How California Created a Trash Crisis By Tricking Residents

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ธ.ค. 2024

ความคิดเห็น • 97

  • @jonjohnson3027
    @jonjohnson3027 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

    The big problem with plastics recycling is contamination. It is difficult and expensive to clean plastics to a point where you can create a fairly pure stream of recycled plastic. Any contamination -- bits of metal, paper, food waste, the wrong kind of plastic -- makes the recycled plastic behave in undesirable ways and manufacturers won't buy it. The recycled plastic resin has to be fairly pure, and ensuring that it is usually ends up costing more than manufacturing virgin resin. Since there isn't a good economic reason to use recycled plastic, it ends up being pure virtue signaling by the manufacturer.
    Another problem with plastics recycling is aging. As plastic ages, it degrades through oxidation and exposure to ultraviolet light, and volatile compounds in the plastic evaporate away. This all serves to contaminate the recycled resin, leaving a product that just isn't as workable or strong as virgin resin.
    Paper recycling also suffers from the contamination problem. Besides, every time paper is recycled, the fibers break down further and further. This means that paper cannot be continuously recycled; at some point the extremely short fibers become contamination themselves!
    I think the concern over landfills is way overblown. A modern landfill is a great place to contain waste; they actually protect the environment better than other methods of disposal and, in some ways, protect the environment better than recycling the materials (which uses a lot more energy and releases harmful chemicals).
    Now, I'm a fan of recycling, but only where it makes sense. Glass and metal can be infinitely recycled. Paper and plastic cannot, and the economics of recycling must not be ignored.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Preach! These are great points, and after watching the video, you know how I feel.

    • @jonjohnson3027
      @jonjohnson3027 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@AdamDoesNotExist another thing: most recycled plastic and paper CANNOT be used for food packaging due to purity and safety concerns.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      That I did not know, but it totally makes sense. I see paper napkins advertised as recycled, but you never see recycled butcher paper.

  •  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +16

    One challenge with recycling is that different towns have different rules, whether it is via sorting (or lack of) or what is considered okay for recycling. This means anything we learn online might be wrong for our local town, so we should always check with what the local rules are. Heck, even a town a few kilometres away may have different rules.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      100% It's typically handled at the municipal level. So if you live on the edge of a town, your next door neighbor could have completely different rules.

  • @wcorn244
    @wcorn244 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

    This is a great video. How is this channel so small?

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      Thank you!! Maybe someday it won’t be so small!

  • @frankwu4747
    @frankwu4747 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I’m screaming at your video to separate the Pringles lid from the tube, and to dump out the leaves in your salad box! It’s not that hard!

  • @jfungsf882
    @jfungsf882 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    The current waste collection here in San Francisco might not always be perfect, but I'd say it's the best and most developed here in the US which I can say firsthand. 😀👍💯

  • @SeekingSomeSerenity
    @SeekingSomeSerenity 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    hey man, your vids are really neat and I think you deserve more subs, but one mildly jarring aspect of the filmography(?) is those jumpcuts you do, the scene on the rocks at the bay and the benches in the park felt like they took away more than they gave to the videos presentation.
    I noticed a similar thing with the part titlecards in your Shen Yun video too.
    Regardless of that, keep up the good work, see you at a 100k :)

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thanks! This means a lot!! I try to make it a bit more interesting than a typical talking head video. Because essentially that's all this is. But I'm still working on that balance between visually interesting and too jarring/ distracting. Gad to have you here!

  • @kylemoran4343
    @kylemoran4343 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

    Great information in your video !
    In my state and most states, recycling is a misnomer ! They only recycle certain types of plastic, and it "must" be clean, or not acceptable ! They only except certain kinds of bottles. You must "never" put styrofoam in the recycle bin, or your in big trouble. Any electric or electronics, "must" be dropped off way across town, somewhere special !
    Nah, it's ALL a big joke to me. Sometimes it makes me want to through EVERYTHING in the TRASH bin, but we pay extra for the "PRIVILAGE" of recycling... Go green, Go broke !

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Yeah you're better off just throwing most stuff in the trash I'm afraid. Glass and metal are probably worth it in your situation, but that might be it.

  • @wilddata
    @wilddata 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    When you always see that at least 1 neighbor in the streets overflows his recycle trash bin with regular trash it makes you wonder why to go through the pain of recycling since everything will be mixed and messed up in the dumpster truck.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I feel this deep in my soul! I live in an apartment and share recycling bins with all the other units. It’s such a bummer to see what ends up in there.

