As lawmakers around the world weigh bans of 'forever chemicals,” many manufacturers are pushing back, saying there often is no substitute.

  • Longpork_afficianado@lemmy.nz
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    1 year ago

    I support this approach. Any company manufacturing products which are not readily biodegradable must put in place a scheme to capture and render that product inert before they're allowed to sell it.

    New type of plastic that can't be recycled? Better figure out a recycling process and sort out the logistics of implementing that process wherever you intend to sell it.

    Chemicals in your cleaning agent that don't break down harmlessly after a reasonable time frame? Either re-engineer your chemicals until they do, or develop a process to prevent them ending up in the waterways.

    Can't do that? You arent manufacturing it.

    • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Steel is not biodegradable, so your plan means the end of nearly all manufacturing. I doubt it will be adopted.

      • TopRamenBinLaden@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        Stainless steel, even with its anti-corrosion properties, will eventually break down over thousands of years from the effects of weathering. So it's technically biodegradable, but not really on our timescale, I guess.

        Edit: Steel is not biodegradable, because it can't be broken down by biological processes. I was confused on the word.

        • FlowVoid@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Biodegradable does not mean susceptible to weathering. It means susceptible to bacterial decomposition.

          • TopRamenBinLaden@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            Oh, okay and thanks for the correction. It makes sense now that i actually look at the word. I just always assumed it meant things that can be decomposed by the environment.