02-17-2011, 11:49 PM
I think what people are missing is that cheap plastic is mostly leftover crude oil when the desirable parts have been fractioned out for fuel, etc. The raw material is available for virtually free, as long as we're pumping crude oil for fuel.
Should it be made into thin baggies that are easily littered across the planet? I think, no - but it will be made into something, whether it's plastic lawn furniture, playground equipment, or a giant slag heap next to the refinery.
I haven't seen much that I do like made out of plastic, except maybe body panels on cars - much nicer to bounce off of another car instead of leaving creases in each other's bodywork.
I agree with fishnchamp1 re: using grown fiber instead. It's just hard to make grown fiber competitive with industrial waste in terms of raw materials cost. Maybe if the island started a "plastic import tax" like Germany has for styrofoam, it could give local farmers an economic chance to compete.
Pakalolo used to be an important industrial crop, and we all know how well it grows in Puna...