[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Midnight Cowgirl

Bring my own straw? I think not!

A lot of using a straw is just habit. I NEVER recall being served iced tea in a restaurant and NOT getting a straw. The same actually goes for just about anything that's served cold.

Also, one would have to admit it's pretty difficult to drink from a take-out paper glass with a lid, without a straw .

Er - I've never had any problem taking the lid off, or asking to have it put in a coffee cup with a sippy-lid. Or - if it's a take-out, bringing my own washable container and transferring the paper to the washable, and tossing the paper in the recycling bin.

It's just habit, as you say. And I agree, using a straw, NOT recycling, not even thinking about it - are all habits. They're bad habits. Are you opposed to acquiring some new, good habits? I'm already working on mine. It took me around a year to stop using straws (except for slushie-type items where you can't really tip the liquid into your mouth, since it's not actually liquid, it's slush).

It sounds like all the things you say makes it difficult, is just excuses. It's not difficult at all to not use a straw. It's not difficult at all to take the lid off a cup. It's not difficult at all to sip from the rim of a glass, or cup. You've just done it some other way all your life, and having to do it differently is stressful.

Until you actually get used to doing it differently. And then - it's no longer stressful, because it's just how you're used to doing things.

[Midnight Cowgirl]

Originally Posted by Jazuela

Er - I've never had any problem taking the lid off, or asking to have it put in a coffee cup with a sippy-lid. Or - if it's a take-out, bringing my own washable container and transferring the paper to the washable, and tossing the paper in the recycling bin.

It's just habit, as you say. And I agree, using a straw, NOT recycling, not even thinking about it - are all habits. They're bad habits. Are you opposed to acquiring some new, good habits? I'm already working on mine. It took me around a year to stop using straws (except for slushie-type items where you can't really tip the liquid into your mouth, since it's not actually liquid, it's slush).

It sounds like all the things you say makes it difficult, is just excuses. It's not difficult at all to not use a straw. It's not difficult at all to take the lid off a cup. It's not difficult at all to sip from the rim of a glass, or cup. You've just done it some other way all your life, and having to do it differently is stressful.

Until you actually get used to doing it differently. And then - it's no longer stressful, because it's just how you're used to doing things.

Errrr . . . . I've never had a problem taking the lid off either, except when I'm driving that isn't a great idea.
It's not even a good idea to use my own thermal container because when I'm driving if I tilt my head up to drink, I can't see the road and would tend to swerve (did that once-- tooo dangerous!).
Coffee cups are too small for sodas or iced tea or iced coffee.

It isn't stressful to drink out of any type of glass and you saying that is laughable.
The situations I've cited are not excuses just real facts when you absolutely cannot drink from a glass.

There isn't always a solution for every single situation, you know.
Pass the straw, please!

[Marathon Man]

How many people use a straw at home? Not sure when it became 'necessary' to use a straw in a restaurant, but that needs to change.

[Carla B]

The only thing we use straws for is for a vanilla malted milk for two once a year or so.

Straws are not the only problem. What about all the "clam shell" clear plastic containers that vegetables, fruits, baked goods come in. Just because the recycle sign may be stamped on them doesn't mean they recycle here. If you read the guidelines for No. Sumter Utility District, it looks like only narrow neck plastic containers recycle.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Carla B

The only thing we use straws for is for a vanilla malted milk for two once a year or so.

Straws are not the only problem. What about all the "clam shell" clear plastic containers that vegetables, fruits, baked goods come in. Just because the recycle sign may be stamped on them doesn't mean they recycle here. If you read the guidelines for No. Sumter Utility District, it looks like only narrow neck plastic containers recycle.

I read an article about recycling plastic a bit ago. Clam shells contain two strengths of plastic--stronger for the container and weaker for the hinge. The two cannot be combined in recycling and there is no way to separate the weak hinge from the stronger container. Also, the patten for the recycle symbol, which first came out in the '70s, expired a long time ago, and anyone can put that symbol on anything they like with impunity. Some of the items that have that symbol on them are actually not recyclable.


I can't remember if I put the article up before. It's from The Guardian: How you're recycling plastic wrong, from coffee cups to toothpaste | Environment | The Guardian

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by trichard

When are our trash rates increasing?

My thought exactly. The whole presentation thing was just a set up to justify an upcoming rate increase.

[Marathon Man]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

My thought exactly. The whole presentation thing was just a set up to justify an upcoming rate increase.

Would you rather they raise the rates woith justification?? Some of us appreciate being informed.

[JoMar]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

My thought exactly. The whole presentation thing was just a set up to justify an upcoming rate increase.

So you don't think there is an issue right?

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by JoMar

So you don't think there is an issue right?

