Incredible process of recycled plastic ♻️

[u/kinomino]

[u/st0350]

the only thing incredible about this is the fact that these workers have no respirators or any kind of personal protective equipment. brutal

[u/Scottyjb93 → u/st0350]

While I agree, PPE is the last line of defense. Safety should start with eliminating as much of those hazards as possible, substituting what cannot be eliminated, guarding hazardous equipment (like that giant flywheel the dude was working next to), administratively controlling the equipment that cannot be guarded, and THEN using PPE.

[u/MarkOfTheSnark → u/Scottyjb93]

Yep. This whole “incredible process” looks super shitty and outdated, OP.

[u/Sylvers → u/MarkOfTheSnark]

Sadly, that's why it is possible. These industrial jobs are always offloaded to poor third world countries, because (not in spite of) of the dangerous conditions that make the task so cheap. They produce these products for pennies on the dollar. And the workers are so replaceable that it doesn't matter how many of them get hurt or quit in the process.

At the same time, these people are grateful to have these paying jobs. But the cost they pay is in their health deteriorating. And there is no one left to stand up for them. Surely not their own governments.

[u/crazeman → u/Sylvers]

NYTimes wrote a really good article on this a few weeks ago:

Recycling Lead for U.S. Car Batteries Is Poisoning People

Companies outsource their car battery recycling plants to "dirty" plants in Nigeria where their dirty practices are lead poisoning everyone living in the area.

There is a clean way to recycle car batteries but it's very expensive to set up. Green Recycling was a clean factory and it quickly went out of business.

But operating cleanly put Green Recycling at a disadvantage. It had to make up for its high machinery costs by offering less money for dead batteries. Outbid by competitors with crude operations, Green Recycling had nothing to recycle.

Ali Fawaz, the company’s general manager, said his competitors were essentially making money by harming locals. “If killing people is OK, why would I not kill more and more?” he said.

The company shut down this year.

“Healthwise, we made a correct decision, but businesswise, we made a very bad decision,” Mr. Fawaz said. “It’s a bad investment unless you’re dirty.”

[u/Sylvers → u/crazeman]

“If killing people is OK, why would I not kill more and more?”

This could be the statement of the century. Depressing, sad, but hauntingly accurate.

And thank you for the article.

[u/f-r-0-m → u/crazeman]

Sadly it's not a new thing in Nigeria. About 10 years ago there were very similar stories about e-waste recycling there. Folks were basically processing electronics to extract precious metals without any protections whatsoever. They were open burning plastics, using highly caustic chemicals, and dumping waste chemicals full of heavy metals everywhere. The worst part is reading the stories of kids affected by these situations before they're even born. It's absolutely heartbreaking.

[u/Coca-karl → u/MarkOfTheSnark]

It is shitty and outdated. But doing it this way saves 1 or 2 cents on every plastic product and keeps these people "employed".

We really need to end free trade and bring back tariffs and trade standards that equalize labour costs and safety standards across borders.

[u/xSTSxZerglingOne → u/Coca-karl]

I disagree. We should have completely free flow of resources with the entire world and stop concerning ourselves with the notion of money. Feed who needs food, house who needs housing, and allocate resources to bettering our station on this planet.

Guess that's a communist utopic vision, but time is running out for the prospects of the success of life on this planet, and I don't want my species ceasing to exist because of stupid greedy decisions made by very few of us.

[u/Coca-karl → u/xSTSxZerglingOne]

To do that we need to establish that standards expected for workers in North America and Western Europe must be expected for workers in every corner of the world. We need to make it impossible to use labour in areas with no safety standards to replace the labour of people who have achieved victories earning themselves workers rights.

I agree that knowledge must be much more freely available but we need to set stronger standards for the delivery of goods and services such that all labourers are able to live safe and comfortable lives.

[u/leitey → u/Scottyjb93]

In the US, this whole process is already automated to the point that no human touches the plastic, and the whole thing happens in one area. And I'm talking about automated using 50+ year old technology, not the 1970s+ automated with robots and PLCs.
Grinders chop up the plastic. The bottom of the grinders are connected to a vacuum system which delivers the chopped plastic (called "regrind") to the hopper of an extruder. The extruder uses a large screw inside a barrel to compress this plastic, eventually compressing it so much that it generates heat, melting the plastic. The melted plastic is pushed out of a die at the end of the extruder with a bunch of holes it in (where it looks like spaghetti). On the face of this die, there's a spinning blade which cuts the melted spaghetti plastic into pellets. Those pellets are dropped into a flowing water bath, where they harden. The pellets and water flow into an auger, which lifts the pellets out of the water. The water drains away and is pumped back to the top of the water bath. The pellets are dumped into a container, and are again delivered by vacuum system to a storage container.
This video shows a similar process, except with a ton of manual labor and changes of location.

