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Scientists have figured out way to make algae-based plastic that completely decomposes (abcnews.go.com)

submitted 4 months ago by fukhueson to c/science

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (2 children)

I wonder why we shifted away from things like waxed paper milk cartons(like the small ones you'd get in school) and waxed butcher paper?

Is waxed paper/cardboard product really that much more expensive than plastic in terms of packaging?

[–] ricdeh 5 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Here in Germany, all milk is still distributed in cardboard packages

[–] maniii 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

you mean cardboard packages with plastic linings ?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago (1 children)

They are a fucking nightmare to recycle. You'll be lucky if they get burnt and I mean that.

[–] maniii 2 points 4 months ago

Yep. You can get it composted quickly enough, you can get the plastic film out of the composting bin, but the microplastics are already seeped in and contaminated the biomass.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Yeah, but the inner lining of tetrapacks is plastic

[–] Aux 0 points 4 months ago

Because wax production has numerous negative impacts on the environment: higher energy costs (which lead to higher product costs), deforestation (in case of soy or palm based wax), impact on bee population (in case of bee wax), etc.

Plastics are just better materials for pretty much everything.