Submitted by chrisdh79 t3_yd3b4e in Futurology
ingen-eer t1_itrbz2o wrote
Reply to comment by Jsimpson059 in Recycling plastic is practically impossible — and the problem is getting worse by chrisdh79
Or aluminum! Why can’t those 16 and 20 oz bottles just be cans?
usethemoose t1_itrlx2q wrote
You would be improving material circularity (in theory) while drastically increasing carbon emissions. Aluminum extraction and processing is energy intensive and dirty. Glass is energy intensive to produce, recovered materials are typically down-cycled due to color contamination, it’s heavy and inefficient to move and fragile, usually requiring plastic to prevent breakage.
Plastic isn’t only used because it’s cheap, it’s also very energy efficient to produce, lightweight for distribution (fewer transit emissions) and protects products from damage. Plastic waste is a significant issue that needs to be solved, but I always caution against promoting bans that don’t consider all the environmental advantages it currently provides.
KerkiForza t1_its2e4y wrote
Those "aluminum" cans still have an internal plastic liner.
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