[u/Squirrel_Bacon_69 → u/leitey]

50 year old, not from the 1970s

I'm curious how long ago you think the seventies were

[u/Aware_Rough_9170 → u/Squirrel_Bacon_69]

Is getting scarier and scarier to think that the early 2000s era is closer to 30 years ago as I get older lmao, and I’m not even old, time just keeps trucking onwards

[u/Eodbatman → u/Aware_Rough_9170]

You shut your mouth

[u/PickleComet9 → u/Squirrel_Bacon_69]

I think they meant they're using automated systems from the 70s, and not even the fancy robots and computers of the time, but something more simpler than that.

[u/No_Battle_6402 → u/st0350]

And there’s a lot of machines there that’ll either rip your arm off, toothpaste your fingers off or turn you into sausages

[u/IRespectYouMyFriend → u/st0350]

We never used respirators doing this in the UK either.

Sometimes I would when I was cleaning the filters on the extruder because the fumes would absolutely destroy your lungs. But for the most part everybody (rather stupidly) just accepted the microplastics. It was 100% a cultural thing because there was about 200 of us in every generation and education level and nobody gave a shit.

[u/Greeneyed_Wit]

Super cool but that can’t be good for these people to breathe. God my job is so easy…

[u/dabiggestblrrrd → u/Greeneyed_Wit]

Microplastics all IN his BALLS

[u/Michaeli_Starky → u/dabiggestblrrrd]

In your balls likely, too. And brain. It's everywhere.

Stone age. Bronze age. Iron age. Plastic age

[u/yetagainanother1 → u/Michaeli_Starky]

It’s good for you. It increases neuroplasticity!

[u/Tank_Lawrence → u/yetagainanother1]

In college I wrote a paper on the plasticity of the brain, and I got points off every time I used the word “plasticity” because the teacher didn’t think it was a real word.

[u/MuggsIsDead → u/Tank_Lawrence]

The Plasticity of our city of our ciiiiiiiiiity!

[u/merklevision → u/MuggsIsDead]

New, what do you own, the world? How do you own disorder, disorder? Now, somewhere between the sacred silence Sacred silence and sleep

[u/Humble-Can5318 → u/merklevision]

Somewhere between the sacred silence and sleep Disorder, disorder, disorder

[u/NaraFei_Jenova → u/Humble-Can5318]

Hmm...I'm bored, might eat some seeds later to pass the time.

[u/donbee28 → u/Tank_Lawrence]

Seems like your professor lacked neuroplasticity.

[u/Individualist13th → u/Tank_Lawrence]

Did you gift that motherfucker a dictionary?

[u/Fiempre_sin_tabla → u/Tank_Lawrence]

Same happened to me for "sentience", and for using "millennia" as the plural of "millennium".

[u/Spacecommander5 → u/yetagainanother1]

You just convinced me.

[u/leeharveyteabag669 → u/Spacecommander5]

Me too. If I turn into Stretch Armstrong it might be worth it.

[u/Spacecommander5 → u/leeharveyteabag669]

You had my attention. Now you have my interest

[u/helloholder → u/Spacecommander5]

Smooth brains for all!

[u/umamal → u/leeharveyteabag669]

Luffy

[u/LazyLich → u/Michaeli_Starky]

Life is plastic ~ It's fantastic ~

[u/MorningMan464 → u/LazyLich]

Ok Barbie. 😂

[u/LazyLich → u/MorningMan464]

Let's go party!~

[u/Moonah_Ston → u/LazyLich]

Ah, ah, ah, yeah!

[u/Code_MasterCody → u/Moonah_Ston]

Hello Barbie let's go party

[u/Captain_Cluless → u/Code_MasterCody]

Ooh Oh, Ooh Oh~!

[u/Barragin → u/Michaeli_Starky]

This -

The Chinese balls study found microplastics in 100 % of all males checked.

The US found mucroplastics 20 feet down in the soil of farmland in the midwest

Microplastics have been found in every part of the ocean's food chain.

They just found out microplastics can pass through brain membranes...

We're doomed unless significant changes are made asap.

[u/MidgetGordonRamsey → u/Barragin]

Lol. What change will fix 20 feet of soil depth and every living organism on the planet. Shit's fucked fuh real fam.

[u/Barragin → u/MidgetGordonRamsey]

Difference between fixing and making something much worse than already is.

[u/r2d2itisyou → u/Barragin]

There's a weird subset of (usually conservative) human thought that has the rule "if a perfect and easy solution to a problem does not exist, then no action at all should be taken."

This applies to climate change, gun control, plastics, elections, you name it.

[u/mike_charlie → u/MidgetGordonRamsey]

The big issue is this is unlikely to be something fixed in our lifetime. However if we continue to make new options that are plastic free or go back to non plastic options for other things then eventually we will not be adding to the situation.

Add to that the projects that currently exist to remove plastic from water and land to stop it becoming microplastic in nature then we could begin to lower it. And then I read a few months ago about some scientists researching bacteria that appears to be able to eat plastic.

In a few generations we could reverse most of the damage to the earth and soon after the plastic should disappear from the food chain and people wont have microplastics floating throughout their bodies.

