Pollution......we’re all going to die.

#51
#51
Grand Vol said:
Ban straws, but give out free plastic syringes with about ten times the amount of plastic inside...

You don't see the irony?

How is it Germany is so successful in their recycling efforts yet we fall so far behind?
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Germany's recycling laws are pretty draconian and wouldn't fly here. I can't see holding a manufacture responsible for the recycling of it's product/packaging after a consumer used it going over well.

Burn it for electricity is the most viable option IMO.
 
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#52
#52
Orangeslice13 said:
And no I’m not joking.
I think pollution....specifically plastics are going to be a global disaster soon if we don’t get serious about it quickly.
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America ain't the problem

We.... are not where you should be looking to for solution implementation
 
#53
#53
hog88 said:
Germany's recycling laws are pretty draconian and wouldn't fly here. I can't see holding a manufacture responsible for the recycling of it's product/packaging after a consumer used it going over well.

Burn it for electricity is the most viable option IMO.
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Actually, it's not mandated. It's just easier to use. Manufacturers are required to put a little green dot on recyclable materials so the consumer knows what to put into the bins. I'm not sure that's as "draconian" as you feel. But overall, it's easier to recycle there than here.

If you had the ability to leave your recycling outside your house at the curb, wouldn't you use that? If the local government/company provided you a can/bin/bags for the sole purpose of recycling free of charge, wouldn't you use that?

As for monetary expenses as Mick pointed out, there is a deposit on reusable glass bottles (namely beer) that come in a crate. It's included in the price, you consume, you return the rack of empty bottles to your favorite store, the "refund" gets charged against your next case or given to you at a service counter.
 
#54
#54
Grand Vol said:
Yeah, it is ironic. Take straws away, give sharp steel and massive amounts of single use plastic. Definition of ironic.

Anyway...

No, there is no monetary incentive. it's a national habit so to speak. I outlined it earlier in another thread, but here goes.

All paper, regardless of type (cardboard, paperboard, paper, anything but napkins/tissues) goes in a blue bin.

All recyclables (plastics to include bags/wraps/packing, Styrofoam and all metals) go in the yellow bin/bag.

Glass containers by color are all over the place. The furthest I had to walk was about a block to the glass bins.

Compostables go in a brown bin (this happened after I left)

Batteries were collected at the local supermarkets.

Everything else trash related goes into the trash container.
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No, there is nothing ironic about it, they recycle the needles as well. Show me the irony. They ban straws but a totally unrelated policy of a needle exchange makes the banning of the straws ironic?
 
#56
#56
Mick said:
No, there is nothing ironic about it, they recycle the needles as well. Show me the irony. They ban straws but a totally unrelated policy of a needle exchange makes the banning of the straws ironic?
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Again, see where we're at on the list of polluters.

Furthermore, why is it in many places plastic straws cannot and will not be recycled because of their content? Many are made from #6 plastic which most places won't accept. Why is that?
 
#57
#57
Mick said:
No, there is nothing ironic about it, they recycle the needles as well. Show me the irony. They ban straws but a totally unrelated policy of a needle exchange makes the banning of the straws ironic?
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Oh, and most of those plastic needles are required to be incinerated because they are "bio-hazardous medical waste." You want to talk about an exchange program like it's good for the environment...
 
#58
#58
Grand Vol said:
Actually, it's not mandated. It's just easier to use. Manufacturers are required to put a little green dot on recyclable materials so the consumer knows what to put into the bins. I'm not sure that's as "draconian" as you feel. But overall, it's easier to recycle there than here.

If you had the ability to leave your recycling outside your house at the curb, wouldn't you use that? If the local government/company provided you a can/bin/bags for the sole purpose of recycling free of charge, wouldn't you use that?

As for monetary expenses as Mick pointed out, there is a deposit on reusable glass bottles (namely beer) that come in a crate. It's included in the price, you consume, you return the rack of empty bottles to your favorite store, the "refund" gets charged against your next case or given to you at a service counter.
Click to expand...

The government provides the recycling service? I would be in favor of that. I think it's just not profitable in the United States for companies to do such a thing.
 
#59
#59
Grand Vol said:
Actually, it's not mandated. It's just easier to use. Manufacturers are required to put a little green dot on recyclable materials so the consumer knows what to put into the bins. I'm not sure that's as "draconian" as you feel. But overall, it's easier to recycle there than here.

If you had the ability to leave your recycling outside your house at the curb, wouldn't you use that? If the local government/company provided you a can/bin/bags for the sole purpose of recycling free of charge, wouldn't you use that?

