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thinking about how this works, it just astounds me how clever and creative it is from the industry standpoint. capture a word, then redefine it to conform to a
by nimbius 3y ago
thinking about how this works, it just astounds me how clever and creative it is from the industry standpoint. capture a word, then redefine it to conform to an existing effort.
Modern recycling transfers plastic waste away from capitalisms best consumers (the west) and burdens it upon its least visible (the third world.) Its like a black hole for all the immediate problems of the indelible hell you've created. in electronics recycling has an added bonus for elites as it generates scavenging jobs for children and adults alike, further cementing their class status through subsistence poverty.
the cult of recycling will continue just as long it continues to ensure plastic detritus doesnt impinge upon elites, and this is evidenced by things like plastic bag bans which exist predominantly in affluent western cities. Once no one wanted to "recycle" the bags anymore, (or consumers couldnt be counted on to behave properly and accept "recycling") the bags were just banned or taxed.
perhaps the most damning impact to recycling in the 21st century has been Chinas realization that it is a garbage shipping scheme and promptly banning waste import from the west. That certainly sent "recyclers" scrambling for a new "partner" for a time.
the only way to stop "recycling" is to do something akin to that which Germany does: emburden the capitalist with their waste and allow shoppers to return the various detritus directly to them. we do this to a limited extent in the USA, forcing electronics stores and auto repair shops to accept waste oils, batteries, and electronics, but it pales in contrast to what some european countries force their profiteers to acquiesce.
- hn72774 3y agoSingle use plastic bags were banned here. Two things happened as a result - the plastic thickness was increased so they can call them reusable instead of single use, and stores started charging for them. Instead of reducing plastic waste it had the opposite effect.
- switch007 3y ago> it had the opposite effect. Are you saying that the annual total tonnage of plastic bags increased?
- CubsFan1060 3y agoI think something like this is really on people. It isn't really hard to use your same bag hundreds of times. It also isn't hard to just not use a bag (I regularly just wheel items out to the car, put them in a box I have there, then take the box inside). If individuals can't be bothered with simple things like this, is there really any hope that any law will help?
- hn72774 3y ago> If individuals can't be bothered with simple things like this, is there really any hope that any law will help? I personally think that the law is a waste of taxpayer resources. In the end, stores are still offering plastic bags.
- monkey_monkey 3y agoOf course it didn't have the opposite effect. It's now very much the norm (where I am) for people to bring these bags to the supermarket / grocery to pack their goods. And to back up my claim: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/31/government-urged-to-repeat-success-of-plastic-bag-charge https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/31/governme... "Supermarket plastic bag charge has led to 98% drop in use in England, data shows"