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NurseJackie

(42,862 posts)
Wed Mar 24, 2021, 06:41 PM Mar 2021

Why The United States Is Turning To Recycling Robots



For decades, the United States and other wealthy countries have been dependent on China to buy and process almost half of the world’s plastic waste. Now, stricter recycling standards in China mean its cheaper for some US cities to simply send recyclables to the dump rather than pay a higher fee to process them. That’s why a number of researchers and tech companies are working on robots to make US recycling more efficient.
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Why The United States Is Turning To Recycling Robots (Original Post) NurseJackie Mar 2021 OP
recycling headaches hkp11 Mar 2021 #1
It's difficult, but buying things without plastic can be done bucolic_frolic Mar 2021 #2
Where do you find bleach and laundry detergent... ret5hd Mar 2021 #3
Yeah ... I buy powdered laundry detergent in DollarTree bucolic_frolic Mar 2021 #5
In the future, a grade school teacher will be in front... ret5hd Mar 2021 #4

hkp11

(275 posts)
1. recycling headaches
Wed Mar 24, 2021, 07:13 PM
Mar 2021

but good for our planet. at least AI robotic tech companies are trying to help with recycling facilities. best solution is reduce & reuse.

bucolic_frolic

(42,676 posts)
2. It's difficult, but buying things without plastic can be done
Wed Mar 24, 2021, 07:27 PM
Mar 2021

I gave up plastic bottles for bleach, laundry detergent, margarine (I only use olive oil now), vegetables (I won't buy them in containers, same with bakery). I do notice some companies have paper packaging again. I will buy bulk sometimes, in plastic bags, online or off, rather than plastic bottles. And while I have reduced my footprint a lot, maybe 75%, it's hard to squeeze any more out. Olive oil - you have to have a glass or plastic bottle. Liquor - many, many in plastic now. Usually not quite so much styrofoam in packaging. Some companies using molded paper.

bucolic_frolic

(42,676 posts)
5. Yeah ... I buy powdered laundry detergent in DollarTree
Wed Mar 24, 2021, 08:20 PM
Mar 2021

It's about 19 or 24 ounces. Fresh & Clean is the brand, a Greenbrier brand. Says it's for like 90 loads but I get maybe 20. Very light scent, almost unscented, I like it.

Bleach .. I misspoke, but I do get Clorox crystals. It comes in a lightweight plastic bottle for many quarts. It's 1.5 pounds, says as much bleach as a half gallon. It's ok, but it's not as good for outdoor mold removal as liquid bleach.

Also Oxyclean comes in cardboard boxes now. About the same effect as bleach.

Of course both these products are more expensive than gallons of bleach. But I use a minimal amount, only when I need them, they've lasted 2-3 years.

ret5hd

(20,435 posts)
4. In the future, a grade school teacher will be in front...
Wed Mar 24, 2021, 08:19 PM
Mar 2021

of her class saying something like “And people used to use OIL to make ganip-ganops and toys and single use packaging!!!”

And the children will stare at the teacher in disbelief, unable to comprehend how something so valuable and so poisonous could be so casually wasted, and simply say “Nuh uhh!”

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