So Apparently “Recycled” Plastic Was Always a Lie

Recommended Videos

Dalisclock

Making lemons combustible again
Legacy
Escapist +
Feb 9, 2008
11,286
7,086
118
A Barrel In the Marketplace
Country
Eagleland
Gender
Male
Oh god, we really are gonna have anti-reusable bag people in the world aren't we...? Oh, we probably already do. That's my Sunday ruined.
We have people out there that think Public Transport is a conspiracy to control the population, which is why they oppose spending any money on it. I wish I was making this shit up.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lil devils x

lil devils x

🐐More Lego Goats Please!🐐
Legacy
May 1, 2020
3,330
1,045
118
Country
🐐USA🐐
Gender
♀
We have people out there that think Public Transport is a conspiracy to control the population, which is why they oppose spending any money on it. I wish I was making this shit up.
You sound like Texas politicians as to why we cannot have universal public transport in Texas..
 
  • Like
Reactions: SupahEwok

SilentPony

Previously known as an alleged "Feather-Rustler"
Legacy
Apr 3, 2020
12,060
2,477
118
Corner of No and Where
This is sad. I've had a running debate with my siblings that individual recycling/green projects don't make any difference and its the mega-corporations that do the most damage, and this is basically the proof of it. I never wanted to be right in this one.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lil devils x

McElroy

Elite Member
Legacy
Apr 3, 2013
4,625
395
88
Finland
It can be done just fine (depends on one's definition of fine), but it isn't carbon negative for the most part. Plastic is burnt in high-heat garbage disposal incinerators so it's a clean burn. Collecting plastic for recycling is the hardest part, because 1) the sorting has to be precise 2) disposed plastic can't be dirty 3) plastic has to be transported and that creates emissions.
 

lil devils x

🐐More Lego Goats Please!🐐
Legacy
May 1, 2020
3,330
1,045
118
Country
🐐USA🐐
Gender
♀
It can be done just fine (depends on one's definition of fine), but it isn't carbon negative for the most part. Plastic is burnt in high-heat garbage disposal incinerators so it's a clean burn. Collecting plastic for recycling is the hardest part, because 1) the sorting has to be precise 2) disposed plastic can't be dirty 3) plastic has to be transported and that creates emissions.
The problem with what they call a " clean burn" is those discussing the Air pollution, atmosphere depletion in the articles above were stating that they were still detecting chemical and gases being released from the incinerators both in the air and then in the soil and water of the surrounding communities as a result.
 

McElroy

Elite Member
Legacy
Apr 3, 2013
4,625
395
88
Finland
The problem with what they call a " clean burn" is those discussing the Air pollution, atmosphere depletion in the articles above were stating that they were still detecting chemical and gases being released from the incinerators both in the air and then in the soil and water of the surrounding communities as a result.
Looks like your articles have a way to go, eh?
 

Agema

Overhead a rainbow appears... in black and white
Legacy
Mar 3, 2009
9,917
7,080
118
I'm sure they had a report on something like this in the UK.

The headline was that nearly half of plastic waste is recycled. Except that turned out to be sent for recycling, not actually recycled. In fact much ofwhat was "sent for recycling" went to landfill, was burnt, or sent to places like Indonesia and Malaysia, where it tended to be turned into landfill or burnt.
 

lil devils x

🐐More Lego Goats Please!🐐
Legacy
May 1, 2020
3,330
1,045
118
Country
🐐USA🐐
Gender
♀
Looks like your articles have a way to go, eh?
What? I don't think they are offering a viable solution either. That is why we have a constant back and forth between those focused on air pollution, greenhouse gases and atmosphere depletion arguing with those focused on soil and water contamination. The truth is we get BOTH either way. The communities surrounding the incinerators are not only having their air contaminated, their soil and water is as well. The people burying the plastic it is still resulting in the chemicals being released into the air while it breaks down over time. The truth is we do not have a " good" solution yet.

Maybe if we go the incinerator route and Utilize the filters they claim can catch the chemicals released, then store the filters away like nuclear waste until we can find a solution to address that. Either way, it isn't going to really make that much difference unless we can stop the creation of it and that doesn't seem to be happening yet. When we outlaw one chemical that we show to be bad, they start using another one we have not collected as much data on, then it turns out that chemical is bad too. It just doesn't seem to stop.
 

lil devils x

🐐More Lego Goats Please!🐐
Legacy
May 1, 2020
3,330
1,045
118
Country
🐐USA🐐
Gender
♀
I'm sure they had a report on something like this in the UK.

The headline was that nearly half of plastic waste is recycled. Except that turned out to be sent for recycling, not actually recycled. In fact much ofwhat was "sent for recycling" went to landfill, was burnt, or sent to places like Indonesia and Malaysia, where it tended to be turned into landfill or burnt.
Even the recycling of plastic is bad for the environment, so the same chemicals and gasses are being released into the air, water and soil in every method used.
Recycling = melting it releasing the chemicals, microplastics and gasses into the air which then spreads it into the soil and water.
Burying = slowly degrading it over time, releasing chemicals and gasses and microplastics into the soil, which then spreads it to the air and water.
Burning, hopefully incinerating it, but not everyone does, but even by inceneration, we still have the chemicals and gasses being released into the air, that then contaminate the soil and water as well, UNLESS we use filters on the incineration plants that claim to trap the chemicals and gasses, but then we still have to figure out what to do with the filters...

We need to stop making the plastics for us to be able to do anything about it at all, otherwise we are just in a hamster wheel going nowhere.
 
Last edited:

Thaluikhain

Elite Member
Legacy
Jan 16, 2010
19,538
4,128
118
Oh god, we really are gonna have anti-reusable bag people in the world aren't we...? Oh, we probably already do. That's my Sunday ruined.
When Australia (or parts thereof) mostly banned single use plastic bags and went for re-useable ones a little while back, the usual suspects kicked up a stink as best they could (reusable bags cause e-coli, says Andrew Bolt). But people over here forgot about all that fairly soon, though.
 

lil devils x

🐐More Lego Goats Please!🐐
Legacy
May 1, 2020
3,330
1,045
118
Country
🐐USA🐐
Gender
♀
Some groccery stores have banned reusable bags in my area because of the stupid Covid paranoia about fucking everything.
Are you serious? Why would that be a problem if you are willing to bag your own groceries? T As long as you are handing your own bags, it shouldn't be a problem. They are worried about the outside of your bag contaminating their store? That is the least of our concerns right now with people shopping. Though, at LEAST they are not the nuts banning people from wearing masks in the store. That is essentially telling everyone who actually has COVDI-19 and has to stop and get gas or groceries to infect everyone in there because they can't wear a mask to protect others. People have all gone mad.
 

ralfy

Elite Member
Legacy
Apr 21, 2008
420
55
33
It's not just plastic bags but petrochemicals used for tens of thousands of applications, including the device you are using right now plus many components of the grid and infrastructure needed to access this forum, and more (medicine, medical equipment, your clothes, containers for chemicals, etc.).