3 ms·

Didn't the price of the actual barrel became more onerous than the product itself during covid?

by pelagicAustral 2y ago

Swoerd123 2y ago
This is common for a huge number of products, ranging from cosmetics, consumables, pharmaceuticals, bottled water, etc.
- HPsquared 2y ago
  For carbon footprint also, I believe. For bottled water at least, manufacturing the bottle has by far the most environmental impact, even more so than the shipping/transportation part of the process (which you'd think would be severe, as water is heavy).
  - thmsths 2y ago
    That's an interesting tidbit. Every time there is a suggestion we switch to reusable glass bottles instead of plastic, someone raises the issue of the extra weight of the bottle which will lead to greater carbon emissions during transport. But if, as you say the largest emission comes from manufacturing the plastic bottle, not the transport of the bottle AND the content; then it seems possible to lower the carbon footprint by switching to glass (on top of the other advantages like reducing landfill use/litterring/environmental pollution).
    - moralestapia 2y ago
      >someone raises the issue of the extra weight of the bottle which will lead to greater carbon emissions during transport Lmao, that's on the order of 1-2%.
    - vanattab 2y ago
      Maybe both making a glass and plastic bottle take more energy to make then in transport? And or you have to transport the empties back to clean and refill?
      - yetihehe 2y ago
        Cleaning will use almost as much water and much more energy than filling it. In industrial settings you must be REALLY sure that the bottle is clean, so a lot of hot water.
pydry 2y ago
in one market oil prices even went negative so presumably, yeah.
duped 2y ago
My understanding from some of these articles is that oil isn't literally transported in barrels the vast majority of the time, it's in tanker trucks/rail cars/ships moving from source to refinery to retail the whole way. Part of what makes it fun to "buy a barrel of oil" is that you can't go many places and ask for a barrel, you need to bring the thing to put it in (like a tanker truck or rail car).

Didn't the price of the actual barrel became more onerous than the product itself during covid?

Swoerd123 2y ago

This is common for a huge number of products, ranging from cosmetics, consumables, pharmaceuticals, bottled water, etc.

HPsquared 2y ago
For carbon footprint also, I believe. For bottled water at least, manufacturing the bottle has by far the most environmental impact, even more so than the shipping/transportation part of the process (which you'd think would be severe, as water is heavy).
- thmsths 2y ago
  That's an interesting tidbit. Every time there is a suggestion we switch to reusable glass bottles instead of plastic, someone raises the issue of the extra weight of the bottle which will lead to greater carbon emissions during transport. But if, as you say the largest emission comes from manufacturing the plastic bottle, not the transport of the bottle AND the content; then it seems possible to lower the carbon footprint by switching to glass (on top of the other advantages like reducing landfill use/litterring/environmental pollution).
  - moralestapia 2y ago
    >someone raises the issue of the extra weight of the bottle which will lead to greater carbon emissions during transport Lmao, that's on the order of 1-2%.
  - vanattab 2y ago
    Maybe both making a glass and plastic bottle take more energy to make then in transport? And or you have to transport the empties back to clean and refill?
    - yetihehe 2y ago
      Cleaning will use almost as much water and much more energy than filling it. In industrial settings you must be REALLY sure that the bottle is clean, so a lot of hot water.

pydry 2y ago

in one market oil prices even went negative so presumably, yeah.

duped 2y ago

My understanding from some of these articles is that oil isn't literally transported in barrels the vast majority of the time, it's in tanker trucks/rail cars/ships moving from source to refinery to retail the whole way. Part of what makes it fun to "buy a barrel of oil" is that you can't go many places and ask for a barrel, you need to bring the thing to put it in (like a tanker truck or rail car).