Opinion The world is pumping out 57 million tons of plastic pollution a year

[emefer]

That is the situation.

If I go buy a full weeks groceries (which I mostly don't) I'm buying a few extra bags. It probably costs me an extra 40 or 50 bucks a year.

Most days I'm buying a few things and I just awkwardly carry them out.

They need like a "take a bag, leave a bag" bin or something because I have bags full of bags, and I can't even donate them because Goodwill does not accept them.

Try leaving them in your car

 

[Andy Capp]

Try leaving them in your car

We've covered that already lol

 

[emefer]

We've covered that already lol

Did anyone tell him to tie a string around his finger?

Hey, tie a string around your finger.

 

[Mr Holmes]

It's public ally available information, I'm not your secretary.

I can speak for my own area, which is Seattle... our local waste management service recycles less than 10% of their plastics, the rest is sent on barges to southeast Asia and China. That is from their own reports.

Why would "earth conscious' people send their plastic waste to counties that look like this?

I just thought since you were throwing out crazy claims about recycling being a scam you would have something to back it up. Thanks for the pic.

 

[emefer]

I just thought since you were throwing out crazy claims about recycling being a scam you would have something to back it up. Thanks for the pic.

 

[Andy Capp]

Certainly, reducing is the most important thing by far bar none.

 

[Mr Holmes]

Thanks, but I think I'll still recycle my plastic.

 

[scoopj]

Probably not. We're already engineering bacteria that can break down plastics. If nothing naturally evolves to break it down in the short term that's likely to be the fix. We'll just end up composting plastic.

That's unfortunate though, because the utility it provides by not biodegrading is probably its 3rd most important attribute behind elasticity and impermiability.

CO2 we have no answers for really. We can't get rid of it, we're not good at capturing it. We're not slowing production fast enough, and it's likely the damage already done would take too long to unwind to prevent some major problems.

No answers for CO2? You've heard of trees right?

 

[LeonardoBjj]

I’m astounded at how much garbage there is in the world. I have traveled all around the world and plastic is ingrained everywhere. I can’t help but not see it anymore, It’s the first thing I notice upon heading out the airport to where I’m going. Trash is literally everywhere and it’s certainly not getting any better. We simply can’t keep up with it.

It seems that many just don’t even care or are uneducated how much of an issue plastic is for the planet and humans. Over consumption is just out of control.

Humans are literally swimming in junk and it’s going to get a helluva a lot worse at the rate we are going. Our economy is based on purchasing more junk to keep this economic growth train going.

- Same. I remember some-type of a floating trash "insland" on the news more than 20 years ago. Now the population is bigger.

 

[LeonardoBjj]

TS banned legos for the OP

https://engoo.com.br/app/daily-news...ainable-bricks-by-2026/762oCmkUEe-bkhvnxalaXA

 

[LeonardoBjj]

Sadly I dont see it change anytime soon.
Plastic is everywhere, the substitute for it is shit.
I honestly dont think the industry is working hard enough to find a solution.
They are trying to put a spin on it and make it sound less dangerous.

In the medico industry there are some substitutes that seems to work. I hope it will lead the way.
But sadly, I doubt it.

Sweden put a heavy tax on plastic bags, which made people start using tote bags and multi use bag when going shopping. Now the government are lowering that tax and people will go back to buy plastic bags.

I doubt we see a solution for this problem with in the next 10 -15 years,

- I dont see also.

 

[Ron Mexico]

Certainly, reducing is the most important thing by far bar none.

I’m certainly doing my part
Now that Colorado charges for plastic bags, I use the free ones in the produce section to bag my stuff
They have those plastic bags everywhere

 

[fedoriswar37]

Why does the list of the worst plastic polluting countries in the world look exactly like the list of the countries which the west sends nearly all of it's "recycled" plastic?

If you live in the west and want to make sure your plastic doesn't end up in the ocean, throw it in the regular trash so it goes to a landfill in the your country, and not on a barge bound for an southeast Asian country that is most likely going to just dump it in a river.

Pretty much this. I'd rather it get crushed and buried.

 

[ColemanwastheGOAT]

I’m astounded at how much garbage there is in the world. I have traveled all around the world and plastic is ingrained everywhere. I can’t help but not see it anymore, It’s the first thing I notice upon heading out the airport to where I’m going. Trash is literally everywhere and it’s certainly not getting any better. We simply can’t keep up with it.

That's weird because where I live you never see trash ever. For hundreds of miles in every direction it's just beautiful farmland.

 

[lsa]

That's weird because where I live you never see trash ever. For hundreds of miles in every direction it's just beautiful farmland.

Sure bud sure.
There are even plastic deep down in the Mariana trench.

So not a single piece of plastic?
There is no way there is no trash for 100 of miles in any direction where you live.

 

[ColemanwastheGOAT]

Sure bud sure.
There are even plastic deep down in the Mariana trench.

So not a single piece of plastic?
There is no way there is no trash for 100 of miles in any direction where you live.

You should come out to the country some time. It's much better than living in whatever disgusting city you live in where you're surrounded by trash.

 

[lsa]

You should come out to the country some time. It's much better than living in whatever disgusting city you live in where you're surrounded by trash.

Derp.
I grew up in the country side.
Claiming there are no trash for 100 of miles is BS.
If there are people there will be trash.
Sadly its that simple.

There is no real trash free places anymore.

Also you have checked every inch of the farmland in every direction for 100 of miles?
Some how I doubt it.

 

[ColemanwastheGOAT]

Derp.
I grew up in the country side.
Claiming there are no trash for 100 of miles is BS.
If there are people there will be trash.
Sadly its that simple.

There is no real trash free places anymore.

Also you have checked every inch of the farmland in every direction for 100 of miles?
Some how I doubt it.

And north are millions of hectares of untamed wilderness. No garbage there either. Of course everything looks like shit when you live in a toilet.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

And north are millions of hectares of untamed wilderness. No garbage there either. Of course everything looks like shit when you live in a toilet.

Sure but you've still probably got microplastics in your water supply.

 

[Andy Capp]

By the way, as far as avoiding inadvertently eating micro-plastics goes, never microwave food in plastic containers.