"George Leppla" > wrote in message
...
>
> "brooklyn1" > wrote in message
> news
>> "George Leppla" wrote:
>>>
>>> I agree. In the cause of limiting litter, I'd like to see a 5 cent tax
>>> on
>>> every Styrofoam cup.
>>
>> How would an added tax curtail littering? That's just a price
>> increase... there'd be no incentive other than to litter more... because
>> you were forced to pay more, therefore let the gubermint stupidity create
>> litter picker jobs paid for with more tax dollars. When there is a
>> deposit there is an incentive to return the item.
>
>
> My thought was that if each cup cost 5 cents more, many places would
> replace Styrofoam cups with paper/cardboard which are more biodegradable
> and recyclable.
>
>
Paper cups that can hold hot liquids without falling apart are plastic
coated and are no more biodegradable than styrofoam, perhaps less so...
however styrofoam is used for its insulating properties... much easier to
handle therefor less chance of scalding your crotch while driving. Taxing
packaging will only create more litter, folks will resent the tax and to
feel they're getting revenge will actually go out of their way to litter
more rather than seach for a proper recepticle... unlike the idiot in the
oval office those with a functioning brain and a modicum of common sense
realize that taxing is the worst of all possible motivators to get someoneto
behave in a particular way... taxation is in fact punishment... ground your
kids for smoking pot and see what happens... reward for good behavior
results in a far more desirable outcome and with much less effort/expense
than punishment for bad behavior. Many coffee shops encourage folks to
purchase their reusable insulated containers by offering discounts on
refills, now that prevents littering at least as much as deposit containers,
and everyone benefits from the saving of resources, no throw away cups/no
recycling... recycling ain't free ya know. Folks talk recycling like it's
the big miracal be all to end all... actually recycling consumes more
resources and creates more pollution than the original manufacturing.
Recycling simply produces the same products, but now the hard way, the more
expensive way. What's needed is new technology, not to keep reinventing the
wheel. We don't need cars that use less petrol, we need cars that consume
no petrol. Hybrids are not the answer. tiny vehicles are no remedy. And we
have the technology, have had it for forty years, only politics is in the
way.