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Disposable Society
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 9:03 pm
by RoundEye
As a spin off to
downhills thread, what disposable items do you think we could just do without?
Stuff that there is no real need for other then convenience. Things like paper plates serve a purpose like when having a large family gathering or camping, but you could do without them. Bic lighters, I use them, but I've been thinking about starting to use one of the many Zippos that I have.
But, some things like disposable DVD's and cameras are just a waste. Camera's have batteries in them that I think contain Mercury.
My wife and I were talking about the disposable diapers the other night, I was trying to get her not to use them, but after a while she got me to thinking about what's
inside those diapers, then I started to see her point.
I know there is also going to be waste, but waste for pure convenience bothers me sometimes.
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 9:06 pm
by ScottE
Disposable Cameras are a total waste. Pretty much disposable anything outside of perhaps, Diapers, Tampons, and Razors is a waste.
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 9:07 pm
by fastchevy
I agree...the disposable DVD thing is a terrible idea. The camera thing is also wasteful. If rechargable batteries were cheaper I think most ppl would use them.
As for diapers...well I have a 2yr old. He is in the middle of toilet training..I can tell ya that cloth diapers filled with crap suck..LOL
Re: Disposable Society
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 9:10 pm
by Indy
Pens
Razors
water bottles (buy one bottle and refill it instead of buying two 24 count cases of water and throwing the bottles away)
disposable cameras...get a digital cameras - they are the epitomy of anti-disposal. Think about it, no film to shoot, and you only print what you deem to be worthy instead of having everything printed...
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 9:11 pm
by RoundEye
Originally posted by agentbeast
Disposable Cameras are a total waste. Pretty much disposable anything outside of perhaps, Diapers, Tampons, and Razors is a waste.
Reusable tampons
OMG that would be a nightmare for the women of this world.
Re: Re: Disposable Society
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 9:14 pm
by RoundEye
Originally posted by Indy
...get a digital cameras - they are the epitomy of anti-disposal. Think about it, no film to shoot, and you only print what you deem to be worthy instead of having everything printed...
Think about all the toxic waste that wouldn't be used if more people used digital cameras. Digicams don't compare to the quality of film yet though, with the exception of some high $$$$ digicams.
Re: Re: Re: Disposable Society
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 9:17 pm
by Indy
Originally posted by RoundEye
Think about all the toxic waste that wouldn't be used if more people used digital cameras. Digicams don't compare to the quality of film yet though, with the exception of some high $$$$ digicams.
For most people, I would think that the quality of a 3 megapixel camera should be sufficient. But yeah, just think of all the chemicals that you wouldn't have to worry about being used as you're snapping away with the digicam...
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 9:23 pm
by Pepin
I have a disposable printer... The Lexmark Z-13. New Ink costs more than a new printer.
Just toss it and go get another printer.
Re: Disposable Society
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 9:25 pm
by nepenthe
Originally posted by RoundEye
My wife and I were talking about the disposable diapers the other night, I was trying to get her not to use them, but after a while she got me to thinking about what's inside those diapers, then I started to see her point.
Consider the waste involved in laundering cloth diapers (detergent, bleach and waste water run off, electricity and gas). You would also be doing far fewer changes with disposibles.
Oddly, they are more economical and ecologically sound.
shant,
david
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 9:28 pm
by downhill
The forest service complains more about disposable diapers than anything.....
I'd also have to agree with the bottled water thing....It cracks me up to see someone paying for water..but then, I've never lived where the water was that bad.........For work, even though the company would supply water in disposable bottles...I carry a 2 gallon water cooler.......
Disposable cameras..man what a waste.....CostCo sells milk in boxes because they couldn't curb the wasted sales in leaking jugs....I wonder how Albertsons and other big chains make do?
Re: Re: Disposable Society
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 9:35 pm
by RoundEye
Originally posted by nepenthe
Consider the waste involved in laundering cloth diapers (detergent, bleach and waste water run off, electricity and gas). You would also be doing far fewer changes with disposibles.
Oddly, they are more economical and ecologically sound.
shant,
david
hmmm..... didn't think of it that way.
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 9:40 pm
by downhill
You can also make the same argument for glass bottles for soft-drinks vs disposable ones....it takes a bit of resources just to clean them bottles to send back out again..
Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 10:51 pm
by nepenthe
Originally posted by downhill
You can also make the same argument for glass bottles for soft-drinks vs disposable ones....it takes a bit of resources just to clean them bottles to send back out again..
