
Plastics pile up as coronavirus hits Asia recyclers - velmu
https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Environment/Plastics-pile-up-as-coronavirus-hits-Asia-recyclers
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AbuAssar
8 MILLION tonns of plastic waste EVERY YEAR are dropped in the OCEAN!

man this is scary

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ars
Most of it is trash from undeveloped countries with poor trash service.

People just dump the trash and local rivers wash it downstream.

This can be solved not by changing how plastic is used but simply by
pressuring those governments to implement trash collection.

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catalogia
> _This can be solved not by changing how plastic is used but simply by
> pressuring those governments to implement trash collection._

Or both.

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tedk-42
Sad reality of our times.

We're eating out less but our plastic household waste/recycling has more than
doubled due to all the plastic we get through food deliveries.

The market forces for better recyclable/biodegradable packaging just aren't
there as plastic is so cheap to produce.

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umvi
It could be worse. At least plastics are relatively inert, unlike other forms
of waste.

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thinkingkong
My understanding is that the plastic breaks down, is then ingested by small
fish, then is concentrated up the food chain. Chemicals that are present or
collect in the plastic then accumulate in the fish that we or other wildlife
eat. Additionally there are chemicals which affect reproduction in some
species (negatively). So. Yeah it could be worse. It still sucks.

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rasz
Asian recyclers at work
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeDY3I841q0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeDY3I841q0)

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jotm
Would it be so hard to use less packaging on foods, especially snacks? It's
ridiculous, why does a brownie need 3 layers of packaging?

I only drink carbonated water, so I use one plastic bottle that's always with
me lol (I do throw them away after a week or so as they get dirty), but it
would be nice if more people did that. Not really possible for soft drinks
though.

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52-6F-62
Ever consider a Soda Stream or similar device?

I received one as a gift and it's _great_. You just have reusable bottles
(they do expire as the plastic begins to break down, but they last several
years), and reusable CO2 canisters that you return for a refund when you need
a refill.

You can also buy syrups to use with them if you like pop flavours rather than
mixing with juices or citrus.

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kevstev
After having a soda stream for almost 10 years, someone left a CO2 tank on my
property. It's a 10 lb canister, which will supposedly last me literal years
at the rate I drink carbonated water, and costs about as much to refill as a
soda stream cylinder. Along with a CO2 regular, you can hook this up to a
"carbonator" adapter and refill regular bottles.

Might be worth looking into if you are drinking a lot of carbonated water-
Soda stream is fine, but I find the bottles to be kind of ugly, even the
upgraded ones they offer. The soda stream itself is taller than will fit under
my cabinets so we had it in a conspicuous spot that made it stand out in my
kitchen. Now I keep this stuff hidden away in the basement and just refill a 6
pack at a time of Pelligrino type bottles. I also brew beer and while I
haven't started kegging yet, I can use this stuff for that as well. I find
this page to be a good simplified explanation of the parts involved:
[https://tasteofartisan.com/how-to-make-carbonated-
water/](https://tasteofartisan.com/how-to-make-carbonated-water/)

~~~
52-6F-62
Yours sounds like definitely the way to go. I live in a downtown condo with
next to no storage space, so the Soda Stream is a godsend for now. And mine
fits under my cabinet at least!

