You cannot use cardboard for liquids. There are containers that have a cardboard exterior – just tear them, and you’ll find out they are made out of a sandwich material with an interior layer of plastic, meddle layer of aluminium and exterior cardboard. almist unrecyclable.
Else, fruits and food that don’t really need packaging because they have a natural bacteria barrier, or something similar
But yea I don’t see any good sanitary alternative. Since we’re bound to get microplastics I guess reusable containers that are only washed and reused a couple of times would be beneficial, at the cost of a little more microplastics.
Some kind of paper to a certain extend for some things, but yea, nothing is as good as plastic :(
Don’t use plastic where you don’t need to. And then maybe use cardboard+thin plastic for the rest: less recyclable, but less plastic 🤔. Depends on the route you want to choose: less pollution or less plastic waste
Unfortunately they also pollute quite a bit, and cardboard isn’t really safe for consumption. How do you store meat for example? Metal cans are expensive, and glass is expensive, fragile and heavy, making it a worse option, as weight has strong impacts.
I was actually just thinking of bottles, because that’s what the op is about. So like just for beverages. I already get almost all of my beverages in cardboard, so it’s actually possible.
I thought at least some of it was wax… but what did people drink out of before plastic was invented?? I’m not saying we have to regress technologically, but surely this is a solved problem.
Use a water bottle in stainless steel: safe to drink from and to wash, not really heavy, and keeps the temperature. Stainless steel is for reusable containers, but I’m not sure you can recycle it easily and efficiently. It’s also a bit expensive.
Glass is infinitely recyclable but it needs a lot of energy to be produced and recycled (you need to heat it a lot), is fragile, relatively expensive, and a lot is needed to make a good container, so it gets heavy, which might outweigh the positives sides it has.
What did people use before plastic? Glass and cardboard!
Glass Recycling costs way more energy than plastic recycling.
But in Germany we reuse bottles too, probably the most effective.
What about cardboard?
You cannot use cardboard for liquids. There are containers that have a cardboard exterior – just tear them, and you’ll find out they are made out of a sandwich material with an interior layer of plastic, meddle layer of aluminium and exterior cardboard. almist unrecyclable.
I believe it uses a lot of water and isn’t really safe for food consumption, and for preserving food
Is there nothing better for the environment than plastic at least?
Yes it’s called Tap Water and refilling your own bottle
Short distribution channels would be the best
Else, fruits and food that don’t really need packaging because they have a natural bacteria barrier, or something similar
But yea I don’t see any good sanitary alternative. Since we’re bound to get microplastics I guess reusable containers that are only washed and reused a couple of times would be beneficial, at the cost of a little more microplastics.
Some kind of paper to a certain extend for some things, but yea, nothing is as good as plastic :(
Don’t use plastic where you don’t need to. And then maybe use cardboard+thin plastic for the rest: less recyclable, but less plastic 🤔. Depends on the route you want to choose: less pollution or less plastic waste
If there only would be a pipeline to each house providing a stream of clean drinkable water
I’m obviously talking about things other than water. You should obviously drink and use the water from your house
I read it as “ban glass and cardboard as well”
Unfortunately they also pollute quite a bit, and cardboard isn’t really safe for consumption. How do you store meat for example? Metal cans are expensive, and glass is expensive, fragile and heavy, making it a worse option, as weight has strong impacts.
I was actually just thinking of bottles, because that’s what the op is about. So like just for beverages. I already get almost all of my beverages in cardboard, so it’s actually possible.
Beverage in cardbord? It’s still just plastic on top of it
I thought at least some of it was wax… but what did people drink out of before plastic was invented?? I’m not saying we have to regress technologically, but surely this is a solved problem.
Glass, stainless steel I guess.
Use a water bottle in stainless steel: safe to drink from and to wash, not really heavy, and keeps the temperature. Stainless steel is for reusable containers, but I’m not sure you can recycle it easily and efficiently. It’s also a bit expensive.
Glass is infinitely recyclable but it needs a lot of energy to be produced and recycled (you need to heat it a lot), is fragile, relatively expensive, and a lot is needed to make a good container, so it gets heavy, which might outweigh the positives sides it has.
Also ceramics, it has most of the problems of glass but not as easily recyclable.
See for example roman amphores that were basically single-use
But it can be cleaned, right?