[alt text: first, there’s text over a happy Albinauric from Elden Ring saying "me when I thought recycling would save the world. second, there’s text over a sad/depressed Albinauric from Elden Ring saying “me after I found out that plastic corporations invented plastic recycling to put the responsibility onto the consumer even though they knew plastic recycling was both chemically and financially not feasible, and now I have plastic in my brain, lungs, and testicles”.]
When they rolled out disposable plastic bags, they said they were green because they saved trees. I remember. The paper in bags was and is created using pulp from farmed trees, like other crops.
You buy this?
You invent a plastic bag of sufficient thickness to serve for a year or more. The grocery chain sees better profits with tissue thin disposable bags though. Guess which one wins?
Lots of inventions get changed or have knock on effects different than the inventor intended. We didn’t get lazy, the corporations saw a cheaper alternative to disposable paper bags and went with it. It is a systemic issue that rises above the end consumers decision.
Also its made from sawdust and scraps, stuff that has almost zero uses otherwise
because they were lighter and more compact, transporting them burned less fuel. so they were ‘less polluting’
I remember this too