As for monetary expenses as Mick pointed out, there is a deposit on reusable glass bottles (namely beer) that come in a crate. It's included in the price, you consume, you return the rack of empty bottles to your favorite store, the "refund" gets charged against your next case or given to you at a service counter.
Click to expand...

German industry pays for the recycling program which in turn is passed on to the consumer.

Maybe, I live in a area that doesn't have trash service so it would depend on what kind of a PITA it would be.

Growing up in VA there was a deposit on all glass bottles that you could turn in and get paid. That is a good system that I support. Plastic is a whole different animal though. Half or more of all plastic turned in for recycling still ends up in a landfill and that is why I'm a proponent of burning it all.
 
#60
#60
Grand Vol said:
Again, see where we're at on the list of polluters.

Furthermore, why is it in many places plastic straws cannot and will not be recycled because of their content? Many are made from #6 plastic which most places won't accept. Why is that?
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Capitalism, lack of standards, and lack of regulations..
 
#61
#61
Grand Vol said:
Ban straws, but give out free plastic syringes with about ten times the amount of plastic inside...

You don't see the irony?

How is it Germany is so successful in their recycling efforts yet we fall so far behind?
Click to expand...
Maybe because it has become revenue based? My county signed with a new recycling company and they no longer accept plastics like bottles, bags, etc because they are "not profitable". Wonder how profitable it is to continue to sort out the bottles I still put in there?
 
#63
#63
SpaceCoastVol said:
America ain't the problem

We.... are not where you should be looking to for solution implementation
Click to expand...


I believe we are a people set apart.
We should lead and not follow
We should be the head not the tail
The bringer of solution and not the causation of problems
The rescuers of all in need and not those who walk by in arrogance.




#thingsinTorah
 
#65
#65
Grand Vol said:
Oh, and most of those plastic needles are required to be incinerated because they are "bio-hazardous medical waste." You want to talk about an exchange program like it's good for the environment...
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It's been argued that there is no such thing as man made climate change as a result of the consumption of fossil fuels. Is it your contention that burning plastics is bad for the environment and should be regulated?
 
#67
#67
Mick said:
It's been argued that there is no such thing as man made climate change as a result of the consumption of fossil fuels. Is it your contention that burning plastics is bad for the environment and should be regulated?
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Burning anything on an industrial scale requires some regulation. The problem we have now is the regulations have gone overboard and eliminated the burning of trash for energy thus transferring the minimal pollution released into the air to massive pollution in the ground.
 
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#68
#68
utvolpj said:
Maybe because it has become revenue based? My county signed with a new recycling company and they no longer accept plastics like bottles, bags, etc because they are "not profitable". Wonder how profitable it is to continue to sort out the bottles I still put in there?
Click to expand...

The problem also comes that much of the recycling we "send in" is in turn shipped overseas for processing. That's also coming to a quick halt because of the saturation of the Chinese plants that do the processing.

However...

Why aren't we doing that here on a broader scale? Economics? It has to be (or could be) just as cheap to process stuff like that here.
 
#69
#69
Mick said:
It's been argued that there is no such thing as man made climate change as a result of the consumption of fossil fuels. Is it your contention that burning plastics is bad for the environment and should be regulated?
Click to expand...

You really are trying this morning...
 
#70
#70
Grand Vol said:
The problem also comes that much of the recycling we "send in" is in turn shipped overseas for processing. That's also coming to a quick halt because of the saturation of the Chinese plants that do the processing.

However...

Why aren't we doing that here on a broader scale? Economics? It has to be (or could be) just as cheap to process stuff like that here.
Click to expand...

Not really. When you take into account the labor needed for sorting the disposing of 1/2 of what you take in and then you have the air pollution controls required for these operations I can see why it's not profitable.
 
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#71
#71
Grand Vol said:
The problem also comes that much of the recycling we "send in" is in turn shipped overseas for processing. That's also coming to a quick halt because of the saturation of the Chinese plants that do the processing.

However...

Why aren't we doing that here on a broader scale? Economics? It has to be (or could be) just as cheap to process stuff like that here.
Click to expand...
I'm guessing OSHA, unions, govt regulations, etc can really eat into profits. I'm really not sure this is a private industry initiative but it is a necessary one. So let's get the socialism! scream out of the way and figure out a solution
 
#73
#73
utvolpj said:
I'm guessing OSHA, unions, govt regulations, etc can really eat into profits. I'm really not sure this is a private industry initiative but it is a necessary one. So let's get the socialism! scream out of the way and figure out a solution
Click to expand...

The solution is the obvious one. Fire.
 
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