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Is there some life cycle assessment (LCA) writeup somewhere on the whole plastics issue? From what it looks "recycling" was big lie due to no accountablity? So
by mxfh 8y ago
Is there some life cycle assessment (LCA) writeup somewhere on the whole plastics issue? From what it looks "recycling" was big lie due to no accountablity? So all consumer facing regulation in societies with a working waste disposal system is pretty much pointless, if the mess is on the systems top end side.
In Germany, I now get everything in single use paper bags as the default, if I don't intervene, which I see as worse environmental impact, the then few grams of plastic bags we had before.
As long as you have a closed system, with near 100% waste caputure, no plastic should end up in the wild when accountability is enforced through all waste management transactions.
So I'm still not shure, how this whole garbage patch topic connects to consumer policies in countries with working closed disposal systems, is this just activism to distract from inability to control the systemic issues here?
- throwaway12iii 8y agoPeople try really hard in Germany. But it's still only at something like 40% of stuff recycled. Also, most of that "recycling" means "burn it" for energy. Beer bottles do remarkably well in Germany. Mostly because a lot of the beer drank is by major brands who Reuse the bottles, and there are good money incentives for people to bring them back (or give them to homeless so they do). Beer bottles don't get moved very far on trucks burning fossil fuels. That system is one of the best in Germany and the world. Moral of the story 1: drink beer like Germans. Moral 2: Even in societies that try really hard to recycle well... they still mostly fail.