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The rate of new production is an upper limit on plastic pollution. Produce less and there is less to leak out into the environment. If you're still using the p

The rate of new production is an upper limit on plastic pollution. Produce less and there is less to leak out into the environment. If you're still using the plastic, then it's not currently degrading in the ocean.

marginalia_nu 4y ago
> If you're still using the plastic, then it's not currently degrading in the ocean. I'm curious why the ocean appears to be the terminal destination for plastics. After I throw it in the rubbish bin, which mechanism transports it to the pacific?
- b112 4y ago
  Because people try to recycle it, it gets shipped to a port, put on a barge, and lots falls off? Or it just gets dumped, when being sent overseas for "recycling"? I've said for decades, that each bit of plastic made, is less plastic used as fuel. Create the plastic, then after, bury it deep in a plastic landfill. It came from deep in the Earth, back it can go. Meanwhile, people have wild schemes to put CO2 deep in the Earth, and that's OK? When not used plastic?
  - sidibe 4y ago
    I'm not against burying plastic but the amount of carbon that's going to contain isn't going to make a big impact in terms of CO2 vs burying timber or other stuff that's much easier to collect in significant mass.
- ceejayoz 4y ago
  NOAA has you covered. A lot of it starts in the ocean; fishing gear and stuff falling off ships are big sources. https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/where-does-marine-debris-come/ocean-based-marine-debris https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/where-does-marine-debris-come/... Of the stuff that starts on land, it's often carried there by wind and river: https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/where-does-marine-debris-come/land-based-marine-debris https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/where-does-marine-debris-come/...
- aetherson 4y ago
  It's not! Landfills work fine. Ocean microplastic is overwhelmingly caused by countries that actually just throw their plastic in rivers. The US contributes a very small percentage of all environmental microplastic (like somewhere under 2%, maybe much under that).
  - aetherson 4y ago
    Here's a good article on the subject: https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-waste-trade https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-waste-trade
  - myshpa 4y ago
    A lot of microplastics also gets into the water from our clothing - one vector is via washing & drying machines.
    - ceejayoz 4y ago
      Plastic microbeads in cosmetics, as well.
    - waynesonfire 4y ago
      Plastic clothing should also be taxed to take into account externalities until natural, sustainable fibers are price competitive. Specific to washing machines, I wonder if there is an option for a micro plastic filter?
    - fomine3 4y ago
      Clothing is weirdly underrated factor. Straw is scapegoated for unknown reason.

marginalia_nu 4y ago

> If you're still using the plastic, then it's not currently degrading in the ocean. I'm curious why the ocean appears to be the terminal destination for plastics. After I throw it in the rubbish bin, which mechanism transports it to the pacific?

b112 4y ago
Because people try to recycle it, it gets shipped to a port, put on a barge, and lots falls off? Or it just gets dumped, when being sent overseas for "recycling"? I've said for decades, that each bit of plastic made, is less plastic used as fuel. Create the plastic, then after, bury it deep in a plastic landfill. It came from deep in the Earth, back it can go. Meanwhile, people have wild schemes to put CO2 deep in the Earth, and that's OK? When not used plastic?
- sidibe 4y ago
  I'm not against burying plastic but the amount of carbon that's going to contain isn't going to make a big impact in terms of CO2 vs burying timber or other stuff that's much easier to collect in significant mass.
ceejayoz 4y ago
NOAA has you covered. A lot of it starts in the ocean; fishing gear and stuff falling off ships are big sources. https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/where-does-marine-debris-come/ocean-based-marine-debris https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/where-does-marine-debris-come/... Of the stuff that starts on land, it's often carried there by wind and river: https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/where-does-marine-debris-come/land-based-marine-debris https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/where-does-marine-debris-come/...
aetherson 4y ago
It's not! Landfills work fine. Ocean microplastic is overwhelmingly caused by countries that actually just throw their plastic in rivers. The US contributes a very small percentage of all environmental microplastic (like somewhere under 2%, maybe much under that).
- aetherson 4y ago
  Here's a good article on the subject: https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-waste-trade https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-waste-trade
- myshpa 4y ago
  A lot of microplastics also gets into the water from our clothing - one vector is via washing & drying machines.
  - ceejayoz 4y ago
    Plastic microbeads in cosmetics, as well.
  - waynesonfire 4y ago
    Plastic clothing should also be taxed to take into account externalities until natural, sustainable fibers are price competitive. Specific to washing machines, I wonder if there is an option for a micro plastic filter?
  - fomine3 4y ago
    Clothing is weirdly underrated factor. Straw is scapegoated for unknown reason.