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Perhaps the best way to prevent pollution of the environment with plastics is to ban the export of plastics as garbage. Currently, much of the plastic pollution
by BirAdam 4y ago
Perhaps the best way to prevent pollution of the environment with plastics is to ban the export of plastics as garbage. Currently, much of the plastic pollution is due to dumping in 2nd world and 3rd world countries where rules on disposal are very lax. So, while many people are actually quite conscientious and dispose of their waste in the appropriate manner, the garbage then just gets exported and not disposed of in any way that is responsible. Stopping the export also forces the originator of the garbage to deal with their waste creation... so dual benefit.
Of course, eWaste is also a sizable contributor to plastic pollution and most people don't even think about disposable of these items. They either sell them, or they toss them in the garbage... sometimes with lithium batteries still in them which is extremely hazardous.
- crazygringo 4y agoNot sure why banning exporting would change anything. Plastic would just wind up in domestic landfills. It's not like countries are running out of landfill space.
- poulsbohemian 4y agoI suspect that is the parent commenter's point: If you can't externalize the problem, you are forced to deal with it. If you have to deal with it, chances are you won't just dump it in a landfill.
- SilasX 4y agoThe parent's point was that, given the non-scarcity thereof, they would just dump it in a landfill.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- marcosdumay 4y agoLandfills almost do not pollute. Plastic pollution is caused by bad management of it (and accidental loss) that spreads it into nature. Placing them in landfills is the right thing to do.
- lostlogin 4y ago> Plastic pollution is caused by bad management of it (and accidental loss) that spreads it into nature. The idea that nature is over there, not here and that the landfill site is somehow ok to ruin has strong vibes of the (fantastic) comedy segment where the oil spill happens outside the environment. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5qxZm_JqM https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5qxZm_JqM
- marcosdumay 4y agoThere is quite a bit of difference between an spill and some contained contamination of a very small volume.
- denton-scratch 4y agoMy home directly overlooks the River Thames. From my perspective, "contained" isn't the right word.
- Dylan16807 4y agoOkay...? Contained would mean not going in rivers, obviously. Why is it not the right word?
- denton-scratch 4y ago"Contained" implies that the problem is under control. It isn't.
- Dylan16807 4y ago
- jtbayly 4y ago> Plastic would just wind up in domestic landfills. Precisely. That's where they should end up. In this case, if you want to do your part, stop recycling plastic and start putting it in the trash where it belongs.
- gruez 4y ago>Perhaps the best way to prevent pollution of the environment with plastics is to ban the export of plastics as garbage. Strong disagree. There was a recent ourworldindata.org article that discusses this. It concludes: >I estimate that a few percent of ocean plastics could result from trade from rich countries. A figure as high as 5% would not be unreasonable. While 5% of ocean plastic waste isn't nothing, there are surely better ways to reduce overall plastic pollution than trying to target 5%. For instance, investing in better waste management systems in developing countries. https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-waste-trade https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-waste-trade
- L0stLink 4y agoIt is not just about ocean plastic. Garbage is burned as fuel too in less developed countries. Stopping dumping of garbage in 2nd and 3rd world countries by developed/first world countries is going to benefit the environment in more ways than just reducing ocean plastics. We need to hold waste producers accountable. We need a systemic change, more push to reuse and recycle, better laws to limit production of single use plastics and a push towards repairability to limit production of e-waste.
- sigstoat 4y ago> Garbage is burned as fuel too in less developed countries. Stopping dumping of garbage in 2nd and 3rd world countries by developed/first world countries is going to benefit the environment in more ways than just reducing ocean plastics. what do you expect they'll burn for power if we stop paying them to take stuff to burn?
- gruez 4y ago>It is not just about ocean plastic. Garbage is burned as fuel too in less developed countries. Stopping dumping of garbage in 2nd and 3rd world countries by developed/first world countries is going to benefit the environment in more ways than just reducing ocean plastics. But if only 2% of plastics worldwide is traded (source: same article I linked in my previous comment), and most of that is traded within the same region, how much waste could possibly end up getting shipped to less developed countries and burned? You'd still be better off trying to reduce domestic garbage production/burning in those countries.