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This is something that actually would make a marked, measurable difference for those who care about the environment.
End junk mail. And really, by extension, pretty much all paper mail. Bank statements. Utility bills. All of that. Get rid of it.
Period.
99% of all unsolicited junk mail ends up in the garbage can anyway. Who knows how many untold trees that would save. Not to mention the related costs of processing and transporting. And of course, the trash itself. And as an added bonus, it would be an additional layer of safety against ID thieves. Most of that still happens the old fashioned way: rummaging through dumpsters and people not being careful with what they toss.
End it.
Once and for all. Mandate paperless bills, insurance cards, and so on. Purveyors of unsolicited junk mail are just going to have to adapt and find new means of advertising. Or go out of business. Simple as that.
This is 2019. 1978 called. They want their way of doing business back. With very, very, and I do mean very few exceptions, I can't think of anything that would require paper that couldn't be handled through modern technologies such as PDF, email, chat, text, and so forth.
I know there are still some people that are holdouts and love to do things the old fashioned way. But sooner or later, they're going to have to be forced to get with the times. We did it with the switchover from analog TV to digital. Why couldn't that be extended to this?
Yes, I know it would effectively spell the end of the USPS. And I don't imagine a whole lot of love being lost over THAT by the general public.
Just carve it up into pieces and let UPS, FedEx, or whomever take it over. Just to make sure that a successor service remains, include some of the less "desirable" parts in with the nice ones that way anyone who bids can't just cherry pick the parts they want and leave everyone else (such as in rural areas) high and dry with no service.
And besides. With the abolition of junk and pretty much all paper, that would eliminate 90% of the need for a USPS in the first place.
What say you?
I see states like CA and MD going after petty ante BS like Styrofoam and plastic bags and to me, not only is that likely to be pointless and ineffective in the long haul, but just screams of bullying: in the schoolyard-the third grader sees the first grader as an easy target but knows that if he tries to pick a fight with the fifth grader, he'd get his butt walloped. This is pretty much the same thing. Plastic bags make an easy target but don't really solve much. If you want to do something positive for the environment, why not go after something like this that would actually produce a massive net positive result?
Well you seem to be ignorant as to why coastal states are banning plastic and Styrofoam. First thing I would do is some research as to why they are specifically targeting plastic. This will help you to understand the logic.
Research plastic in ocean.
Plastic damage wildlife.
Research how long it takes for plastic to break down vs. paper.
Well you seem to be ignorant as to why coastal states are banning plastic and Styrofoam. First thing I would do is some research as to why they are specifically targeting plastic. This will help you to understand the logic.
Research plastic in ocean.
Plastic damage wildlife.
Research how long it takes for plastic to break down vs. paper.
Some of that will get you started.
And how much of that actually originates here?
Please refer back to my schoolkid analogy.
Oh....and plastic is an extension of the oil/petroleum industry, a part of the economy that is staffed from the top all the way down almost exclusively by people of Conservative persuasion.
Not that there's any connection between that and the Left's relentless targeting there now is there?
But that's another subject for another day. Can we please stick to my original question?
Paper is made primarily of wood, which is a renewable resource, and the forests dedicated to the paper market are a cash crop. The very fact that there is a demand for paper supports the planting and maintenance of large forest tracts. It provides jobs and pays taxes.
This isn't deforestation, it is an economic engine which pays for greenery on our planet, and sequesters CO2 in the process. When the trees are cut new seedlings are planted right away. It's a good deal.
One can certainly argue that junk mail is a nuisance, I couldn't agree more, but paper in it's many uses by and large is not a problem.
Well you seem to be ignorant as to why coastal states are banning plastic and Styrofoam. First thing I would do is some research as to why they are specifically targeting plastic. This will help you to understand the logic.
Research plastic in ocean.
Plastic damage wildlife.
Research how long it takes for plastic to break down vs. paper.
Some of that will get you started.
Plastic in ocean is something that is finally starting to get some media attention and there are people working on solutions to clean it up. There are also some companies that working on a solution to the plastic problem by developing containers and such that will dissolve safely in the water and are digestible by sea life. Hopefully it is not too late.
OP, I agree about junk mail. I go to my mailbox every day and almost every piece of mail I get goes into the recycle bin.
I remember when the plastic bags came to grocery stores, everyone talked about how plastic can easily be recycled and how much better it will be, for many years, we had drop offs for those plastic bags, i used to throw them all in a larger bag and take them to be recycled monthly, not sure why they are not pushing that anymore.
I know there are still some people that are holdouts and love to do things the old fashioned way. But sooner or later, they're going to have to be forced to get with the times. We did it with the switchover from analog TV to digital. Why couldn't that be extended to this?
What say you?
I say NO to ending all paper, although I would cheerfully do away with junk mail. Why can't the USPS have a "Do Not (Junk) Mail" list?
However, because of cyber security concerns (both hacking and the EMP-type), I would not like to have any of my account info ONLY available by computer in one form or another!
And, FYI, no one has been forced to get anything digital or new. So far, people do have the choice to go off the grid to a greater or lesser degree. Not everyone has the latest electronics technology, and we do just fine without it.
The amount of junk mail I receive between my household and office is crazy. The one that really gets me is the amount that Comcast Business sends out to try and woo my business. There have been months where they have sent my office which includes 3 other suites 12-15 solicitations and sometimes they are in large 8x11 envelopes. They send out all this junk but don't dare ask them for a loyalty discount because they only give deals to new customers.
As for plastic bags I'm torn (pun intended) and they have been banned in towns near me. Yes some do end up stuck in trees for years and others end up in the ocean where turtles eat them and die but overall people dispose of them properly. The same goes for straws which have also been banned. What is odd is that at a nearby high end restaurant/resort, you have to ask for a straw but if you have leftovers they will box them in a heavy plastic box complete with plastic utensils and a plastic bag to tote it home with. ? Oh well.
I think every bit helps but for the most part these bans and restrictions are nothing but feel good movements that do little against the real problem of growing nations dumping their trash right into the ocean.
I remember when the plastic bags came to grocery stores, everyone talked about how plastic can easily be recycled and how much better it will be, for many years, we had drop offs for those plastic bags, i used to throw them all in a larger bag and take them to be recycled monthly, not sure why they are not pushing that anymore.
I have recently learned that a lot of our recycling used to get smashed up and put on a freighter for China. I think the tariffs kind slowed that down.
I have recently learned that a lot of our recycling used to get smashed up and put on a freighter for China. I think the tariffs kind slowed that down.
Well, that would make sense, since most of the electronic stuff we buy (which is housed in plastic) comes from China, looking at my monitor, keyboard, mouse and CPU, lots of plastic!
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