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I think bioplastic is a much, much better way to solve this than zero waste. We tried to do zero waste and the personal lifestyle overhead expense was near impo

I think bioplastic is a much, much better way to solve this than zero waste. We tried to do zero waste and the personal lifestyle overhead expense was near impossible. Have switched most things in the house to bioplastic, way better.

uxp8u61q 3y ago
Bioplastic is still plastic...
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- tmtvl 3y ago
  Yes, but it's not made of petrol. Petrol is the main bad thing, not the plastic. Yes, plastic itself also creates problems, but AFAIUI bioplastics are (can be?) more biodegradable than your standard petrol-derived polyethylene (of course that won't be the case if your bioplastic is PE made from ethanol, but that should be self-evident).
  - ChadNauseam 3y ago
    Why is petrol the bad thing?
  - uxp8u61q 3y ago
    Plastic waste is a huge, real problem. Biodegradable simply means it breaks down into small pieces that you cannot see anymore. They're still there.
    - Ma8ee 3y ago
      No, that is not true. But not all bioplastics are biodegradable.
      - uxp8u61q 3y ago
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradable_plastic#Controversy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradable_plastic#Controve... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradable_plastic#Environmental_concerns https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradable_plastic#Environm...
        Ma8ee 3y ago
        None of your links support your claim.
        uxp8u61q 3y ago
        > All materials are inherently biodegradable, whether it takes a few weeks or a million years to break down into organic matter and mineralize.[48] Therefore, products that are classified as “biodegradable” but whose time and environmental constraints are not explicitly stated are misinforming consumers and lack transparency.[44] Normally, credible companies convey the specific biodegradable conditions of their products, highlighting that their products are in fact biodegradable under national or international standards. Additionally, companies that label plastics with oxo-biodegradable additives as entirely biodegradable contribute to misinformation. Similarly, some brands may claim that their plastics are biodegradable when, in fact, they are non-biodegradable bioplastics. > Biodegradable plastics that have not fully degraded are disposed of in the oceans by waste management facilities with the assumption that the plastics will eventually break down in a short amount of time. However, the ocean is not optimal for biodegradation, as the process favors warm environments with an abundance of microorganisms and oxygen. Remaining microfibers that have not undergone biodegradation can cause harm to marine life.[62] Will I need to pull up a dictionary in my next comment because you'll still pretend not to understand?
        Ma8ee 3y ago
        Bring out the dictionary, because none of those paragraphs support your original claim that > Biodegradable simply means it breaks down into small pieces that you cannot see anymore. They're still there. The first paragraph you quote just says that some companies claim that materials that aren’t biodegradable in any meaningful way are biodegradable. The second paragraph you quote just says that some companies release the material into the ocean before it has finished degrading.
- Ma8ee 3y ago
  Of course it is. And while it is of course is good that we don’t pump more fossil fuels from the ground to us as raw materials, the rest is very much the same as normal plastics. Most isn’t compostable, and some are even harder to recycle (at least in current facilities).

uxp8u61q 3y ago

Bioplastic is still plastic...

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
tmtvl 3y ago
Yes, but it's not made of petrol. Petrol is the main bad thing, not the plastic. Yes, plastic itself also creates problems, but AFAIUI bioplastics are (can be?) more biodegradable than your standard petrol-derived polyethylene (of course that won't be the case if your bioplastic is PE made from ethanol, but that should be self-evident).
- ChadNauseam 3y ago
  Why is petrol the bad thing?
- uxp8u61q 3y ago
  Plastic waste is a huge, real problem. Biodegradable simply means it breaks down into small pieces that you cannot see anymore. They're still there.
  - Ma8ee 3y ago
    No, that is not true. But not all bioplastics are biodegradable.
    - uxp8u61q 3y ago
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradable_plastic#Controversy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradable_plastic#Controve... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradable_plastic#Environmental_concerns https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradable_plastic#Environm...
      - Ma8ee 3y ago
        None of your links support your claim.
        uxp8u61q 3y ago
        > All materials are inherently biodegradable, whether it takes a few weeks or a million years to break down into organic matter and mineralize.[48] Therefore, products that are classified as “biodegradable” but whose time and environmental constraints are not explicitly stated are misinforming consumers and lack transparency.[44] Normally, credible companies convey the specific biodegradable conditions of their products, highlighting that their products are in fact biodegradable under national or international standards. Additionally, companies that label plastics with oxo-biodegradable additives as entirely biodegradable contribute to misinformation. Similarly, some brands may claim that their plastics are biodegradable when, in fact, they are non-biodegradable bioplastics. > Biodegradable plastics that have not fully degraded are disposed of in the oceans by waste management facilities with the assumption that the plastics will eventually break down in a short amount of time. However, the ocean is not optimal for biodegradation, as the process favors warm environments with an abundance of microorganisms and oxygen. Remaining microfibers that have not undergone biodegradation can cause harm to marine life.[62] Will I need to pull up a dictionary in my next comment because you'll still pretend not to understand?
        Ma8ee 3y ago
        Bring out the dictionary, because none of those paragraphs support your original claim that > Biodegradable simply means it breaks down into small pieces that you cannot see anymore. They're still there. The first paragraph you quote just says that some companies claim that materials that aren’t biodegradable in any meaningful way are biodegradable. The second paragraph you quote just says that some companies release the material into the ocean before it has finished degrading.
Ma8ee 3y ago
Of course it is. And while it is of course is good that we don’t pump more fossil fuels from the ground to us as raw materials, the rest is very much the same as normal plastics. Most isn’t compostable, and some are even harder to recycle (at least in current facilities).