Accepted switch from paper to plastic?

[Wishingplenty]

So just as the world virtually ditches everything made of plastic to paper, one major world dominating product did the opposite and switched from paper to plastic. Totally bonkers when you realise what it is. Why has no one questioned this? Where is the outrage and protests? What is the point of ditching the humble plastic straw, for the rubbish insufficient paper ones, when in fact it really is the least of our problems?

The resources and carbon footprint needed to make these paper products exceeds the plastic equivalent. Coupled with the fact that more and more general waste is being incinerated and turned into electricity now rather than landfill, puts the end result in favour of plastic (also burning plastic generates more power than paper).

Except you need fossil fuels to make plastic in the first place.

Are we supposed to guess what that product is?

Yes, but not as much fuel as is needed in the process of cutting down the trees(heavy machinery), transporting them(huge lorries) and turning them into paper.

What product has switched to plastic?

Are we talking about bank notes?

That was my guess too.

Don't the new ones also have meat in them or something?!

I was also going to say bank notes. They may have less of an overall environmental impact if they last longer and can be recycled in some way.

Plus, people don't just throw plastic bank notes away into the environment. They are easy to gather back when they reach the end of their life as their value and the existing processes already allow for this.

Yes exactly. I just find it very odd that this switch is the other way around, something that we use almost daily, and a banknote is much bigger than a straw, it just seems like madness that everyone has just accepted this as normal, whilst making such a fuss over every other plastic product, when in actual fact we had it right the first time round.

@Wishingplenty are you old enough to have put a fiver through the washing machine? I can see that money needs to be more resilient than straws. Straws are single use plastic. Money is anything but single use! That’s the big difference.

Plastic is great- but not single use plastic.

Bank notes aren't single use.

Some reduction/removal of plastic on certain food products false economy. Based on my experience at work.

Big pots of yogurt used to have a plastic lid as well as the foil lid. Now sometimes we get yoghurts with holes in the foil lid. That wouldn’t have happened with the plastic.

Tea bags. Most brands have removed the plastic shrink wrap on the boxes. The boxes are damaged.

Multipacks of tinned tuna. The cardboard sleeve is not glued or taped together. Result - dozens of cans loose at the back along with cardboard sleeves. Taped up the sleeves. Why can’t manufacturers use glue or sellotape themselves?

The most ironic packaging was some coffee saying “now in plastic free packaging” - case wrapped around in, plastic.

Those paper straws are the worst things. Had a large McDs milkshake and used 3 straws as the first two went soggy. Surely making 3 paper straws uses less resources - materials and energy than one plastic one?

Paper bags are rubbish. Get wet in rain. Plus some are not recyclable if they are coated with a waxy surface, use non paper handle etc.

Do you suggest cardboard credit cards too, OP?

Straws are single use.

Bank notes are not. Bank notes are used for decades if they survive washing machines etc.

Tampon applicators are the ones that annoy me. It has become increasingly difficult to find the cardboard applicators.

I sometimes use a moon cup but that's not always practical, so I use tampons too. But I don't want to add to plastic waste.

Use the ones without applicators?

A lot of the drive to cut out plastic is counter-productive. The alternative materials to plastic often produce worse carbon emissions. Removal of plastic packaging can also increase food waste.

Most plastic discarded in the developed world goes to landfill an stays there. The majority of plastic waste that gets realised into waterways and causes harm comes from developing world countries that don't have proper systems for disposing of waste.

Plastic recycling is also somewhat of a scam. Most of the plastic that gets shipped abroad for recycling ends up being dumped. China had to ban imports of plastic for recycling as so much of it was just being dumped there.

But I guess a straw is single use but a polymer banknote will last 10 years.

Bank notes aren't disposable/single use.

That's the difference.

I'm amazed you couldn't work that out for yourself!

@TeenToTwenties in 36 years of periods I've never found non-applicator tampons that work for me. I'm tall and high waisted so I need the applicator to place it comfortably. The cardboard ones work perfectly!

Show me the unequivocal proof of what you are saying and I might be tempted to look into your claim. Without it I believe it to be pretty spurious.

"Each paper straw made requires about 96 kilojoules of energy and emits 4.1 grams of carbon pollutants.

"Each plastic straw produced will need around 39 kilojoules of energy and output 1.5 grams of carbon emissions. "

www.strawlific.com/post/paper-vs-plastic-the-brief-surprising-truth-about-paper-straws

This is just one source specifically about straws, but it gives an idea about the whole movement to paper products and packaging. Really its best to stick with your own reusable options.

Exactly what I was going to say.

Ridiculous post.