This is what we’ve come to in America with our current political climate: People declaring a crisis of plastic takeout containers that only the heavy-handed Iron Fist of the federal government solve.
A writer at a New York City-focused food blog writes about “The Takeout Conundrum,” i.e. the fact that whenever you order takeout you get all kinds of eco-unfriendly plastic with it. Even if you recycle it, it’s still being produced in the first place.
Then the comments begin digesting it and soon enough, the typical liberal cry is heard: “Nanny government, save us!”
It’s a great start to try to bring your stuff to a restaurant when you’re getting take out, but for delivery, there is no practical solution other than eliminating the use of plastics to begin with. I think this is a situation that has to be resolved through government initiative. As Karen shows, we can’t count on business to do the right thing. We need the Federal government to subsidize the emerging industries that are working on creating these biodegradable plastics made with renewable primary materials, as well as moving to ban outright the use of the plastic containers, with stiff penalties for their use and constant and consistent enforcement of the law.
We’re talking about little plastic bowls here, not toxic waste … or even cigarettes!
This is an entirely predictable reaction. Politicians—on both sides of the aisle—have trained us to believe that every problem in society is a crisis and every crisis requires a drastic solution and those drastic solutions can only be devised through arcane legislation passed by those very politicians (who helpfully include earmarked spending for government contractors in their districts) who are so necessary to fixing anything and so brave to stand up and call a molehill, a mountain.
Or, we could, you know, talk to our favorite local restaurants and talk to them about it and encourage them to find a mutually acceptable solution. Or, you know, we could come up with a new idea ourselves and start a business providing that solution to society. Or at the very least, not every problem in life is political in nature and neither is every solution. Hmm.
not to mention that I like the plastic containers … saves me from having to buy plastic containers. You can use them for everything from lunch containers to storage bins for everything from hardware, nuts, bolts, pens, crayons etc. With me, only the junk paper ones end up in the landfill…
Guess this is how politicians justify those rather big annual incomes & retirement packages they like to vote on themselves, by micromanaging our lives.
“Every problem, a crisis”
Well its a good why to get attention for a “cause”…you know for fund raising or for a government subsidy.
And what’s the hype with biodegradable plastic? What will is biodegrade into…sugar ‘n spice? or some compounds that aren’t too nice?
We should find out first.