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>The problem is that it's mixed in with a lot of other kinds of waste. We don't need new ways to destroy polyethylene. We need ways to separate it from mingled

>The problem is that it's mixed in with a lot of other kinds of waste. We don't need new ways to destroy polyethylene. We need ways to separate it from mingled waste streams or prevent mingling in the first place. We already have these ways, they are called waste separation and recycling. As a German, I've been separating my garbage for as long as I can think back: Plastics, paper, organic waste and whatever remains as residual waste. In addition to that, we have separate bins for glass bottles, if there's no bottle deposit on them. Residual waste bins are usually the smallest ones, so people are pretty much forced to separate their waste if they don't want their residual waste bin full after just one week. It's always weird to me when I'm in another country and everybody just throws everything into the same bin, bottles included, just feels so wrong to me at this point.

literallycancer 10y ago
Well, since you can't put food stained plastics in the plastic bin (or do you guys do it?), it has to go into the residual waste, and it's that way with many things.
- grzm 10y ago
  > you can't put food stained plastics in the plastic bin (or do you guys do it?) I believe this is something that varies.
- freeflight 10y ago
  >Well, since you can't put food stained plastics in the plastic bin. Why couldn't you? If it's just stained it's not much of an issue after all the food is biodegradable and will just rot on its own from bacteria and insects. There are some people actually washing out their plastic garbage to prevent bad smells coming from their plastic garbage bag. Imho that's a massive waste of water, just put the garbage bag somewhere where the smell does not bother anybody, the stuff is garbage after all so it's not supposed to smell like roses.
  - literallycancer 10y ago
    Lipids are an issue for the recycling process. Some people wash them yes, but then you spend more energy on washing than is saved by the recycling so it's kind of pointless.

literallycancer 10y ago

Well, since you can't put food stained plastics in the plastic bin (or do you guys do it?), it has to go into the residual waste, and it's that way with many things.

grzm 10y ago
> you can't put food stained plastics in the plastic bin (or do you guys do it?) I believe this is something that varies.
freeflight 10y ago
>Well, since you can't put food stained plastics in the plastic bin. Why couldn't you? If it's just stained it's not much of an issue after all the food is biodegradable and will just rot on its own from bacteria and insects. There are some people actually washing out their plastic garbage to prevent bad smells coming from their plastic garbage bag. Imho that's a massive waste of water, just put the garbage bag somewhere where the smell does not bother anybody, the stuff is garbage after all so it's not supposed to smell like roses.
- literallycancer 10y ago
  Lipids are an issue for the recycling process. Some people wash them yes, but then you spend more energy on washing than is saved by the recycling so it's kind of pointless.