Bottom line, in the US, we need to get with the program for all recycling much better than we have been doing. We were dependent on other countries to take our trash. We need to own the problem and develop the infrastructure to deal with it.
I don’t agree it is hypocritical. Every bit helps, certainly. Yes, there are other lifestyle changes one can make but to say don’t recycle because you aren’t making other environmentally friendly choices misses the point, IMO. ANY change is good when multiplied by millions of people.
Our town just imposed a ban on plastic bags, which is what has called my attention to this issue. Plastic bags are but a tiny part of the plastic that I encounter every day.
One of the unintended consequences in areas that have banned plastic bags, is there has been an uptick in sales of smaller sized trash bags (for bathroom trash cans and the like) because people were re-using their market bags for the trash.
In terms of personal action - I take cloth/nylon bags with me to the market, not just for the groceries but also for the loose fruit/veggies. There are also biodegradable bags on the market now, as well as products made from plant resins.
There needs to be a multi-pronged approach on all sides of this issue - manufacturing, consumer, and recycling. IMO, the biggest issue is on the recycling side. Communities do a terrible job of actually recycling the separated goods they collect.
Agree with OP, the plastics are everywhere. I don’t use bottled water, always use my stainless steel container and refill it. I don’t buy any cooking oil that does not come in a (dark) glass bottle. I take my own mug or request mug at coffee shops (they even give me a discount of a dime for not using the disposable cups, which are lined with plastics). I now almost stopped using wraps or plastic resealable bags by using glass containers, but not able to completely stop using them (then I will try to reuse them). For groceries, I reuse the plastic bags for the produce and use reusable shopping bags.
But how to reduce the plastics that come with frozen food, cheese, prepackaged meat, and many other packaging materials my amazon shipping come with? I am trying.
One of the problems with plastic bags and other soft plastic is some people do toss them in with their other recycling and they then become a huge nuisance at recycling centers, requiring manual labor to pick it out by hand and clogging machinery.
In terms of food items that come in plastic, either in stores or take out food establishments, I think we as consumers need to be vocal in asking businesses/manufacturers to find alternatives - consumer driven demand. It is challenging even when one has the best of intentions. I know more populated areas have zero waste stores for bulk goods and such but I haven’t seen them in my area.
I have yet to see a bulk goods store in our area either but our Whole Foods is now packaging a lot more in cardboard. They also have reusable tins for their baked goods.
It was funny because we were back in OH a few weeks ago and I almost poked myself in the eye with a drinking straw. I grabbed my drink while talking and just didn’t expect anything in my glass. I haven’t seen a straw in a long time! They just aren’t given out in our community and if they are offered, they are paper straws, not plastic.
I am considering just getting rid of the recycling bin altogether as it is apparent that recycling is something of a modern myth. I think it encourages more use to pretend this stuff is being recycled. The answer is going to have to be big and painful. and expensive. We can all do our bit, but really it is looking futile . I worked in hospitals before the introduction of so much disposable stuff, I don’t imagine that people are even considering this aspect. It is just so big.
We switched to mostly glass containers for leftovers, and they have silicone lids. There are also little silicone lids that sit on bowls and form a seal, or little waxed cloth things that look like tiny shower caps that do the same.
I also save many glass jars so if I make lots of tomato sauce, pesto, etc., for the freezer, we put it in the glass jar. It never felt good to freeze something in a plastic container anyway.
I wish there was more of a priority for restaurant take out containers to be paperboard or something similar. We have plastic containers sittting around from that. We reuse them, but most of them can’t be recycled anymore.
Styrofoam is the worst. I wish there were laws against it, or at least a kind of disclosure so you could choose products that are packed in cardboard only. But a local parcel post place will accept donations of bubble wrap, styrofoam peanuts, cellulose peanuts (you can compost these), and those awful air bubbles that usually just go in the landfill.
“I am considering just getting rid of the recycling bin altogether as it is apparent that recycling is something of a modern myth. I think it encourages more use to pretend this stuff is being recycled.”
Not true. Really depends on the community. Ask questions in yours. Get involved and see how you can make it better.
“We can all do our bit, but really it is looking futile .”
Other countries are doing it successfully. It’s not futile.