Rate increases are not an issue?

[JoMar]

Another point, lot of discussion on straws which make up only .025% of 8 Million metric tons of plastic that show up in the ocean. Shouldn't we be focused on the 99.8% in our discussions? Straws are easy because it requires minimal behavior changes on our part, the rest might require us to do more which many are not willing to do.

[MorTech]

Huh...Plastic straws are made from Ethylene...Ethylene's hydrate is Ethanol.

Coincidence?

I'm going to start drinking muh beer with a straw

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by JoMar

Another point, lot of discussion on straws which make up only .025% of 8 Million metric tons of plastic that show up in the ocean. Shouldn't we be focused on the 99.8% in our discussions? Straws are easy because it requires minimal behavior changes on our part, the rest might require us to do more which many are not willing to do.

Then - disposable diapers, plastic bags, and take-out containers. Are you willing to give all three up? I'm not specifying what kind of plastic bags. ALL plastic bags. Including garbage bags, trash can liners, kitty litter bags, grocery bags, ziplock bags for the fridge and freezer, sandwich bags, etc. etc. etc.

If we start with straws, we're doing SOMETHING other than just saying "let's do something, but not straws." You have to start somewhere. Straws are the least-used item that has the least impact on civilization.

To Midnight Cowgirl, stop trying to take a drink while you're driving. You shouldn't be doing that anyway, with or without a straw. Problem solved.

[tophcfa]

I just checked out the presentation on solid waste disposal for the Villages and have to say it is an extremely flawed and misleading study. The data used simply does not reflect reality. The study shows that the Villages has a lower annual trash removal cost per household than the national average and much lower than several major urban areas. I certainly hope so given the following facts that were omitted from the study. 1) A very large percentage of Villages home owners are not using their homes (and producing zero trash) for a very large part of the year, despite paying for trash removal year round, 2) The average household size in the country is over 3 people per home (and more in many urban areas) while most homes in the Villages have two (and many only one) resident(s), 3) In most cases, seniors (The Villages population) produce less trash than the typical younger person (seniors eat out more and eat less in general).

What a household pays per year for trash pick up is not the relevant statistic, what matters is what each household pays per year in relation to the amount of trash that is taken away! It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that the average annual trash pick up cost for a Villager should be way below the national average, because the average Villager produces much less trash! The only two things a logical person can take away from the study is 1) The data does not show one way or another if Villagers are getting a good rate for trash pick up, based on the the volume of trash they produce, and 2) Full time residents are clearly getting their trash rates subisdized by the part time residents who pay for trash pick up year round (yes, the same snow birds the full time residents love to complain about).

[Midnight Cowgirl]

Originally Posted by JoMar

Another point, lot of discussion on straws which make up only .025% of 8 Million metric tons of plastic that show up in the ocean. Shouldn't we be focused on the 99.8% in our discussions? Straws are easy because it requires minimal behavior changes on our part, the rest might require us to do more which many are not willing to do.

You are correct!

Unfortunately, there are a number of things we should focus on but don't. Man (meaning we humans) is inherently lazy. It truly is easy to change some of our bad habits, particularly when it comes to recycling. Since China is no longer accepting our plastics, I am certain we will see new laws appearing on the plastic and recycling scene.

Another thing -- laws have to change so that people are forced to do the right thing. It's really sad that it would have to come to that for us to change our lazy, bad habits.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by Midnight Cowgirl

You are correct!

Unfortunately, there are a number of things we should focus on but don't. Man (meaning we humans) is inherently lazy. It truly is easy to change some of our bad habits, particularly when it comes to recycling. Since China is no longer accepting our plastics, I am certain we will see new laws appearing on the plastic and recycling scene.

Another thing -- laws have to change so that people are forced to do the right thing. It's really sad that it would have to come to that for us to change our lazy, bad habits.

It is sad, definitely. It's even sadder that some of those "in authority" with the power to actually do something about it, deny that it's a problem that needs anything done about it at all.

Ecology? Why? The earth isn't suffering. Let's build more instead. Let's dig into our planet more and rip out more coal. Can't find it there? Then dig in somewhere else til you find it. Just keep digging - don't worry, the ground won't collapse.

Save the whales? Why? They're big and ugly, who cares if they die from eating plastic? Food chain? Screw the food chain. My food chain is cheeseburgers and McNuggets. You don't need anything else. The whales can die.

Fresh water? To heck with that. It's a minority town, no one cares if their kids are poisoned. Keep dumping toxic waste into the rivers and stop worrying about it.

Climate change? Doesn't exist. Let's give those car manufacturers and other manufacturers some more tax breaks and get rid of those silly pesky limits on how much waste and pollution they're allowed to create.