount of plastics used in packaging. It's crazy how much plastic is used to secure some useless gee gaw. Also make all plastic containers like water bottles returnable (we do that here). Add plastics to your recycle bin. We also do that here. Lots of things that can be done if we really want to address the problem.

I thought it ironic that the new lids for drinking containers that were intended to eliminate the need for plastic straws actually contained more plastic than the straws. Phooey!

I believe that this plastic pollution problem will haunt us in the future.

[DeputyDog]

If we did, the industry around selling us water in stores would die the quick death it deserves.

Funny you mentioned the selling of water. There is quite a controversy brewing in my area regarding a mayor of a small town in Ohio, who is planning on starting a business to tap into a huge aquifer that is the main water source for parts of three states and sell the water to Toledo and some of its suburbs. The aquifer is called the Michindoh aquifer and it is the main water source for at least nine, predominately rural, counties in Michingan, Indiana, and Ohio, thus the name. Some of the questions include "who owns the water?", does anyone have the right to sell water from the aquifer?", and can the aquifer recharge sufficiently to support the levels he wants to draw out daily?".


https://youtu.be/Ma-rQDWEwHo

[BarryBobPosthole]

Yep. Single use plastic stuff needs to be banished. If it can’t be recycled, then it doesn’t need to be mass produced.

‘Walmart bags’ (what we call all plastic shopping bags) are one of the most visible here. They blow everywhere. You can see them hanging from tree limbs all over the place. Go to a landfill and there are acres of them.

BKB

[Chicken Dinner]

Don’t get me started on water bottles. The waste is only part of the issue. Think of all the energy to bottle it and transport something that you can get by just turning in your spigot.


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[BarryBobPosthole]

I don’t know where this idiotic idea that you can’t drive across town without a bottle of water even came from. My wife had me pack a cooler with waters when we took the grands on a two mile hike last week. I reminded her I take a three mile walk almost every single day and manage just fine without a drink intil I get home.
I packed the ice chest in silence thereafter. But it is stupid.

BKB

[Chicken Dinner]

Tell me about it. We’ve even got a Brita filter in the fridge and my family members will grab a bottled water and take drink in the house.


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[johnboy]

I have a constant battle with the Missus about buying bottled water. Drives me nuts but she won't stop.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I freeze them and use them in my little six pack cooler of goodies I tale fishing with me. They double as ice and drinks.
BKB