I noticed a few months ago that Trader Joe’s has compostable bags in their produce section. Of course, some produce doesn’t do well in a plastic bag anyway - avocados, citrus fruit, garlic, etc., so you can buy it loose and store it at home without plastic. We have a compost bin, but it fills ups quickly. When we have too much, I put the scraps in one of those bags and stash it in the freezer until I can bring it to a composting site.
Trader Joe’s has also announced they will be phasing out single use plastics. I hope other stores like Costco follow suit. Sometimes I don’t buy something because of all the unnecessary plastic. Apples don’t need to be in a plastic box!
That is one of the few things I actively dislike about Costco - they often require their vendors to package small things in large packages for display purposes. Nothing like buying a 2 pack of sunscreen and having to fight through a two foot square plastic display package to get them out… aaaargh!
One of my friends is a main Costco apple supplier and she says that Costco is their only customer that asks for that excessive packaging. She doesn’t like it, either, but it’s what Costco wants, so Costco gets… She understands that I don’t buy my apples there.
Seems to me this view is a recipe for “feel good” deeds. The most ardent recyclers I know live in huge houses, drive fleets of trucks, etc. I think recycling allows them to justify the rest of what they do as being friends of the environment. Any change is good if a lot of people are doing it, right? Not saying everyone is like that but there is a significant number of people who are.
Maine’s ban on plastic bags goes into effect on Earth Day in 2020. Glad I’ve saved up thousands of plastic bags over the years! I figured this day would come.
In Chicago they started charging 7 cents per plastic bag last year. It’s funny to see how many people carry their grocery out without bags like their stealing.?. It made us go to use reusable bags. So I guess that was the point.
“The most ardent recyclers I know live in huge houses, drive fleets of trucks, etc.”
Fleets of trucks, really? :lol:
Sounds like you’re hanging out with the wrong people however what makes you aware of other households’ recycling habits? Are you peeking into people’s garbage?
Sounds like this thread might not be for you as you don’t see the value in the suggestions here nor the desire to want to reduce plastic.
When I was living in Palo Alto, there was a petition going around to replace disposable plastic bags with paper bags at the grocery store. I ended up having a strange discussion with the man who came around to my door with the petition. As a chemist, I know how resource intensive paper recycling and kraft paper making is - the chemicals used are incredibly corrosive and difficult to remediate hence the huge water consumption in the process. Paper is not necessarily better than plastic. For biodegradability sure, but for carbon footprint and pollution, maybe not. It’s important to consider the life-cycle analysis when determining global impact for example when making similar ‘green’ decisions like buying a new electric car vs. a used fuel efficient gas-fuelled sedan.
Whatever you choose to use, just reuse as much as possible. All my bin liners are bags from stores. I reuse the vegetable bags too for my tiny garbage cans in the bathroom or as lunch bags. I’ll even reuse ziploc bags if they’re not gross after giving them a rinse with soapy water and hanging to dry inside-out. Reuse until gross/hole-y, then dispose. I always try to bring my reusable bags or plastic tote for the grocery store, and the occasional times I forget or if the grocer starts bagging before I’ve whipped out my reusables are enough to stock my house with enough disposable bags to use as garbage bags.
All this being said, I hate styrofoam. There are just so many better alternatives.
I don’t think re-using plastic grocery bags once counts as recycling. I re-use grocery bags to put the used kitty litter in. How does that help the environment? The bag is still going to the landfill but now it has kitty litter in it. (If anybody has a suggestion as to how to deal with the kitty litter in a more responsible way, I’ll listen.) The same applies to garbage; how does putting garbage in a grocery bag help the environment? But my city will not pick up your trash unless it’s in a plastic bag. So on garbage day we haul a big plastic bag full of little plastic bags full of garbage to the curb. We compost and have a disposal in the sink but still generate garbage.
The other issue with plastic water bottles is the transport pollution. I have a Britta jug but occasionally buy Fiji water, which I love. If I’m out somewhere, I’ll refill a bottle at a water fountain or a big jug dispenser.
Thing is, tap water may be fine, but what about the pipes as they age? Or ever look at the gear on a water fountain?
Without plastic bags for kitchen or bathroom trash, what would we use? Paper bags leak, so I dunno.
