7 Things You Didn’t Know About Plastic (and Recycling)
National Geographicblog.nationalgeographic.org
Saved by Mike Tannenbaum
7 Things You Didn’t Know About Plastic (and Recycling)
The Liminality of Waste more Generally
Waste is a socially and culturally constructed idea shaped by human perceptions of value.
• It is defined by what we no longer want or find useful, such as outdated electronics or food scraps.
• This perception is influenced by consumer culture, convenience, and a desire for novelty.
• Factors like the "out of
... See moreWhen you recycle plastic, you prevent it from polluting the oceans. This myth is based on the enduring delusion that plastic from curbside bins can be efficiently turned into other products. But sorting the stuff is so onerous and labor-intensive—and the resulting materials of so little value—that recycling plastic is hopelessly unprofitable in the... See more
John Tierney • The Perverse Panic over Plastic
But politicians and environmentalists have other ideas. They’re doubling down on their mistakes by banning more plastic products and demanding alternatives that are more expensive, less convenient, and worse for the environment. Even experts familiar with the facts succumb to magical thinking. Yes, they acknowledge, we shouldn’t be exporting our... See more
John Tierney • The Perverse Panic over Plastic
Some media have reported that “plastics” do not degrade at all. (22)
Just a moment...
He inadvertently created an icon of one of the biggest deceptions in our lifetime. I wish it weren’t true. Recycling was invented by the plastic industry as a way to transfer responsibility for waste to the individual. There are little to no economics in recycling. Of the plastic waste produced between 1950 and 2015, only 9 percent was recycled.... See more
Joe Gebbiax.com