Coronavirus (NO POLITICAL OR SOCIAL COMMENTARY PLEASE)

[MifuneFan]

On the topic of recycling, I don't understand why they make it so complicated, or rather, why they couldn't simplify it to the point of making it possible for a 4 year old to get. There's like 4 or 5 (or more?) different categories of recycling now, different grades of plastic, different types of waste, etc.

Why couldn't we come up with a simple numbering system for this? One that's actually printed on every respective product, so that you know Product 1 goes in Recycling Bin 1, etc.. This is a very easy solution, and one that could be universally adapted around the world, and would make the sorting process a lot more streamlined than it is. Recycling plants have to waste resources sorting out incorrectly sorted trash. A lot of people don't even want to recycle because of how complex some of the sorting has become.

I honestly see zero downside to shifting to a simple numbering system (perhaps paired with a color). It might cost a little more in the short-term to market it, and change the bin designs, etc..but once everything is running, it's bound to save money and lead to increased and more efficient recycling in the future.

[Lacit170]

Originally Posted by MrHT

Our environment would be fine if we all just recycle plastic and I'm sure everyone is doing just that.

unfortunately, even people who actually do recycle...those material are ending up in landfills regardless and no recycled. the whole process is ridiculous and until that changes, not much the everyday man can do to help.

https://www.livescience.com/how-much...recycling.html

[AnamorphicWidescreen]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

That’s the problem right there. Decades ago more recyclable materials (such as glass) were used, but since plastic is cheaper to manufacture, companies have switched to it. We should go back to using glass containers.

I completely get what you're saying. But, the problem is that glass is more dangerous & people can accidentally cut themselves on the shards, etc.

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by MrHT

Yeah, why did Snapple switch to plastic bottles?

Only in their larger quantity bottles. The 16 fl oz bottles are still glass. I’d advise buying those bottles of Snapple.

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by MrHT

Our environment would be fine if we all just recycle plastic and I'm sure everyone is doing just that.

Not all recycled plastics are actually reused. Most of it ends up in the trash anyway.

[Lacit170]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

Only in their larger quantity bottles. The 16 fl oz bottles are still glass. I’d advise buying those bottles of Snapple.

the regular 16oz bottles are also plastic now...

[MifuneFan]

I haven't bought Snapple since I was 13.

[Pondosinatra]

"The White House expects the country’s daily coronavirus death toll to nearly double by June 1, according to an internal document obrained by the New York Times. The CDC projection indicates the country may be losing 3,000 Americans a day by early next month."

[IndyMLVC]

Originally Posted by Pondosinatra

"The White House expects the country’s daily coronavirus death toll to nearly double by June 1, according to an internal document obrained by the New York Times. The CDC projection indicates the country may be losing 3,000 Americans a day by early next month."

But I thought we were re-opening and everything was fine?

[Pondosinatra]

Originally Posted by IndyMLVC

But I thought we were re-opening and everything was fine?

[Scarface32]

Originally Posted by Lacit170

the regular 16oz bottles are also plastic now...

Not where I shop. At my supermarket the Snapple is still in glass. The larger 32 fl oz bottles are plastic though.

Here’s a bottle I just bought a few days ago, as you can see it’s glass.

[Lacit170]

Originally Posted by Scarface32

Not where I shop. At my supermarket the Snapple is still in glass. The larger 32 fl oz bottles are plastic though.

Here’s a bottle I just bought a few days ago, as you can see it’s glass.

i actually cant see that is glass from the pic. the new bottles look very much like glass but are plastic.

obviously, you bought it and know its glass but they switched to plastic last summer i believe.

Says George, “The whole key of what we were trying to do is change the bottle in a way the consumer never noticed. We wanted them to see this bottle as the glass bottle, which took a lot of time and effort. But I think we were successful in that there are a lot of people who are still surprised it’s a plastic bottle.”

[bruceames]

Originally Posted by Pondosinatra

"The White House expects the country’s daily coronavirus death toll to nearly double by June 1, according to an internal document obrained by the New York Times. The CDC projection indicates the country may be losing 3,000 Americans a day by early next month."

