4 ms·

Reusable cups and paper straws aren't for climate change. They're for the quite unreasonable landfill scare. The people who subscribe to that belief have no ide

Reusable cups and paper straws aren't for climate change. They're for the quite unreasonable landfill scare. The people who subscribe to that belief have no idea beyond "plastic = bad" and "landfills = bad". Sometimes they try to link it to climate change for added credibilty though.

wwweston 7y ago
> The people who subscribe to that belief have no idea beyond "plastic = bad" So... you're saying that there's not an accumulation of plastic waste / microplastics in the environment, or that we know any impacts or benign or negligible? Good news if true, would like to know what position there's the most credible evidence for. > and "landfills = bad". I'm a fan of consumer goods, so naturally it's convenient for me if landfills == good, but I also tend to wonder (a) exactly how effectively they isolate waste issues from, say, groundwater or other environmental circulation and (b) if there might be some volume threshold past which landfills aren't an adequate solution for addressing waste streams.
- aforwardslash 7y ago
  Most western countries have proper regulation regarding waste disposal. Plastic pollution is a big is a big issue, but wont be solved while big economies decide to export their waste to places with less strict regulations. This is - in my opinion - the point that needs pressure from conscious citizens. We are only now starting to measure up the microplastics impact and their origin. Switching to reusable cups is a drop in the ocean, when tons of the stuff is released by simply washing clothes or makeup off your face.
  - grive 7y ago
    > Most western countries have proper regulation regarding waste disposal. > wont be solved while big economies decide to export their waste Western countries do not have proper regulations if one of the possible outcome for waste is to be exported where those regulations do not exist.
    - aforwardslash 7y ago
      They do. Keep in mind, most of the produced residues arent recyclable or compostable. What gets exported is a small fraction of it. Could legislation be better? That was my point.

wwweston 7y ago

> The people who subscribe to that belief have no idea beyond "plastic = bad" So... you're saying that there's not an accumulation of plastic waste / microplastics in the environment, or that we know any impacts or benign or negligible? Good news if true, would like to know what position there's the most credible evidence for. > and "landfills = bad". I'm a fan of consumer goods, so naturally it's convenient for me if landfills == good, but I also tend to wonder (a) exactly how effectively they isolate waste issues from, say, groundwater or other environmental circulation and (b) if there might be some volume threshold past which landfills aren't an adequate solution for addressing waste streams.

aforwardslash 7y ago
Most western countries have proper regulation regarding waste disposal. Plastic pollution is a big is a big issue, but wont be solved while big economies decide to export their waste to places with less strict regulations. This is - in my opinion - the point that needs pressure from conscious citizens. We are only now starting to measure up the microplastics impact and their origin. Switching to reusable cups is a drop in the ocean, when tons of the stuff is released by simply washing clothes or makeup off your face.
- grive 7y ago
  > Most western countries have proper regulation regarding waste disposal. > wont be solved while big economies decide to export their waste Western countries do not have proper regulations if one of the possible outcome for waste is to be exported where those regulations do not exist.
  - aforwardslash 7y ago
    They do. Keep in mind, most of the produced residues arent recyclable or compostable. What gets exported is a small fraction of it. Could legislation be better? That was my point.