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From: Cryptoengineer <petertrei@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written
Subject: Re: Pearls Before Swine: Rat The Luddite
Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2024 12:44:40 -0400
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On 8/14/2024 12:12 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote:
> Paul S Person <psperson@old.netcom.invalid> writes:
>> On Tue, 13 Aug 2024 22:15:25 -0700, The Horny Goat <lcraver@home.ca>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On Thu, 08 Aug 2024 18:35:55 GMT, scott@slp53.sl.home (Scott Lurndal)
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> The only solution is to completely eliminate single-use
>>>> plastics.    I'd even go so far as to include milk and
>>>> juice jugs in that ban (glass is far more recyclable
>>>> and aside shipping weight, similar in cost).
>>>>
>>>> Paper milk cartons can eliminate the plastic lid.
>>>
>>> What does "single use" mean? I understand in the context of fast food
>>> cups but how about less common items like those 4 liter milk jugs I
> 
> As noted below, I explicitly included 4liter/1gallon milk jugs.
> 
>>> get my milk in (and generally put out each week in the recycling bin)
>>> or similar such items - for instance my cheddar comes wrapped in
>>> plastic and once the cheese is eaten, that plastic wrapper isn't
>>> getting used again <grin>

Congratulations. Your jugs join the 9% of plastic that gets recycled
in America.

91% goes to the landfill or incinerator.

[...]
>>
>> There is a /reason/ we replaced glass with plastic, at least in some
>> cases.
> 
> The primary reason is shipping weight.

I'd challenge that: The primary reason is money.

Yes, lower shipping weight saves money, but I expect
much larger is the savings from not having to maintain
a recycling chain to recover, wash, and reuse bottles
strong enough to sustain multiple uses (you may remember
what old school Coke bottles were like).

I've seen one gallon glass milk jugs, but they're heavy
enough to need included handles. More often I've seen
milk delivery using pint bottles - multiple if the family
requests it.

>> Interestingly, while, until they were banned, one-time-use plastic
>> shopping bags were taxed (as were and still are papter one-time-use
>> paper bags), smaller bags used to contain fruits and veggies were
>> exempt, despite clearly being one-time-use.
> 
> The Trader Joes produce bags are biodegradable.

Single use plastic shopping bags are an interesting case of
tradeoffs. Banning them absolutely cuts down on unsightly
trash blowing around, but I've read that the 'resusable' bags
sold to replace them are so much heavier that they need to
be used hundreds of times before they pay off the extra
plastic used.

Paper bags I don't know enough to say, though I like them.


pt