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First world problem but I always ponder what I’d do if we ever stopped recycling plastic. It would take up so much space in my trash can I’d be emptying three

First world problem but I always ponder what I’d do if we ever stopped recycling plastic. It would take up so much space in my trash can I’d be emptying three times a day. I’m pretty sure I’d still separate the plastic and cardboard into a separate bin just for sanity?

art0rz 4y ago
A new waste processing plant was recently opened near my hometown (Amsterdam) which is able to sort plastic from waste automatically, so we're able to mix plastic and waste in one bin. It's pretty amazing, but plastic packaging can be so bulky that my bin has started filling up much faster than before and trips to the bin outside have become much more frequent.
- KerrAvon 4y ago
  you could still separate internally for your convenience and just combine them at the exterior bin, you know
raspberry1337 4y ago
How much plastic do you trash per day !?
- pixl97 4y ago
  In theory it could be very little by mass, but a large space by volume. There are are any number of clamshell plastic containers and Styrofoam replacements covered under this. Very hard to crush unless they remain under pressure. In a home they commonly require cutting into smaller pieces. If someone is running a small business from their house the amount of trash produced per day can be staggering.
  - BeetleB 4y ago
    > There are are any number of clamshell plastic containers and Styrofoam replacements covered under this. Not sure where you live, but everywhere I lived does not accept these into recycling - so I assume these don't account for what the commenter was saying.
    - pixl97 4y ago
      Where I live the recycling just says 'plastic' and you can (annoyingly) throw pretty much whatever you want in there without penalty. Recycling is very inconsist in the US.
orev 4y ago
The point is that we’re not actually recycling plastic. Never have been. It’s all been a sham and being burned or shipped off to other countries (and many times those bins on the ships “accidentally” just get dumped in the ocean. Secondly, if you’re personally generating that much plastic per day, I think the first step in your personal journey should be to re-evaluate how that’s happening and change your habits to reduce it. Making that much waste isn’t normal or healthy.

art0rz 4y ago

A new waste processing plant was recently opened near my hometown (Amsterdam) which is able to sort plastic from waste automatically, so we're able to mix plastic and waste in one bin. It's pretty amazing, but plastic packaging can be so bulky that my bin has started filling up much faster than before and trips to the bin outside have become much more frequent.

KerrAvon 4y ago
you could still separate internally for your convenience and just combine them at the exterior bin, you know

raspberry1337 4y ago

How much plastic do you trash per day !?

pixl97 4y ago
In theory it could be very little by mass, but a large space by volume. There are are any number of clamshell plastic containers and Styrofoam replacements covered under this. Very hard to crush unless they remain under pressure. In a home they commonly require cutting into smaller pieces. If someone is running a small business from their house the amount of trash produced per day can be staggering.
- BeetleB 4y ago
  > There are are any number of clamshell plastic containers and Styrofoam replacements covered under this. Not sure where you live, but everywhere I lived does not accept these into recycling - so I assume these don't account for what the commenter was saying.
  - pixl97 4y ago
    Where I live the recycling just says 'plastic' and you can (annoyingly) throw pretty much whatever you want in there without penalty. Recycling is very inconsist in the US.

orev 4y ago

The point is that we’re not actually recycling plastic. Never have been. It’s all been a sham and being burned or shipped off to other countries (and many times those bins on the ships “accidentally” just get dumped in the ocean. Secondly, if you’re personally generating that much plastic per day, I think the first step in your personal journey should be to re-evaluate how that’s happening and change your habits to reduce it. Making that much waste isn’t normal or healthy.