Actually, recycling involves crushing the glass and melting it. Plastic bottles can be recycled as well.
These items can be utilized in other products. Mixed glass is used to make "glasphalt", a road material and the plastic is a used as a filler for synthetic lumber.
shant,
david
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:51 am
by zooner
why is everyone so against disposable cameras? They aren't thrown out, they're reused and resold.
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:53 am
by Jim
I try to avoid using as many unnecessarily disposable items as possible, while recycling anything that can be, which usually results in my recycling bin being as large as my garbage one.
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:54 am
by downhill
Originally posted by nepenthe
Actually, recycling involves crushing the glass and melting it. Plastic bottles can be recycled as well.
These items can be utilized in other products. Mixed glass is used to make "glasphalt", a road material and the plastic is a used as a filler for synthetic lumber.
shant,
david
David..my family does recycle glass, plastic, and newspapers.....but I was refering to the good ol' days with real glass bottles for soda pop.......a bygone era..
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:56 am
by Ghosthunter
i could not go without using disposabale diapers fo rmy children
what a pain that would be
no thank you, i dont care about how mcuh it costs or if it is cheaper..lol
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:57 am
by nepenthe
Originally posted by downhill
David..my family does recycle glass, plastic, and newspapers.....but I was refering to the good ol' days with real glass bottles for soda pop.......a bygone era..
Not really.
We have many smaller bottlers here in the north east.
shant,
david
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:58 am
by RoundEye
Originally posted by zooner
why is everyone so against disposable cameras? They aren't thrown out, they're reused and resold.
Recent studies have show that, despite the recycling claims on the boxes, less than half of disposable cameras are ever actually recycled. Enough cameras have been tossed to circle the planet, stacked end-to-end. Local film developers often have little or no incentive to return the camera bodies to the manufacturers, and not all parts of the cameras are recyclable. Kodak has started to minimally reimburse developers for the costs of sorting, storing and shipping, but processors are still faced with a bewildering variety of types, brands, and procedures for dealing with them.
Inexpensive fully-automatic 35mm cameras can be purchased for about $20 if you look carefully. These cameras will give better results and cost less to use than the disposables. If you must use a disposable camera, be sure to take it to a developer that explicitly promises to recycle the remains.
From Here
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 2:00 am
by Ghosthunter
the advantage for having disposable camers
is when you go somewhere like an amusement park and realize oops you forgot your film or digital camera
No problem, spend about $12 and get a disposable camera
Really cannot beat it for the convenience
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 2:05 am
by Jim
Originally posted by Ghosthunter
the advantage for having disposable camers
is when you go somewhere like an amusement park and realize oops you forgot your film or digital camera
No problem, spend about $12 and get a disposable camera
Really cannot beat it for the convenience
That falls in line with all of the other "advantages" people take advantage of. It's so much easier to dump crap in a river (*cough* GE *cough*) than it is to properly dispose of such wastes.
I find little difference, other than the fact that the price of our "convenience" will be making things harder for future generations.
Re: Disposable Society
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 2:14 am
by ghost
Originally posted by RoundEye
{edit}
I know there is also going to be waste, but waste for pure convenience bothers me sometimes.
Try not to think about it, that helps. Let future generations take care of it. They'll probably have a ray or something that'll eliminate it.
If not, hey, you'll be dead, so forget about it.
Re: Re: Disposable Society
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 4:18 am
by Ghosthunter
Originally posted by ghost
Try not to think about it, that helps. Let future generations take care of it. They'll probably have a ray or something that'll eliminate it.
If not, hey, you'll be dead, so forget about it.
LOL
truth is earth has been here for millions of years, and earth wil be here for more millions of years.
It has its way of taking care of itself, that is waht earthquakes/hurricanes/tornadoes are for
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 4:32 am
by Faust
sure, the earth will e here for a long time to come. whether it will have homo sapiens inhabiting it (or any life for that matter) is the question.
natural resources and a clean air atmosphere are not needed to have a floating rock in space called "earth". having a life-supporting environment is.
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 4:38 am
by zooner
Originally posted by Faust
sure, the earth will e here for a long time to come. whether it will have homo sapiens inhabiting it (or any life for that matter) is the question.
natural resources and a clean air atmosphere are not needed to have a floating rock in space called "earth". having a life-supporting environment is.
and thanks for the info roundeye.
