Lighter on the environment, 20% less plastic

[DainBramaged]

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

That's what it says on the bottle of tea I am drinking. Which came in a 12 pack. But the bottles in the convenience stores haven't changed. And this plastic doesn't biodegrade either. Maybe if we did our non-carbonated drinks in packages like Capri Sun it would make an impact. But this is a joke.

[Buzz Clik]

1. "Going green". Puke.

Starbucks is trying to make themselves better by enticing you to buy one of their reusable plastic mugs for $10 so that they don't have to use so many paper cups. So, buy a plastic mug (couple gallons of non-renewable crude) instead of a recyclable paper cup.

Um ... how about serving coffee in a ceramic mug that can be washed and reused until the end of time?

[MADem]

2. Then you've got the issue of pricy labor and water useage!

You can never win, no matter what you do!

The best plastics are made from corn--completely biodegradable.

http://cornplasticstore.com/ http://www.canada.com/Forks+that+themselves/1530332/story.html

[Buzz Clik]

3. Now that's interesting. If Starbucks could convince me their mugs are made from corn, I'd buy one.

[randr]

4. As long as the corn does not come at an environmental price

It may be that even chemically grown GM corn crops produce a product that is less harmful to the planet, it still comes at a cost and a continued dependence on petrochemical industries. It may be further argued that using oil for industries other than gasoline production is more useful.
It still does not address the most important equation in the solution to global warming and the accumulating waste across the world. It is the human use/abuse of these resources that needs to be curbed. Either we stop using plastic ourselves or laws will be enacted to ban their production.

[MADem]

8. Living comes at an environmental price. At least thus far.

There are people who are working on concepts of sustainability that don't involve any downside, but that's a long ways away from being put into practice on a large scale.

There are plastics being made from canola oil as well--I imagine in time they'll find a way to make 'em from hemp or switchgrass.

[kristopher]

6. THey need to be separated from plastics for recycling though...

"One exception: Polyactide, made from plants, and also known as PLA, is a biodegradable packaging material derived from renewable resources such as corn starch or sugar cane. Place polyactide packaging into a municipal composter or your own backyard compost pile."

http://www.thinkgreen.com/recycle-what-detail?sec=plastics&prod=less-accepted-recycling&tab=where_can_i_recycle

[MADem]

7. You just throw that stuff in the trash. It breaks down in one to three years.

It does produce methane, though, so it's best if your landfill is a methane recapture facility.

[kristopher]

10. Lots of people attempt to recycle ALL their plastic

It depends on where you live and how your trash is processed, some places separate the plastic for recycling and the corn plastic is a problem for them as it gums up their machinery

At this point it is a matter of public education. As we phase out petroleum, that may change but for now it is a real problem.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. I truly wish we'd eliminate all plastic packaging and return to the days of glass jars and bottles,

paper wrappings from take-outs, and cardboard boxes.

[MADem]

9. You do realize the weight of those bottles will have a cost and add to

shipping expenses. You can use your oil to make your plastic and make your product lighter, or you can burn that oil making your glass, and hauling those heavier and bulkier bottles around. And then, there's the issues of breakage.

People who live on the fifth floor with no elevator like plastic. What's needed is environmentally sustainable plastics.