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Stopping plastic from reaching the oceans - especially in 3rd world countries

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posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 09:04 AM
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Looking at some statistics the vast majority of the plastic that makes it into the oceans is from "3rd world" countries (IDK if that designation really works these days..) it is interesting to look at different sites pointing fingers at the sources and seeing how much they vary both in amount and who the main offenders are. If the video and pictures of the large plastic "patches" in the ocean are real and persistent (not due to a storm flushing rivers and or pooling it due to circular winds, to make it look more dense than what it truly is) then pointing fingers isn't really helping and all countries need to take action.


www.scientificamerican.com...



www.weforum.org...



www.statista.com...


Here is a TED talk about a possible way to manage the problem of plastic pollution, especially that making it to the ocean.



In the above video the guy talks about how he set up "stores" that allow people to buy stuff with plastic to recycle - this is all in 3rd world countries I'm guessing. He also talked about how some communities in countries like Canada are working with him as well, where a church is taking recycleables and they CAN (IDK if it is mandatory) donate the $ to someone in 3rd world countries to collect there, or pay them more, IDK - it wasn't clear.

The last part is what got my attention. One of the best ways that I can currently see to stem the flow of trash into the ocean is to increase the price of the recycled materials in the "problem" counties to the point where there is a lot of incentive for the poor to collect everything that they can. I think it makes much more sense to spend $100 million (just guessing at that #) as a subsidy for "point of collection" payment (where the individual collector gets paid, not the company that sells by the ton(s)) than to spend that much on a process to clean the ocean where it would all be back there in a couple years b/c the source hasn't been shut off.

When talking about the cost of this we have to look at the value of $ in each country, b/c to fix the problem with high tech solutions, we are going to be spending major amounts of $ in 1st world countries b/c per capita income is so much higher (everything costs more here), if you spent the same or even much less in countries where people earn $600-6,000 per year, that money goes A LOT farther than in a country where avg income is $50k. This also helps people on the lowest level of the income spectrum by giving them an actual source of income that should be attainable.

A way to fund this is by doing basically what he said the church in Canada was doing. Now we pay for a trash and recycle pick up fee and this is kind of odd b/c in many places they make $ on recycleables and some even on trash (where it is incinerated for energy). If it is landfilled I understand, and there is labor involved in pickup - so... But if people brought things to a central location (or many smaller, closer ones) and they could just drop them off at the grocery store - like have a side dock that takes recycleables (they should, their the source for most of it) or just large dumpster/receptacles then there wouldn't be the labor of having to go house to house. The money from the scrap could then be used to pay for the increased rate in the poor countries where the money can do the most good per dollar.

So if a ton of newspaper in the states brings $150-200, a single person might get that much in 10 years from daily delivery (maybe longer)so $15-20/year) and that doesn't mean much to a person making $30K or more per year, but in countries where some earn less than $2/day? If the money was used to increase the price paid to problem countries, there would be much more incentive for them to collect. BTW, I used newspaper b/c IDK what the price is for plastics.

Also, what is the responsibility of the manufacturer or retailer for the goods they sell - it seems that they should bear some kind of stake in this. The golf ball issue at courses along the coast (Pebble beach being notorious one) comes to mind as it is very evident the source of the pollution in that case and the fact that it is a luxury entertainment and non-necessity that is causing so much pollution (extremely fine plastic & rubberbands killing sea life) seems there should be financial repercussions for it and to the manufacturers & golf course.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 09:19 AM
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a reply to: DigginFoTroof

Easily remedied quit using plastic for packaging,go back to old days of paper bags and glass,didn't have this problem before



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 09:29 AM
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You never hear about what life is around the plastic islands. Life is amazing. You don't think something is growing on the plastic island, and something is eating what is being grown. What's eating is having babies, and something is eating them, and so on and so on, the circle of life stuff

The plastic island is now an eco system, what's living there.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 09:41 AM
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originally posted by: SocratesJohnson
You never hear about what life is around the plastic islands. Life is amazing. You don't think something is growing on the plastic island, and something is eating what is being grown. What's eating is having babies, and something is eating them, and so on and so on, the circle of life stuff

The plastic island is now an eco system, what's living there.


