5 ms·
I'd be happy to buy virtually all my packaged food in recyclable glass containers. I buy milk in bottles and return them for a refund and it's easy enough. Ama
by staunch 7y ago
I'd be happy to buy virtually all my packaged food in recyclable glass containers. I buy milk in bottles and return them for a refund and it's easy enough.
Amazon could make this move happen pretty quickly with amazon.com and Whole Foods. I'm sure there would be difficulties involved but they don't seem insurmountable.
- vuln 7y ago>shipping glass ... “difficulties” Yeah I’m sure they’d lose a ton of money. Glass is heavy and expensive plus the added liability of it breaking and a consumer reaching their hand inside.
- youeseh 7y agoThey could pilot it and charge a little extra.
- vuln 7y agoBut you’re still packing it cardboard and air filled plastic bags. It’s fragile has to be handled differently. Which means it’s more of a risk. Think of the robot that pierced the bear mace in a factory.
- youeseh 7y agoHey, I'm not saying it'd be easy. When I lived in the middle East the cola truck would deliver to residences and take away the empties each week.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- maxxxxx 7y ago"plus the added liability of it breaking and a consumer reaching their hand inside." Do people just make this stuff as up as a concern? There are plenty of areas where this is done without problems.
- userbinator 7y agoDrop a glass container and it's almost certainly going to shatter, contaminating whatever product it was carrying with dangerously tiny shards of glass. Drop a plastic container and it's going to dent or rupture at most, and the product it contains will likely still be recoverable.
- derp_dee_derp 7y agoPickles come in glass jars. so does salsa. So does some types of juice. I'm not sure why you are concerned about this because it is obviously not a big problem.
- chrisco255 7y agoIt is a problem, especially in transportation and distribution of products. It costs more for glass. It's heavier, there's more loss from breakage, etc. There's a reason society went from using glass for every container to plastic. Plastics are convenient, resilient to drops, lightweight, flexible, and easier to form in various shapes.
- okcando 7y agoThe point is that we already deal with glass through the entire process of production, distribution, use, and disposal and it is not a problem. Plastic is of course cheaper (ignoring externalities) and of course has advantageous qualities. That's why we use plastic. It is a good material. But we can deal with glass if we decide the true cost of plastic is too high, even if the glass breaks.
- darkpuma 7y ago> "There's a reason society went from using glass for every container to plastic." We didn't though. Glass is still the standard packaging for a wide range of products.
- 7y ago
- bencollier49 7y agoWe have milk delivered in glass bottles on our doorstep each morning. No difficulties.
- chrisco255 7y agoThey still do this in some cities?
- tfha 7y agoThey do it in Boston, I'm sure most other major cities have access to glass bottle milk delivery as well. If I recall correctly, it's $2.50 extra per bottle for the glass but you get $2.00 back if you return it on the next delivery.
- philipps 7y agoWhat company/service are you using in Boston?
- bencollier49 7y agoWe're in the UK. It's available in most towns.
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- darkpuma 7y agoLots of things come in glass already and it doesn't really seem to be a big deal. Spaghetti sauce, pickles, etc. Nobody thinks twice about any of that.
- layoutIfNeeded 7y agoThis. For some reason it’s only the water and softdrink manufacturers who have this hardon for plastic containers. Everyone else is happily putting all sorts of condiments and liquids in glassware.
- serf 7y ago>Glass is heavy and expensive plus the added liability of it breaking and a consumer reaching their hand inside. Plastic edges can cut you to the bone pretty easily. Clamshell package victims attest to this year after year. Can't I just go choke on a plastic bottle somewhere and swing the legal preference back the other way, if that's truly the issue? I agree with you on the weight aspect though. It'd be difficult to get goods producers to reduce their profits altruistically.
- chrisco255 7y agoImagine glass clamshell packaging, if you think plastic cuts are bad. It's also not about reducing profits or not. Consumer goods operate on very thin margins. Anything you do to increase packaging and distribution costs will be passed on in the price of the goods.
- tfha 7y agoYou'd only need to use glass for the last mile of the process for many items. Ship the bulk items in big metal containers and then switch to bottling at the stores.
- mevile 7y agoThe article points out that you're also getting the microplastics from the food you're eating and from just drinking tap water. Microplastics from your own packaging isn't included in the 120k total.
- remarkEon 7y agoWhich means the problem is likely worse.
- jetrink 7y agoA service called Loop[1] is currently being trialed that delivers goods using all reusable (not just recyclable) packaging. The service also picks up the used packaging. It is a collaboration between Walgreens and Kroger. 1. https://loopstore.com/ https://loopstore.com/
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]
- tyingq 7y agoYou can get water in aluminum cans. Pretty common when flying on a plane for example.
- steve19 7y agoAluminium cans are coated on the inside with plastic. Edit: here is a video showing what the lining looks like. https://youtu.be/EagzNomxTYg https://youtu.be/EagzNomxTYg