Mastodawn

Jean-David Bar May 27

@ahako the guilt technique seems to be a civilization issue : in the west, ever since we are born we are sinners who must seek redemption. It becomes more and more ovious that this is a scam, but as long as it works...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11042729/

PLASTIC: FOLLOW THE MONEY

WHO PROFITS:
- Plastic manufacturers (cheap, mass production)
- Food companies (no return logistics)
- Consumers (convenient — short-term)

WHO PAYS:
- States (disposal, sorting, export)
- Environment (incineration, microplastics, ocean pollution)
- Poor people (can't afford alternatives)
- People in poorer countries importing litter
- Future generations (long-term microplastic effects)

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https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10860266231168905

PLASTIC: THE GUILT MACHINE

"You're stupid. You eat plastic."

"You don't sort correctly. You don't rinse. Your conscience!"

BUT NOT:

"The system forces you to buy cheap plastic."
"Manufacturers designed it for convenience."
"States dispose of it improperly."
"The wealthy buy glass and feel morally superior."

Rather: YOU'RE guilty.

The guilt machine works like this: make yourself guilty. So nobody questions the system.

#Plastic #FollowTheMoney

https://www.emerald.com/bfj/article/125/13/538/34004/The-milky-ways-emerging-sustainable-business

PLASTIC: WHY NOT DIFFERENT?

Not "technically impossible."
Not "recycling doesn't work."
Not "returnable systems are uneconomical."

The system was deliberately designed this way.

Plastic = lightweight, cheap, no returns.
For manufacturers: maximum profit + convenience.
For consumers: maximum convenience.
For states: disposal costs.
For the environment: everything else.

Alternatives need returns. Infrastructure. Investment. Inconvenient.

#Plastic #FollowTheMoney

https://www.cleanhub.com/blog/plastic-waste-exports

PLASTIC: INCINERATION & EXPORT

Your container: trash bin → sorting facility.

From there:
- Recycled: ~50%
- Incinerated: ~47%
- Exported: millions of tons yearly → Turkey, Vietnam, Southeast Asia

There: incineration without filters. Landfills. Rivers. Oceans.

Your yogurt cost pennies. The real costs: elsewhere.

Passing on the Blame: The Complete Guide to Plastic Waste Exports | CleanHub

Heard about plastic waste exports? Let's dive into which countries import and export the largest amounts, why they do so, and what happens to the waste.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.5c00985

PLASTIC: ALTERNATIVES EXIST (BUT…)

They exist:
- Returnable glass (up to 50 cycles)
- Compostable PLA (corn starch)
- Paper fiber (wood)
- Sugarcane residue

All 100% compostable industrially.

BUT:
- PLA only for cold liquids (melting point 60°C)
- Need industrial composting facilities (not everywhere)
- More expensive than plastic
- Consumers don't know PLA doesn't break down in home compost

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12005920/

PLASTIC: CLASS PRIVILEGE

Cheap plastic yogurt: basic, practical, standard.

Organic glass yogurt: expensive. For whom? Those who can afford it.

Poor: plastic + bad conscience.
Rich: glass + clear conscience.

Manufacturers profit everywhere. States handle disposal. Environment pays.

Morality is a class privilege.

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https://faculty.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/2003-Zauberman-Lock-In-JCR-30(3).pdf

PLASTIC: THE CONVENIENCE TRAP

Once: yogurt in glass. Returnable. You had to bring it back.

Now: plastic container. Throw it away. No planning needed.

Once you've experienced it: convenience. No going back.

Like stretch jeans. Once you've worn stretch, you don't want stiff jeans again.

The system trained you. Now it's your new normal.