>>107902033Just to give this comment a constructive response, I should point out to you that the public fear of plastics is wildly misguided and overblown.
Plastics are cheap, easy+cheap to manufacture, durable, and thus, one of the loswest carbon-emitting and resource-consuming material that modern society depends on. (A pound of cheese cause 8 times more CO2 pollution than a pound of PET)
Vietnam dumps 6 times more plastics into the ocean than the entire US, the problem lies in disposal, not usage.
And even then, there is no scientific evidence that "microplastics" in the ocean cause anh meaningful level of harm.
Unlike some plastic alternative like paper packaging that decays in landfills and cause serious pollution (methane etc) , plastics just sit there. And did I mention we can cover landfills with tarps once they're full and make golf courses over it?
Also, using the common landfill capacity numbers, we can calculate that we can put all the world's trash in one giant 15×15mile landfill for a thousand years (something like that is true)
Landfill space allocation is a manufactured anti-progress bullshit NIMBY political problem. The real crisis we face is climate change. And plastics will help us fight against it.
The environmental conclusion is clear :
Use plastics (i.e. for making toys) since it's usually the least polluting, light-weight, and the most efficient option
And then, be responsible about their disposal and put them in landfills. Most wealthy countries already managed to do this more or less.
If someone tries to pass a plastic straw ban or some bullshit in your area, shoot that ignorant ass. People hate plastics because DEY LUK BAD. It's all half-baked counterproductive thinking.
