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What are you talking about? No one actually needs single-use plastics; they're a wholly unnecessary, superfluous byproduct of consumer capitalism. Unless there'

What are you talking about? No one actually needs single-use plastics; they're a wholly unnecessary, superfluous byproduct of consumer capitalism. Unless there's some medical applications I'm not aware of, the world would be a better place if most single-use plastics disappeared tomorrow.

dang 7y ago
We've asked you many times to stop being uncivil in HN comments. If you don't stop, we are going to have to ban you. We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19902164 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19902164 and marked it off-topic.
kyrieeschaton 7y ago
Single use plastics (eg diapers, syringes, many dressings, nitrile gloves, surgical tubing, surgical sutures, saline bags, and so on) are a primary medical supply.
fjp 7y ago
While you are correct, I do believe that these feel-good campaigns distract from the corporate polluters that cause the vast vast majority of these problems. If you get people fighting over straws which are some exceedingly small amount of overall ocean plastics and pollution, then no one's gonna pay attention to the real villains.
- EForEndeavour 7y ago
  > If you get people fighting over straws which are some exceedingly small amount of overall ocean plastics and pollution, then no one's gonna pay attention to the real villains. Plastic straws are a negligible fraction of plastic pollution, but they represent much more than that. Viral attention on plastic straws serves as a convenient lever by which the broader topic of environmental stewardship is pushed to the forefront of peoples' minds, indirectly achieving the goal of cleaning up the world. At least, that's what I hope, not what I expect. Sure, some people will react with supercilious contempt at the hordes of selectively ignorant masses signalling virtue with their social-media images of strawless drinks. It's not like their personal choices are saving turtles, let alone the oceans. But this misses the point: the anti-straw campaign reminds entire populations that people collectively throw away too much plastic, and that things need to change -- at all levels, from the individual upward.
Footkerchief 7y ago
Absent a cost-benefit analysis, making the world a better place is not a useful heuristic for the effectiveness of policy.
Nextgrid 7y ago
> superfluous byproduct of consumer capitalism The same can be said about most quality of life improvements, doesn’t mean they’re unnecessary. I enjoy the time throwaway cutlery saves me so I can spend it on something more productive, instead of having to carry dirty cutlery around until I get home.

dang 7y ago

We've asked you many times to stop being uncivil in HN comments. If you don't stop, we are going to have to ban you. We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19902164 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19902164 and marked it off-topic.

kyrieeschaton 7y ago

Single use plastics (eg diapers, syringes, many dressings, nitrile gloves, surgical tubing, surgical sutures, saline bags, and so on) are a primary medical supply.

fjp 7y ago

While you are correct, I do believe that these feel-good campaigns distract from the corporate polluters that cause the vast vast majority of these problems. If you get people fighting over straws which are some exceedingly small amount of overall ocean plastics and pollution, then no one's gonna pay attention to the real villains.

EForEndeavour 7y ago
> If you get people fighting over straws which are some exceedingly small amount of overall ocean plastics and pollution, then no one's gonna pay attention to the real villains. Plastic straws are a negligible fraction of plastic pollution, but they represent much more than that. Viral attention on plastic straws serves as a convenient lever by which the broader topic of environmental stewardship is pushed to the forefront of peoples' minds, indirectly achieving the goal of cleaning up the world. At least, that's what I hope, not what I expect. Sure, some people will react with supercilious contempt at the hordes of selectively ignorant masses signalling virtue with their social-media images of strawless drinks. It's not like their personal choices are saving turtles, let alone the oceans. But this misses the point: the anti-straw campaign reminds entire populations that people collectively throw away too much plastic, and that things need to change -- at all levels, from the individual upward.

Footkerchief 7y ago

Absent a cost-benefit analysis, making the world a better place is not a useful heuristic for the effectiveness of policy.

Nextgrid 7y ago

> superfluous byproduct of consumer capitalism The same can be said about most quality of life improvements, doesn’t mean they’re unnecessary. I enjoy the time throwaway cutlery saves me so I can spend it on something more productive, instead of having to carry dirty cutlery around until I get home.