Path: ...!news.mixmin.net!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: Dimensional Traveler Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.written Subject: Re: Pearls Before Swine: Rat The Luddite Date: Wed, 14 Aug 2024 18:13:46 -0700 Organization: A noiseless patient Spider Lines: 70 Message-ID: References: <17fobjtemh0r464olg57kk4b5j8ol72v3u@4ax.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Injection-Date: Thu, 15 Aug 2024 03:13:45 +0200 (CEST) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="03e7e0c072237eccf49af75754ed036a"; logging-data="715954"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1/Z3x2SgMx6tIssY4GxOv3c" User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird Cancel-Lock: sha1:fUiRaNPOXaVKcpacWKV2FrQFIb0= In-Reply-To: Content-Language: en-US Bytes: 4209 On 8/14/2024 9:44 AM, Cryptoengineer wrote: > On 8/14/2024 12:12 PM, Scott Lurndal wrote: >> Paul S Person writes: >>> On Tue, 13 Aug 2024 22:15:25 -0700, The Horny Goat >>> 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 > > 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. > I use cloth bags.... -- I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky dirty old man.