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> The plastic-in-the-environment problem is mainly about collection. Collect it, bury it, and it will eventually turn back into oil. This is incredibly uninfor
by DoingIsLearning 6y ago
> The plastic-in-the-environment problem is mainly about collection. Collect it, bury it, and it will eventually turn back into oil.
This is incredibly uninformed and misleading. Burying it will not solve any problems, a PET bootle takes something like 450 years to fully breakdown, on top of that the particles released as it breaks down will be washed away into the subsoil and end up in ground water, then rivers, water supply, and eventually then back into the oceans.
Most plastics also have a hazardous health side effect they act as hormone disruptors, effectively mimicking estrogen. Having any additional plastic purposefully break down and leak in even greater concentrations, into our water supply, sounds like a remarkably poor idea.
- jacknews 6y agoIt will solve the PET problem for 450 years. But my point is less to do with how to treat waste, than the fact that the most important first step is to actually collect it. In much of the world, collection is not happening properly, which is why we see so much plastic waste washed into rivers and oceans. Of course if we create less waste to start with, that also helps, but that will only happen if manufacturers are pressured where it matters, the bottom line.