shit...

It is worth noting that other types of materials are regularly recycled fairly well

For instance, paper and carboard (as long as it's without food grease) work well

Also worth noting that #1 and #2 plastics are usually recycled. #3 and above are typically not economically viable and thus not recycled. They have higher cost and produce lower quality plastics after recyling

There was a time when China had such high raw demand for plastics that they would recycle large amounts of the higher number plastics from other countries. They no longer do so

These distinctions are typically not expressed to people very well. In any case, recycling is supposed to be the thing that comes after trying to reduce waste and reuse waste. It's not a magical bullet, but it can help with the things you can't easily reduce or reuse. Somehow it became the focal point of everything and the other two got lost

Aluminum is cheaper to recycle than to make, even more so than glass.
- And it's basically infinitely recyclable
Aluminum is cheaper to recycle than to make, even more so than glass.
Somehow it became the focal point of everything and the other two got lost
I think it was the marketing the image is referring to... 😅

Don't look too much into "dolphin-safe" tuna.

Plastic may be so, but glass recycling has been a thing for decades (depending on where you are), aliminium recycling is all well, same for paper (if grease free) There's also wooden alternatives for a lot of plastic/silicon stuff, and wood can be reused/burned/mulched.

So in a way it IS your responsibility - to give up plastic

your responsibility
*Assuming the products are available and you make enough to buy them.
Take an inventory of plastic shit in your life. It's a lot. I don't think I could cut it out completely. I'm having a hard time imagining zero plastic grocery shopping. It's possible to be sure, but fucking everything comes in plastic.
- Even things that don't use plastic packaging have plastics in their packaging - airtight seals on the inside of jar lids and the coating on the inside of soup cans come to mind. Can definitely reduce plastic consumption but I don't think going plastic free is possible unless you're raising your own food and the seeds/feed also come in plastic free packaging..

If you have a municipal waste-to-energy facility, it's somehow actually more efficient and safer to get it incinerated.

Highly recommended if you can't avoid plastics for whatever reason.

They do have aluminum recylable all sorts of stuff now too.

Cups, straws, etc.

There was a book recently about how plastics "recycling" these days is usually a shady deal where someone gets cash to dump the recycling in a downtrodden part of the world

Regardless of whoever came up with the idea, recycling does help and you should do it:

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230317-how-recycling-can-help-the-climate-and-other-facts

It may not save the planet on its own, but it is part of the solution.

I think I remember reading somewhere that if we got rid of the 5 biggest cruise ships and all private jets that would almost cut co2 emissions by 50%.

That seems high. I'd buy 2-5%
- You are probably right about I don’t honestly remember the number.
Big if true

Why is this spammed every day on lenmy this is without question an astroturfing campaign. It's not that funny, it's not productive or informative, it's defeatism and pessimism