The US government is eschewing paper straws and going back to plastic. So why are the plastic variety restricted in many countries around the world in the first place?

  • Treczoks@lemmy.world
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    15 hours ago

    I remember my physics teacher - a most rational man - telling us that complaining about burning plastic waste was stupid. Of all the oil extracted from the ground, only a small fraction is turned into plastic. All the rest, the vast majority, is burned as fuel. Burning the rest, too, does not really make a difference. Heck, it could even be better for the environment, as trash incinerator facilities (at least here) have so strong legal requirements for filtering their output that the 90%+ of normal burners like cars, ships, trains, and central heatings just can’t compete.