  • @ryanderr3373
    @ryanderr3373 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    Great video!

  • @uteperkins2717
    @uteperkins2717 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Good quality content. Keep it up my dude. Background music is a little loud.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Yeah thanks for the feedback. I'm still trying to work out the right levels.

  • @ttopero
    @ttopero 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    I’ve been known to wishcycle things I thought should be recyclable but aren’t. It’s hard when I don’t want something I got but didn’t want (primarily packaging) to be buried forever. I like the idea of labeling it as landfill, but we’ve got a lot of work to do to create products that can be recycled or composted, from the manufacturer first & foremost!

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I like your term wishcycle! And you’re totally right. We could be a lot more effective solving this problem at the point of manufacture than at disposal.

  • @HayyuAdam
    @HayyuAdam 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    excellent video, new subscriber

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you! Glad to have you here!

  • @michaelz.7140
    @michaelz.7140 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    germany here: potato chip bag -> recycling (yellow sack/bin) pizza carton if not too much soiled paper or trash. can: return to store for deposit pringles can: yellow sack or paper. plastic container yellow sack. napkin -> trash . But recently they revealed that not all recycling yellow sacks are recycled and are mostly thermically used eg burned. So naionwide they pulled the wool over our eyes.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Interesting! Thanks for sharing. I wonder if a lot of that was getting burned because the recycling infrastructure doesn’t exist, or if there was another reason.

    • @michaelz.7140
      @michaelz.7140 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@AdamDoesNotExist if you label technically not recyclable stuff like a potato chip bag (too many layers, cant sort them out) and most plastics like yoghurt containers cant be really recycled. The funny thing is even if something is technically recyclable you are not allowed to put it in the recycling / yellow bags / bins... because it is only for sales packages. Some municipalities and cities try to change it and say you can put plastics and metals and other recyclables into the yellow bins....

  • @paulaneary7877
    @paulaneary7877 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Adam, I want to sincerely thank you for this video. I grew up in Santa Barbara California and we were taught to recycle. My family had an aluminum can designated bin next to the regular trash bin. We threw our aluminum in there and felt good about what we were doing to help the environment. It was the 70's, we were at least making an effort. Now that I am older and have learned that many many pounds of plastics, glass, and things that should be recycled or reused never make the cut, it makes me sad. Now, as you have pointed out, there are often 3 or four options of where to throw something away, and I find it frustrating because I see reports of information that shows that this system isn't working. I want to do the right thing but have often just plain gotten confused about which bin to put my napkin or paper cup, or plastic lunch container in and it is funny, but not really funny. Thanks for the explanation. I love my country and I love California, I will keep trying!

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  หลายเดือนก่อน

      It's tough because in our system, everyone has to know exactly what to do, or it doesn't work well. Recycling can be done well, but we still have some work to do!

  • @jagdipsingh1272
    @jagdipsingh1272 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Great video with amazing info.
    Something different.
    Same things over here as well how they treat with trash.
    I was wondering the same like you mention in your video about trash.
    Too much plastic nowdays we using it most of the plastics items/ materials we cannot recycle.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      There's just so much single use plastic! It's a big problem and has been for a while.

    • @jagdipsingh1272
      @jagdipsingh1272 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@AdamDoesNotExist 101% agree on that which is true.
      Love you my brother Adam

  • @andytaylor5476
    @andytaylor5476 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I live in San Francisco and find the instructions on what goes where on the recology website pretty comprehensive. When you were depositing your lunch refuge, I spotted your errors. So I don't know my point but I can and do follow instructions.

  • @GravitarScrap
    @GravitarScrap 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    The bigger problem I’ve always had with this is what’s worse for the environment. 1 truck picking everything up and taking it to the landfill, or 3 trucks picking up 3 different commodities that have to go all over town to dump off stuff that usually gets thrown away anyway?

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Great point. Some of the SF trucks pick up trash and recycling. There’s talk of bat gas and electric trucks, but I agree. Still a frustrating issue.

    • @roastbeefy0weefy
      @roastbeefy0weefy 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      If it all went in one (larger) can, assuming all the trucks fill up, then it's the same amount of work / trips / repeated routes, meaning the same emissions.

  • @konradhenkel5971
    @konradhenkel5971 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    For such a small youtuber, great video

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you so much!

