The Story Of Stuff
- Thread starter Piyono
- Start date
Crazy hippie lady does a great job of distilling and disseminating facts about an issue I think about all the time.
I carry a schoolbag with me nearly all the time so that I don't have to take plastic shopping bags at the store.
I look for old wood to use in my little building projects.
I buy stuff used whenever possible.
I do not buy secondhand underwear.
Anyone else care to share some thoughts on the matter?
I carry a schoolbag with me nearly all the time so that I don't have to take plastic shopping bags at the store.
I look for old wood to use in my little building projects.
I buy stuff used whenever possible.
I do not buy secondhand underwear.
Anyone else care to share some thoughts on the matter?
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
Most of the stuff that I buy is essentially either media (CDs, Comic books, books) that I'll probably never get rid of.
When I shop for groceries I buy things in minimal or at least justifiable packaging. I bring my own bags when I shop, thick plastic ones I got at Costco. I know from experience that I can carry four of those in one trip from my car, so that's the amount of stuff that I buy.
However, I'm absolutely horrible about computer stuff. I have more than any three people I know (hell, I own four Core 2 Duo laptops right now...). I keep stuff if it works but I'm also responsible for disposing of literally tons more... and for me that generally means a trip to the dumpster, just because the other options either cost more than anyone will pay for, and the space to store old/broken things is also at a premium.
When I shop for groceries I buy things in minimal or at least justifiable packaging. I bring my own bags when I shop, thick plastic ones I got at Costco. I know from experience that I can carry four of those in one trip from my car, so that's the amount of stuff that I buy.
However, I'm absolutely horrible about computer stuff. I have more than any three people I know (hell, I own four Core 2 Duo laptops right now...). I keep stuff if it works but I'm also responsible for disposing of literally tons more... and for me that generally means a trip to the dumpster, just because the other options either cost more than anyone will pay for, and the space to store old/broken things is also at a premium.
Gilbo
Storage is cool
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
One of the things that's been pissing me off lately is the way my local grocery stores are packaging meat. Traditionally, I got meat shrinkwrapped on a small styrofoam plate. I was OK with that. Styrofoam lasts a trillion years in a landfill, but on the other hand, it's light and most importantly it's flat and can be further condensed.
Both my local grocery stores (Walmart and a local chain) have gone to using oversized hard plastic containers for packaged meat. I'm talking about something that's 10 inches wide and an inch tall to contain two chicken breasts or something similar. I have dishes that are not as sturdy as these things, and I won't buy them. They are not easily crushable or compactable. I can't figure out what the justification for packing things that way might be.
Both my local grocery stores (Walmart and a local chain) have gone to using oversized hard plastic containers for packaged meat. I'm talking about something that's 10 inches wide and an inch tall to contain two chicken breasts or something similar. I have dishes that are not as sturdy as these things, and I won't buy them. They are not easily crushable or compactable. I can't figure out what the justification for packing things that way might be.
ddrueding
Fixture
I made it to "natural resource exploitation" at about 2:24. I understand being mad that corporations are threated like people, but when oil is treated like people, that is a bit much.
I agree with 100% of what is said in the thread, but crazy hippie lady is a bit too crazy.
I agree with 100% of what is said in the thread, but crazy hippie lady is a bit too crazy.
Fushigi
Storage Is My Life
From this article I gather that the move away from foam essentially is a move away from having the meat packaged at the store and instead the packaging is occurring upstream at the producer or distributor.
Nifty!
I see how she comes off a bit angry-hippie and that she exaggerates for effect (I don't throw out a computer every year. Maybe every seven or eight years). But as much as she's ornery her message rings true.
I find it exceedingly important to learn to hear *what* someone is saying despite *how* they may be saying it. That silver-spooned guy with the calming voice could be an agent of the Dark Side while that twitchy dude foaming at the mouth is one with The Force.
Uh, also, what do you mean by that?
Dood, I walked into a Costco last year and nearly had a conniption when I saw SD cards being sold in bomb-proof blister packs the size of LPs. In fact, TONS of stuff that size from electronics to batteries to tools was packaged in the SAME SIZED blister pack, even if it already had its own packaging. I called Costco to ask about this and they said that products packaged this way are more convenient for them because they are a)easier to manage b) easier to display and c) harder to steal.
ddrueding
Fixture
I guess I've become excessively sensitive to spin. If someone isn't comfortable enough with their position to lay the facts out cleanly, perhaps their facts aren't as solid as they are representing? I'm not saying that is the case here, I believe most of what she says to be fundamentally true. It just physically pains me to hear someone trying so hard, it's almost like they are preaching to the converted instead of making an argument to the skeptics...which is a waste of time. This has caused me to switch off countless interviews on NPR and even more on commercial TV.
When I saw how easily she flew over the disposable PC without getting into details, I began to speculate how much she did this with all the areas I know less about. I would have loved to see some more concrete data and references to her sources. I have no doubt that she's on the right path about the whole thing, but I felt much like you David.
sechs
Storage? I am Storage!
We need something like they have in Germany: You buy the contents and not the package.
sechs
Storage? I am Storage!
They have packages, but you just don't buy them.
For example, if you buy toothpaste, when you're done with the tube, it's up to the manufacturer to take care of it. While in theory, you could return the used tube; in reality, nearly all manufacturers have paid into a system which picks-up the packaging and recycles it.
The upshot of this, is that manufacturer of a product has to pay for taking care of it after it's used. So, they now design packaging that cheap and easy to recycle. In essence, smarter and smaller packages.
For example, if you buy toothpaste, when you're done with the tube, it's up to the manufacturer to take care of it. While in theory, you could return the used tube; in reality, nearly all manufacturers have paid into a system which picks-up the packaging and recycles it.
The upshot of this, is that manufacturer of a product has to pay for taking care of it after it's used. So, they now design packaging that cheap and easy to recycle. In essence, smarter and smaller packages.
Me either, but some people buy all kinds of weird stuff.
I don't buy used hard drives, but I have purchased used lenses.
timwhit
Hairy Aussie
ddrueding
Fixture
Damn, that sounds good to me.
mubs
Storage? I am Storage!
Assuming you're buying from a stranger, how do you know it isn't damaged? I'd be very leery of buying expensive stuff used. That's just me.
I would not buy a used camera body, but it is relatively easy to test a lens. I purchased a fair amount of used lenses for 6x7 because the price differential from new was quite high at the time. The only 35mm lenses I purchased used were a 35/1.4 Ai (>15 years ago in person), and a 300/4 L non-IS (better IQ than the IS) which was already out of production by the early 2000s.