Environment

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Environmental and ecological discussion, particularly of things like weather and other natural phenomena (especially if they're not breaking news).

See also our Nature and Gardening community for discussion centered around things like hiking, animals in their natural habitat, and gardening (urban or rural).

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380 million tons of plastic are made every year. None of it is truly recyclable. (grist.org)

submitted 2 years ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

The claim is medical supplies may need to be made from virgin plastic.

Maybe they do, but a great many mass-produced plastic objects are not medical supplies.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Yep, we're all in agreement that we should replace what we can and then work on finding the solutions to what's left.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I do wonder if there is some other material that medical supplies can be made from. It's a really hard problem: it has to be not only mostly but completely impenetrable to bacteria, not break down at all while in storage, yet somehow lose those properties once it's been used and disposed of.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Isn't that what metal is for?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Metal is heavy. Transporting it requires more energy and therefore generates more CO2 pollution.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

Aluminium?