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The real problem with plastics is that they are really cheap.
by profvyas 6y ago
The real problem with plastics is that they are really cheap.
- xorfish 6y agoNo, the problem is missing infrastructure for waste processing.
- 29athrowaway 6y ago"Really cheap" in the short term perhaps. Very expensive in the long term. What price do you put in the extinction of a species? Millions of years of evolution flushed down the toilet so one person can have their disposable water bottle.
- DFHippie 6y agoThe problem is externalized cost: the people making the decision to use the plastics aren't the ones holding the bill for its disposal.
- peteretep 6y agowhich is because they don't have externalities priced in
- nostromo 6y agoIt’s more that plastics are a byproduct of oil production. As oil consumption falls, plastics will rise in price as there is less raw materials produced by oil refining. Much like if demand for beef and milk fell, leather could be more expensive.
- johnisgood 6y agoWhat do you propose, how should it be resolved? What would your proposal's potential consequences be (both cons and pros)?
- dmos62 6y agoI guess the suggestion you're trying to tease out is that disposable plastics are prohibitively taxed and people adjust to living with reusable containers. Cons: people have to adjust and the plastic lobby might suffer.