jade1
I spend half my money on WDW, and waste the rest.
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2001
The best current solution would likely be compostable plastic.
I'm ok with compostable plastic cups and lids. Straws as well.
Just not a fan of no lid at all.
The best current solution would likely be compostable plastic.
Paper has its own issues - the production is worse for the environment and it's heavier to transport, which means more fossil fuel use (it's sort of the opposite with plastic, where a lot of the environmental issues are back-loaded). And a lot of people hate the mouthfeel of a paper straw. (Less of an issue with lids, of course.)
The best current solution would likely be compostable plastic. If it were properly sorted for recycling and/or landfills, then it's a good solution. If it winds up in waterways, then you have some of the same issues again. And I think compostable plastic is a bit more expensive. But I think it would work as the most effective all-around solution that balances the environment and convenience.
I'd be all for compostable plastic, but that would kind of require WDW to start composting. We compost, ie we throw our vegetable matter in the back corner of the yard so that the wild bunnies can eat it
That would be a great idea! However, I've yet to see a compostable bag that's got full-colour printing on, because I get the feeling Disney would want to make their hypothetical bioplastic bags have the same graphics on as their normal bags, and I've only seen ones that just have text and simple graphics on.Good for you! We compost too and my wife uses it for our garden.
I could see Disney starting a composting program by just having bins for in-resort plastic. And while recycling is ideal, this would be cheaper for them and minimize the economic impact. It they were really forward thinking - IF - they could even start generating electricity from compost sites to help supplement their energy needs.
That would make an ideal compromise, along with adopting bioplastics in lieu of food and drink petroplastics. Disney should be at the forefront of bioplastic adoption!I was a little curious about that when you brought it up, so did a little research - there’s at least one company, Polynova, doing full color printing on compostable and biodegradable bags. I don’t know if it’s something that can be done at Disney scale, but it seems that it’s at least possible.
I don't think we can go back to living in a "steampunk society," where glass, wood, metal, cotton, wool were the basic materials of our lives, as dreamy as it seems. Steel mines, cotton farming, and sheep farms create their own environmental disasters. The solution has to be focussing on using and creating new biodegradeable substances, and saving plastics for where it counts, like medical devices and waterproofing.
The whole disposability of our current society is the problem. But there is no money for Wall Street in reuse, repair, recycle. Ketchup comes in a plastic bottle because it's cheaper to manufacture and ship. Shoes are no longer leather. Car dashboards are no longer wood. Even lightbulbs are now plastic. WE used to buy less, but of better quality. I miss that.
While 'Are today's durable goods too low quality / too disposable?' is a valid question, I think it's a separate one from 'How do we reduce, reuse, or recycle one-time use, disposable items?' You're not going to get everyone who comes to the parks to bring their own reusable travel mugs, so if disposable cups need to be provided in some form, what should that form be?
My understanding with the wax-lined paper cups is they aren't necessarily easily recyclable, nor compostable. Plastic drink cups could be a solution if they actually provide convenient recycling at the parks. There's a whole lot of trash cans at Disney and not enough recycling. Surely there could be some kind of innovative solution that accepts & diverts remaining ice/liquid while taking the plastic to recycle? Biodegradable paper straws like at Animal Kingdom solves the straw problem. Whatever the solution is, I'm okay with the approach being "how do we do disposable items smarter?" Fast food has been making strides over the past few years with biodegradable papers for bags, wrappers, bowls (ideally this should be paired with available compost bins, of course).
This is all why Disney’s decision is valuable. It leads to the discussion, how can we do things that balance convenience and stewardship? The end goal isn’t to strip away people’s choices, but to provide better choices. The question is, who is going to provide the vision and imagination to lead the way? I hope Disney is one of those entities.
I've always advocated better recycling and ways of making plastics greener and more sustainable, not to mention that I'd like to see a massive bioplastics revolution. My concern is that if too many companies jump on the paper straws and reusables bandwagon, then the carbon footprint would skyrocket massively, and we'd then have to be dealing with another environmental problem while simultaneously trying to deal with one. Worse, we'd see even more waste being generated, particularly with those cheap-and-nasty 99c NWPP cloth bags they're peddling in the Disney Stores that require 30 reuses to offset the equivalent of one plastic bag, and often fall apart before reaching that figure, thus resulting in said bag being disposed of, in the absence of a lifetime guarantee.This is all why Disney’s decision is valuable. It leads to the discussion, how can we do things that balance convenience and stewardship? The end goal isn’t to strip away people’s choices, but to provide better choices. The question is, who is going to provide the vision and imagination to lead the way? I hope Disney is one of those entities.
Talking about conservation...what about the switch to electric buses? All that diesel fuel must do more harm locally.
they can crank that A/C all they want.