Deaths have been averaging around 2,000 per day for the last month. So I guess they're projecting they will increase due to the reopenings of the economy? That seems like a very pessimistic projection, at 100K per month. Totally opposite of any flattening of the curve. I hope it's wrong.

Meanwhile the White House projects 100k total deaths. I wonder if that projection is for the rest of the year, or what timeline they refer to? It seems we'll easily reach 100k deaths by sometime next month.

[Batman1980]

[Moe Szyslak]

I have long since abandoned giving a single shit what the White House "projects" with regards to this virus.

[Batman1980]

Developing a vaccine will be the key to returning to less restricted everyday life. On Monday, an alliance of world leaders was holding a virtual summit hoping to drum up around 4 billion euros ($4.37 billion) for vaccine research, some 2 billion euros for treatments and 1.5 billion euros for testing. Officials say that amount is just the start.

The leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Norway and top European Union officials said that money raised will be channeled mostly through recognized global health organizations. The EU’s executive Commission had hoped that the United States would take part, but it remained unclear what role, if any, Washington might play in the donor conference.

Germany’s health minister said there are “promising” developments but warned that developing vaccines is one of the biggest challenges in medicine.

“I would be glad if we succeeded in a few months, but I think we must remain realistic,” Jens Spahn told ARD television on Sunday. “It can also take years.”

___

Sullivan reported from Minneapolis. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report.

Source - KRQE.com

[Waboman]

The cats have finally returned to the airports. The earth is healing.

[GRD43L]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Why couldn't we come up with a simple numbering system for this? One that's actually printed on every respective product, so that you know Product 1 goes in Recycling Bin 1, etc.. This is a very easy solution, and one that could be universally adapted around the world, and would make the sorting process a lot more streamlined than it is. Recycling plants have to waste resources sorting out incorrectly sorted trash. A lot of people don't even want to recycle because of how complex some of the sorting has become.

While the numbers and codes exist, not many bother to read+sort.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling_codes

When I see garbage, left over food, unsorted plastics tossed into recycling containers in public places, I am not hopeful that diligent numbering on products/packaging will solve the problem. It still requires every individual to do their part.

[Dollar Colonel]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

On the topic of recycling, I don't understand why they make it so complicated, or rather, why they couldn't simplify it to the point of making it possible for a 4 year old to get. There's like 4 or 5 (or more?) different categories of recycling now, different grades of plastic, different types of waste, etc.

Why couldn't we come up with a simple numbering system for this? One that's actually printed on every respective product, so that you know Product 1 goes in Recycling Bin 1, etc.. This is a very easy solution, and one that could be universally adapted around the world, and would make the sorting process a lot more streamlined than it is. Recycling plants have to waste resources sorting out incorrectly sorted trash. A lot of people don't even want to recycle because of how complex some of the sorting has become.

I honestly see zero downside to shifting to a simple numbering system (perhaps paired with a color). It might cost a little more in the short-term to market it, and change the bin designs, etc..but once everything is running, it's bound to save money and lead to increased and more efficient recycling in the future.

Originally Posted by GRD43L

While the numbers and codes exist, not many bother to read+sort.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling_codes

When I see garbage, left over food, unsorted plastics tossed into recycling containers in public places, I am not hopeful that diligent numbering on products/packaging will solve the problem. It still requires every individual to do their part.

Reminds me of:

[mar3o]

Originally Posted by captveg

They can start by getting rid of the huge clamshells of plastic every product comes in now. We didn't always "need" a huge shell of plastic for our headphones, scissors, packet of pens, etc.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/e...ing-nightmare/

Amazon was supposed to be doing something about this a long time ago, putting pressure on companies to stop doing this. It seems almost everything I buy, from scissors to collectible figures to just about everything comes in those dreadful hard plastic blister packages that I have to cut into shreds to get to the product inside. Not only is it bad for the environment, it often results in cutting your fingers on the ultra-sharp plastic edges, and makes storage impossible later as there's no package to store the product in, plus it makes returns that much more difficult. There's literally no benefit to them.