    • @bhuvanordhruv
      @bhuvanordhruv 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      This video is great even if it was a big channel.. lot of big channels are worse than this one

    • @konradhenkel5971
      @konradhenkel5971 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ​ @bhuvanordhruv by for a small channel i mean its impressive that without this being a journalist or a large channel with a ton of resource they are still able to make quality content

    • @konradhenkel5971
      @konradhenkel5971 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      when i said a small channel i meant its impressive that without this being a journalist or a large channel with a ton of resource they are still able to make quality content
      just so there's no misunderstandings ;-;
      thank you!

    • @bhuvanordhruv
      @bhuvanordhruv 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@konradhenkel5971 I agree

  • @billyjacksimmons9947
    @billyjacksimmons9947 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Thanks. Now it makes sense!

  • @asihchannel1004
    @asihchannel1004 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Very nice🎉❤

  • @GeorgeRath-m1n
    @GeorgeRath-m1n 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    A pro soccer stadium i have season tickets has a 3 choice trash can .18,000 people rushing to get out of the stadium are not stopping to sort trash.Again just trying to look good

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      100% all of those just end up in the trash unfortunately

  • @jonjohnson3027
    @jonjohnson3027 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Where I live, the only thing in your intro that could be put in the recycling was the aluminum soda can. We don't have curbside composting, but I'm guessing the napkin and the pizza box are compostable in the Bay Area (here, they'd be landfilled, because food contaminated paper isn't recyclable). The Pringles can and plastic clamshell are definitely landfill material.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      That's not that far off from here. "Recyclable" is such a misleading term.

  • @themichhiker2104
    @themichhiker2104 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    What can I do about this problem? Not live in California. I think it's to a point that a wall should be built around the state and nobody should be allowed to leave. You voted for it, you live with it.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Haha. By almost any metric California is at the top of a state ranking when it comes to waste management. But there are certainly some aspects that make no sense.

  • @CorinnaAtHome
    @CorinnaAtHome 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Past the halfway mark and still engaged with the video. There are similar bins here in Hampton roads VA. They're always full of misorganized items.

    • @CorinnaAtHome
      @CorinnaAtHome 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Your production and editing is fantastic. And your voice is easy to listen to. I appreciate how you explain things.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thanks Corinna! I went to college to learn about this subject matter, so if there's one video I'm qualified to make, it's this one haha!

  • @dirtbike662
    @dirtbike662 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Pringles can gets shredded at the scrap yard. The paper will be taken to landfill as "fluff" and metal will be sent to be melted

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      What percentage of pringles cans go through that process. In my experience, though it's thoretically possible, it almost never happens.

    • @dirtbike662
      @dirtbike662 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      If I remember the sort machines use eddy current to separate metal bits. So It should pick it up. However I'm a psycho and what I do is rip out the metal, and put that in my own scrap bin that I take in for cash. Then send the cardboard and lid to the city sort facility. Hell, I rip off the metal blades off the parchment paper boxes for the metal. But really though I think to really fix this is to stop eating Pringles altogether. I really detest landfills, it ruins the land underneath for a very long time and has the potential to contaminate water, and you can no longer build on it. I would rather send the stuff to a WTE plant.

  • @SippyCupAdventures
    @SippyCupAdventures 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    F**k, I am still confused. I saw this title, and was like, "Ah, yeah, Adam will get to the bottom of this." As a habitual rule-follower, I break the "Law" when it comes to the disposal of trash, outside of our home. In our home city, Roseville, we are able to throw everything in ONE trash can, and Waste Management separates it at it's facility. Easy peasy. When we approach these three receptacles, I am like, "f**k it." Landfill? Compost?

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      That's so interesting I've never heard of that before! I wonder how the waste management folks like it up there. I've talked to a number of municipalities that really struggle with the machines that just sort recyclables.
      This is something that's been bothering me since I moved to the bay area so I just had to make this video!

    • @SippyCupAdventures
      @SippyCupAdventures 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@AdamDoesNotExist Let me clarify. We live in a condo complex, so, we don't have lawn clippings, etc. The city does have weekly trash pickup and "green waste" every other week but trash pickup is "just put everything in and we will take care of it." I never thought much of the service. I paid no attention, until NOW, where all this complexity is in most communities now.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@SippyCupAdventures Ah got it! I suspect most people don't think twice about this stuff. There's plenty of other better things to worry about. But I went to college for this so had to find some use for that degree lol.

