100% PE is not fundamentally bad or unhealthy. I get that you have a preference.
Spatulas from plastics never were intended for sustained high temperatures. Same goes for wood. They are, however, remarkably safe. (Note that there was a paper that claimed the opposite, but that got falsified)
Micro plastics are largely harmless and inert. Otherwise we would have noticed adverse effects sooner. If you have to go looking it’s probably not that bad.
Also: as long as people are burning oil and gas we will have an excess of virgin plastic stock. They are a side product of processing. If you want fewer virgin plastics, burn less oil. Using recycled plastics is a band aid for the mind, not the world.
as long as people are burning oil and gas we will have an excess of virgin plastic stock. They are a side product of processing. If you want fewer virgin plastics, burn less oil. Using recycled plastics is a band aid for the mind, not the world.
Virgin plastic stock can be saved indefinitely. In theory the same can be said for used plastic, but in reality these are often burned when they can’t he sold because they are taking up space. You’re right that recycling plastic doesn’t fix everything, but it is more than a band aid for the mind.
Yes, which is why excess plastic waste that could be made into recycled plastic pellets has a much higher chance of being wasted then virgin plastic is. Increasing the amount of recycled plastic matters, it is not “a bandage for the mind” as you believe it is.
The issue is that plastics are a commodity whose value is lower than that of recycled stock. You could impose taxes on raw plastics production or CO2 and have it handled. But recycling does not fix the problem of even alleviate it significantly.
Just because it doesn’t fix the problem doesn’t make it ‘a bandaid for the mind’. I can’t impose taxes on raw plastics, i can call out people who try to minimize the effect plastics have on the climate.
100% PE is not fundamentally bad or unhealthy. I get that you have a preference. Spatulas from plastics never were intended for sustained high temperatures. Same goes for wood. They are, however, remarkably safe. (Note that there was a paper that claimed the opposite, but that got falsified) Micro plastics are largely harmless and inert. Otherwise we would have noticed adverse effects sooner. If you have to go looking it’s probably not that bad. Also: as long as people are burning oil and gas we will have an excess of virgin plastic stock. They are a side product of processing. If you want fewer virgin plastics, burn less oil. Using recycled plastics is a band aid for the mind, not the world.
Virgin plastic stock can be saved indefinitely. In theory the same can be said for used plastic, but in reality these are often burned when they can’t he sold because they are taking up space. You’re right that recycling plastic doesn’t fix everything, but it is more than a band aid for the mind.
The world barely recycles 9% of recyclable plastics.
Storing stuff is most expensive. And barely produces value.
Yes, which is why excess plastic waste that could be made into recycled plastic pellets has a much higher chance of being wasted then virgin plastic is. Increasing the amount of recycled plastic matters, it is not “a bandage for the mind” as you believe it is.
The issue is that plastics are a commodity whose value is lower than that of recycled stock. You could impose taxes on raw plastics production or CO2 and have it handled. But recycling does not fix the problem of even alleviate it significantly.
Just because it doesn’t fix the problem doesn’t make it ‘a bandaid for the mind’. I can’t impose taxes on raw plastics, i can call out people who try to minimize the effect plastics have on the climate.