I dont have any links for this, just information I've picked up. However, isnt glass really NOT worth recycling? I thought I read once before that the enviromental benefit of recycling glass was less then 2%. While I'm sure that can add up, it is morphed by the benefit of paper and metals.
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 4:46 am
by Ghosthunter
Originally posted by Faust
sure, the earth will e here for a long time to come. whether it will have homo sapiens inhabiting it (or any life for that matter) is the question.
natural resources and a clean air atmosphere are not needed to have a floating rock in space called "earth". having a life-supporting environment is.
by then we probably would have moved to another planet
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 4:49 am
by zooner
Originally posted by Ghosthunter
by then we probably would have moved to another planet
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 4:50 am
by BaLa
not enough recycling, also..
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 4:56 am
by Faust
Originally posted by zooner
or maybe the thread title should read: "Disposable Planet".
Originally posted by Ghosthunter
by then we probably would have moved to another planet
and which planet would this be? you have a destination planned, or do we only hope that something is available by that time?
Re: Re: Re: Disposable Society
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 8:20 am
by Chris
Originally posted by Ghosthunter
LOL
truth is earth has been here for millions of years, and earth wil be here for more millions of years.
It has its way of taking care of itself, that is waht earthquakes/hurricanes/tornadoes are for
Kill the earth, destroy the atmospere, polute polute polute, have at it everyone, but in the meantime Don.t download MP3's, thats bad
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 10:10 am
by nepenthe
Originally posted by zooner
READ: "Fast Food Nation"
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 10:10 am
by Ghosthunter
Originally posted by Faust
or maybe the thread title should read: "Disposable Planet".
and which planet would this be? you have a destination planned, or do we only hope that something is available by that time?
who knows but i wont worry about it,
we are talking about something thousands of yeas from now
if it even happens.
Persoanlly I dont believe we are destroying our environment as much the enviromentalists love to say we are
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 10:17 am
by Chris
Originally posted by Ghosthunter
Persoanlly I dont believe we are destroying our environment as much the enviromentalists love to say we are
Walk away from your filtered treated tap water, your bottles of Perrier and see if you can find drinkable water.
100 years ago you could find it anywhere, except the desert, now???
Not so easy
But there is an old saying that goes well with what you are saying .
" Ignorance is Bliss "
I'm not implying you are ignorant by any means but that as a species, if we turn our backs to a problem, the problem goes away or does not exist.
I live one block from one of the largest bodies of fresh water in the world, and I wouldn't drink that stuff if you payed me to, its a shame really
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 10:21 am
by blebs
Back to the diaper thing--We tried that cloth idea right up until everything was wearing what was in that diaper. I think it was all of 3 hours we used cloth. You weren't cleaning just the baby, you were cleaning everything within a 5 foot area of the kid including yourself. Cloth diapers? No thanks.
First you learn, then you get Luvs!
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 12:56 pm
by RoundEye
Like I've mentioned in other post, I'm no "tree hugging hippy", but I don't like this trend to things that are used once and recycled. While some of this is good in theory, it seems these things are just ending up in the dump. Either laziness or greed is keeping the stuff from being recycled properly.
I would like to see things that contain highly toxic materials not be made "disposable". When I've told people about smoke detectors having radioactive material, most of them had no clue about it.
The most common type of smoke detector contains a small amount of Americium 241, a radioactive material. Detector companies accept returned radioactive detectors for disposal as hazardous waste.
Has anybody here every sent back a smoke detector? I know I never have.
It's not something I dwell on, but everytime I see something advertised as disposable I think of the waste created for pure convience only.
Re: Disposable Society
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:10 pm
by CyclonesWorld
//edit Doh, i was beat.
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:26 pm
by Randy
Ketchup packets < CANT STAND EM
When ever i order fies i usually get 4-5 packets in the bag. Got sqweeze the ever luvin ***** outta em to get a mynewt amount of ketchup. Seems there is more plastic or garbage than there is content (ketchup).
They throw in 4 packets in the bag but, WHY dont they just make the packet 4 x the size and just chuck in one packet?
was happy when the pump thing came out in the 90's..
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:36 pm
by Chris
Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 2:15 pm
by Randy
Originally posted by Chris
Hummm, did it work???
that one doesnt look like it would hold very much chris
im talking about commercial type
girth is everything!
