Surprise, surprise: the industry lied.
The industry will only voluntarily choose to do anything if it’s believed to be profitable. Notice how the vast majority of measures implemented regarding plastics — like the removal of single use bags, straws, utensils, etc — are all overheads/expenses that primarily impact consumers? The industry successfully converted those expenses into profits via selling flimsy “reusable” plastic bags, as well as forcing consumers to buy rubbish bags they didn’t have to previously, while remaining free to wrap everything they sell in dozens of layers of single use plastics!
My wife recycles single use plastic bags by cutting them up, turning them into yarn, and knitting re-usable bags out of them.
Any chance you have any links on this that you can share?
Sorry. She doesn’t put them online and if she did, I wouldn’t want to reveal her identity. But this looks similar- https://craftbits.com/project/tote-knitted-plastic-grocery-bags/
I appreciate this, thank you.
No problem!
Look up “plarn” patterns or tutorials and you should see plenty of relevant results.
thank you!
I know someone that used to work at Fred Meyer and one of her duties was to take the bag recycling around the back of the store and put it in the dumpster.
“Best we can do is superfluous greenwashing PR bullshit.”
-Industry
Yes fuck plastics. 90% of shit nowadays doesn’t need to be made from it. You can instead use Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Copper, wood, glass, cotton, bamboo, cardboard, paper, etc
Plastic recycling has been a sham for as long as it’s been around. If you put plastics in a ‘recycle’ bin, assume it will end up as landfill.
At the very least, it’s better to put it in landfill than into the ocean or into our bodies.
But the way I see it only things like medical or emergency equipment should be allowed to use plastics if it means the item is cheaper and will save lives. But otherwise, fuck plastic, companies should be forced to use alternative materials instead.
Of the 46 trackers ABC News and nine ABC-owned stations and affiliates secured to bundles of “recyclable” plastic bags and dropped off at Walmart and Target stores across the country, the vast majority – after months of tracking – had not ended up at locations associated with plastic bag recycling. Half the trackers launched last pinged at landfills or trash incinerators, while seven stopped pinging at transfer stations that do not recycle, sort, or transfer plastic bags to recycling facilities, and six last pinged at the store where they were dropped off and hadn’t been heard from in months.cycling
The locations of three other trackers in the U.S. were inconclusive, while a further three trackers last pinged thousands of miles overseas – in Asia. By May, 2023, only four of ABC’s 46 trackers last pinged from U.S. facilities that say they are involved with recycling plastic bags.
This is about plastic bags but is other plastic any better? I get the impression that it isn’t.
Plastic with resin codes (that is not a recycling symbol) 1 and 2 are generally worth it to recycle. Some places take resin code 5 but I’m guessing that one is likely a wash.
Why does it need to be other plastic?