Except the toxins being eaten by that life being eaten buy other things and eventually by us. The toxic avenger would be happy there I guess.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 10:58 AM
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Well let's see. Making the man in the street pay for any clean up for plastic and paper???
Let's look at paper. When was the last time you read a newspaper, which by far and away is the largest producer of unwanted paper. Open the paper and the first thing you will see is an advertisement. Just one ad cost would pay for producing thousands of papers. Now multiply that up to the number of ads and you'll come to the realisation that these newspapers could give you your paper for free, but they charge you for the privilege. Newspapers make vast amount of profit for their goods. MAKE THEM PAY FOR THE CLEAN UP.
Plastic is exactly the same. Do you think these companies are giving you plastic straws etc. Nah, their cost is worked into the price of your drink etc. Now look at the vast profits they are making but they want to push the cost onto the customer to get rid of something that they have made a profit on.
MAKE THEM PAY FOR THE CLEAN UP.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 11:14 AM
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Yea, Well well, who'd a thunk it, china polluting, or africa... it can't be, such a noble people. Not really interested in taking a guilt trip. Maybe the Georgia Guidestones are right.
edit on 19-9-2018 by Plotus because: EARTH WILL WIN



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 11:59 AM
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www.sciencedaily.com...

www.sciencedaily.com...

It is not just the oceans we need to worry about, even the BPA free plastics screw people up for up to three generations according to these articles. So much of our food is encased in plastic these days, it was not like that when I was young, and there was a lot less problems with people back then. Most People used to be healthy till they retired then would drop dead back then.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 12:37 PM
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It would be interesting what plastic that enters the sea via 3rd world countries was actually shipped from the US/Europe. If we can't set a precedent, they will continue.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 01:08 PM
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originally posted by: crayzeed
Well let's see. Making the man in the street pay for any clean up for plastic and paper???
Let's look at paper. When was the last time you read a newspaper, which by far and away is the largest producer of unwanted paper. Open the paper and the first thing you will see is an advertisement. Just one ad cost would pay for producing thousands of papers. Now multiply that up to the number of ads and you'll come to the realisation that these newspapers could give you your paper for free, but they charge you for the privilege. Newspapers make vast amount of profit for their goods. MAKE THEM PAY FOR THE CLEAN UP.
Plastic is exactly the same. Do you think these companies are giving you plastic straws etc. Nah, their cost is worked into the price of your drink etc. Now look at the vast profits they are making but they want to push the cost onto the customer to get rid of something that they have made a profit on.
MAKE THEM PAY FOR THE CLEAN UP.


Newspapers are already made from recycled paper. The trade price for second hand newspaper dropped once the full recycling pipeline started working. Paper mills actually closed down.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 01:12 PM
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originally posted by: Churchhousecreeper
It would be interesting what plastic that enters the sea via 3rd world countries was actually shipped from the US/Europe. If we can't set a precedent, they will continue.


Same as it is in Europe; plastic bottles, crisp packets, ice lolly wrappers, fishing gear, floats, ice box lids, windscreens, car parts, fabrics, PVC sheeting, corrugated plastic.



posted on Sep, 19 2018 @ 08:18 PM
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a reply to: Churchhousecreeper

Probably a good percentage. No that the recycling truths and issues have been reviled, such as the issue with China not wanting to accept the soiled mass of it from the US, the deemed "garbage" out of the recyclable amount of trash will end up somewhere, sadly likely to third world countries. Well, that is if not already on the way.

Seems like it will be a while before any of the plastic contaminating the environment and even into people's bodies will be turned around. More and more cities/counties are talking of banning plastics, from bags to now utensils. The alternative, one would think, should be biodegrade-ables. Though, it's challenging the "big plastic/petroleum" as well as the affordability of the alternatives. Now if hemp could gain even more traction.



posted on Sep, 20 2018 @ 09:17 AM
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originally posted by: dreamingawake
a reply to: Churchhousecreeper

Probably a good percentage. No that the recycling truths and issues have been reviled, such as the issue with China not wanting to accept the soiled mass of it from the US, the deemed "garbage" out of the recyclable amount of trash will end up somewhere, sadly likely to third world countries. Well, that is if not already on the way.

Seems like it will be a while before any of the plastic contaminating the environment and even into people's bodies will be turned around. More and more cities/counties are talking of banning plastics, from bags to now utensils. The alternative, one would think, should be biodegrade-ables. Though, it's challenging the "big plastic/petroleum" as well as the affordability of the alternatives. Now if hemp could gain even more traction.


www.theguardian.com...

Anything stringy and made from cotton can still choke wildlife. Even recycled glass bottles are a hazard as they can shatter and the shards can be eaten.

The only things left are cardboard boxes, paper and wax paper as the shops used to use back in the 1960's. Wax paper could be rinsed and reused to store meat and fish.




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