5 ms·

Vending machines for everything seems pretty unsustainable. Is everything made of paper or something?

bobthepanda 5y ago
Cans have an extremely high recycling rate because (unlike plastic) it costs a lot more energy to get the stuff out of the ground than to melt it down and reuse. Cans are also fairly easy to get back clean (unlike plastic), and they don't degrade as much as plastic does. In the US, which is not very good at recycling at all, the EPA estimates that 70% of cans are recycled: https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/ferrous-metals-material-specific-data https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-... In Japan, recycling rates for cans are about 94%. https://recycling.world-aluminium.org/regional-reports/japan/ https://recycling.world-aluminium.org/regional-reports/japan...
- fomine3 5y ago
  Also collection rates for PET bottles is above > 90% in Japan. Some are recycled, other are "thermal recycled" that means just burn as a fuel. (IMO just burn is better because it works as a fuel instead of brand new fuels) https://ccet.jp/events/growth-pet-bottle-recycling-japan https://ccet.jp/events/growth-pet-bottle-recycling-japan
- arthurcolle 5y ago
  Is aluminum used for both hot and cold items? I haven't been to Japan so just curious. I was just imagining little disposable thermoses and thinking that maybe that isn't the move - but yeah it's an interesting subject. I try to avoid plastic cups a la $SBUX when I want to just grab a coffee so go to a place with little ceramic espresso demitasses instead of some plastic shell that will become a waste product. I just moved down to Miami and it is pretty crazy how bad communities are about recycling down here. I rarely see specific recycle bins in almost any establishments, and my apartment specifically didn't have dedicated recycling dumpsters. Not sure if maybe they hide it or something, but definitely something to think about.
  - bobthepanda 5y ago
    I've only visited; when I've had one, I would call it "warm" rather than "hot", mostly because when I think of hot coffee in the US I think of things that are too hot to drink like that McDonald's lawsuit. Google says there are a few ways around the "hot metal can" problem, like an insulated label. Interestingly enough, Japan has some public trash cans, but not a whole lot in general; the cultural expectation is to bring it home and sort it there. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-23/where-are-all-the-trash-cans-in-japanese-cities https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-23/where-are...
    - dustintrex 5y ago
      Japan used to have quite a few public trash cans, but they were widely removed particularly from public transport as a security theater overreaction to the Tokyo sarin subway attacks in 1995. But drink vending machines do nearly universally have a trash can next to them, which is (supposed to be) used only for recycling cans.
    - handrous 5y ago
      > like an insulated label. I've had beer cans in the US that used these. They feel really, really weird. Can's been in the fridge for three hours, but feels barely under room temp (because you're touching the insulated label, not the metal)
tonyedgecombe 5y ago
The vending machine in my local shop has a stack of paper cups you pull from, I don't see why you couldn't bring your own cup.

Cans have an extremely high recycling rate because (unlike plastic) it costs a lot more energy to get the stuff out of the ground than to melt it down and reuse. Cans are also fairly easy to get back clean (unlike plastic), and they don't degrade as much as plastic does. In the US, which is not very good at recycling at all, the EPA estimates that 70% of cans are recycled: https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/ferrous-metals-material-specific-data https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-... In Japan, recycling rates for cans are about 94%. https://recycling.world-aluminium.org/regional-reports/japan/ https://recycling.world-aluminium.org/regional-reports/japan...

fomine3 5y ago
Also collection rates for PET bottles is above > 90% in Japan. Some are recycled, other are "thermal recycled" that means just burn as a fuel. (IMO just burn is better because it works as a fuel instead of brand new fuels) https://ccet.jp/events/growth-pet-bottle-recycling-japan https://ccet.jp/events/growth-pet-bottle-recycling-japan
arthurcolle 5y ago
Is aluminum used for both hot and cold items? I haven't been to Japan so just curious. I was just imagining little disposable thermoses and thinking that maybe that isn't the move - but yeah it's an interesting subject. I try to avoid plastic cups a la $SBUX when I want to just grab a coffee so go to a place with little ceramic espresso demitasses instead of some plastic shell that will become a waste product. I just moved down to Miami and it is pretty crazy how bad communities are about recycling down here. I rarely see specific recycle bins in almost any establishments, and my apartment specifically didn't have dedicated recycling dumpsters. Not sure if maybe they hide it or something, but definitely something to think about.
- bobthepanda 5y ago
  I've only visited; when I've had one, I would call it "warm" rather than "hot", mostly because when I think of hot coffee in the US I think of things that are too hot to drink like that McDonald's lawsuit. Google says there are a few ways around the "hot metal can" problem, like an insulated label. Interestingly enough, Japan has some public trash cans, but not a whole lot in general; the cultural expectation is to bring it home and sort it there. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-23/where-are-all-the-trash-cans-in-japanese-cities https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-23/where-are...
  - dustintrex 5y ago
    Japan used to have quite a few public trash cans, but they were widely removed particularly from public transport as a security theater overreaction to the Tokyo sarin subway attacks in 1995. But drink vending machines do nearly universally have a trash can next to them, which is (supposed to be) used only for recycling cans.
  - handrous 5y ago
    > like an insulated label. I've had beer cans in the US that used these. They feel really, really weird. Can's been in the fridge for three hours, but feels barely under room temp (because you're touching the insulated label, not the metal)

tonyedgecombe 5y ago

The vending machine in my local shop has a stack of paper cups you pull from, I don't see why you couldn't bring your own cup.