  • @GTSongwriter
    @GTSongwriter 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    This explanation is an example of how complicated the trash system is and reason why people don't care. I couldn't stand to watch but 5 minutes of this video. This video has too many fillers in it to stretch it to the 10+ minute mark.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Yeah the trash system can be really complicated! Where's the filler? Sincerely would like to know. The length of my videos is all over the place. I'm not trying to hit a specific time.

    • @GTSongwriter
      @GTSongwriter 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      ​@@AdamDoesNotExistThe information may "sound different", but you've reworded the same information multiple times. But for some reason you couldn't find another word for recycling, so you over used it during the rewording. I practically heard you say the same thing multiple different ways.

    • @GTSongwriter
      @GTSongwriter 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@AdamDoesNotExist I don't want to waste your time with you trying to analyze this. The truth is, after 5 minutes, I got bored and thought to myself.. GET TO THE POINT already. So I stopped watching after 5 minutes.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      @@GTSongwriter Yeah that's fair! 50% happens to be about the average view percentage for this video so you're not alone. I spent 4 years learning about this so for me it's tough to condense into 10 minutes lol. Appreciate the feedback.

    • @GTSongwriter
      @GTSongwriter 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@AdamDoesNotExist definitely a video that needs to be in two parts.

  • @danielgodfrey4415
    @danielgodfrey4415 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    New Jersey burned New Yorks garbage for years to supply power to the city.
    Maybe we should give it a try.
    While we are reducing wastes start going to universal glass and cardboard or easy breakdown containers.

    • @danielgodfrey4415
      @danielgodfrey4415 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I live out in the country 60 miles east from this guy in the video.
      We only get garbage pickup.
      I have a compost burn bin.
      Cardboard, food scraps, and fireplace ash goes into that.
      When it gets full enough I burn.
      My recycling goes in the back of my pickup and I take directly to a recycling center.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Good for you! We always made our own compost growing up which can't be beat. But that's not a great option in an apartment.

  • @PikesCore24
    @PikesCore24 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    As far as that napkin in compost, I disagree. Imagine a load of that getting dumped in some farmers field and somebody's garden, which is where compost ends up. Would you want to eat produce from that field? But I dig your videos!!!

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you! In most of the Bay Area they're able to compost those napkins. But you're right, it's different everywhere!

  • @ohnoflicks
    @ohnoflicks 23 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Every once in awhile we get a Dominos Pizza here, and on the box it says, Yes, Recycle, even if there is grease on the box. Please no Dominos hate. I know it’s awful but my buys like it 😀 I’m in NY. Here in my town, the recycling rules can change almost monthly. Not kidding. They are idiots. Right now I have a power bank that’s about 3 years old and the unit is bulging. It’s one of those that has the solar panel on one side. No one can tell me what to do with it. Because it’s rechargeable, it’s considered Hazardous Material. Well gotta do something very soon - I want it out of the house.

  • @APWoodworking
    @APWoodworking 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Them city folks make trash in bin very complex for no reason.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  9 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      I think their intent was good, but the results... never had a chance

    • @APWoodworking
      @APWoodworking 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @AdamDoesNotExist I agree, the local & state Government will "intend" many good things from New programs but in reality when you solve 1 problem, 2 new problems at a minimum will show up. It's part of advancement but to what price when it's our taxes & our vote doesn't stick anymore

  • @Ferp50
    @Ferp50 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Find out who is making money off this.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      The two big ones in the narrow part of the story are the plastics industry, and Recology.

  • @chuckschillingvideos
    @chuckschillingvideos 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Well-intentioned? No. Not in any way, shape or form. Unless, of course, you consider petty tyranny and the abuse of governmental authority over citizens to be a good thing.

    • @AdamDoesNotExist
      @AdamDoesNotExist  11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Of all the Bay Area tyranny, trash cans rank pretty low on my list. I don't think there's a larger conspiracy here, just a misguided effort. But I could be wrong!

    • @chuckschillingvideos
      @chuckschillingvideos 11 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@AdamDoesNotExist If you wish to ignore the larger context of the grotesque overreach of state and municipal governmental authorities in California, tine. Sure, go on and compartmentalize everything and pretend that nothing's part of a larger, malignant whole. But your naivete comes at a cost. Never forget that.

  • @shiny-dust
    @shiny-dust 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    0:20 oakland streets are full of trash because there are people with no other option than to live on the streets, not because the trash cans are confusing. even the shot in your video demonstrates this. i know that’s not the point of the video but i felt like i had to say it, hope the engagement helps, lol