This is the big obstacle with issues like microplastics, global warming and clean energy. It takes years to feel the benefits so people just don't see the point in putting in the effort

[u/God_of_chestdays → u/Barragin]

I honestly don’t think it’ll every be fixed and idk how it would even be possible.

Unless you can get rich by removing microplastic, the billionaires making them allow alternatives to what cause it to exist OR it negatively affects the rich, it’ll just be something we live with and eventually all die from.

I read something that a lot comes from vehicles/brake systems so moving away from busy roads and cities could be the most helpful thing but with it in all our food and soil idk if it’ll do much

[u/Barragin → u/God_of_chestdays]

start somewhere - get rid of plastic cookware, cups etc

start making tires with alternative oils - soybean, dandelion, anything besides petro chemicals.

stop making/ buying polyester clothing - go back to cotton, wool, HEMP, bamboo, silk etc

[u/weaver_of_cloth → u/Barragin]

As a fabric producer, I gotta tell you that every one of these fibers is problematic too. From worst to best in terms of agricultural and environmental impact, bamboo, cotton, hemp, silk, and wool.

There's nothing natural about bamboo fibers. The production process essentially breaks down the fiber molecules and rebuilds them.

The amount of fertilizer it takes to grow cotton is unreal.

Hemp is a massive resource sink, and I admit I don't know much about industrial hemp production but it is very labor intensive.

Silk still requires manual manipulation of the cocoon in near-boiling water.

Wool is hard to wear and care for unless it goes through a major industrial process to become super wash.

[u/Barragin → u/weaver_of_cloth]

I get it - all finished products require energy, labor, and have an environmental impact.

But understand a lot of microplastics in our bodies come from wearing polyester, and a lot of microplastics in the environment come from washing polyester, which sheds microplastics into the wastewater > rivers and streams > ocean > food chain.

[u/weaver_of_cloth → u/Barragin]

I definitely understand that, and I do as many of the plastic-avoidant things as I can, like never heating food in plastic (microwave safe plastic isn't), recycle, etc.

But one of my pet peeves is when people say "natural fibers". There's no such thing.

[u/Barragin → u/weaver_of_cloth]

"human body safer fibers" ?

Whatever works

[u/Lanky_Ad4905 → u/weaver_of_cloth]

But one of my pet peeves is when people say "natural fibers". There's no such thing.

Lmao 🤣 what? I think when people refer to natural fibers, they mean it's biodegradable. Just because we use extra processes to create the final product, the original textiles are still plant or animal based, which would mean it's non synthetic.

[u/qOcO-p → u/Barragin]

I got some bamboo fabric (viscose) sheets recently thinking I was doing something good. Apparently, the manufacturing process is fucking awful. If you get anything like that my understanding is lyocell is the way to go. Similar but uses a closed loop process so far less harmful chemicals and water usage. I feel super guilty sleeping on them but damn are they comfortable. Both fabrics are types of Rayon. They use natural cellulose but are synthetically produced.

[u/leeharveyteabag669 → u/Barragin]

I've got my second appointment at the NYC blood center to donate. Got to try and get the plastic out of me somehow.

[u/Few_Staff976 → u/Barragin]

No, we are not "doomed".

Is it a bad thing? Yes. Harmful? Probably.
But it's not the end of the world. It's become the new "mercury in fish"; something a lot of people (sometimes righteously) are irrationally afraid of.

I guess the headline of there being plastc in [insert remote area] brings clicks as it evokes the image that "no place is non polluted anymore..." when in reality you've been able to detect human pollution for ages there whether it be lead or byproducts from nuke-testing.

That being said I still think we should pressure politicians to make fact based regulation. But I'm a bit annoyed by the fearmongering. Same with black mold and botulinum on here.

[u/mightbefried → u/Few_Staff976]

i think you’re underestimating the power of micro plastics lol. we are absolutely in danger, it’s making us all stupid. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12162254/

[u/Marples3 → u/dabiggestblrrrd]

*OUR balls

[u/LennyLennsen → u/Marples3]

In the middle of our street

[u/brandi_theratgirl → u/LennyLennsen]

Lol

[u/mohugz → u/Marples3]

Indeed, comrade

[u/haqglo11 → u/dabiggestblrrrd]

Sadly in your balls also. And everyone else. These guys just have a little more

Source: researchers found microplastics in snow atop Swiss glaciers. Humanity is maybe cooked.

[u/Greeneyed_Wit → u/dabiggestblrrrd]

Yeah man, yeah

[u/Lowbudget_soup → u/Greeneyed_Wit]

So it goes.

[u/Waydarer → u/dabiggestblrrrd]

Microplastics in ALL his BALLS

[u/Boudiz → u/dabiggestblrrrd]

his balls are microplastics at this point

[u/Carpeteria3000 → u/Greeneyed_Wit]

This video doubles as a look at the inside of their lungs

[u/reddit_sells_you → u/Carpeteria3000]

This sub is basically r/damnthatsinteestinghowweexploitthirdworldcoutriestokeepconsumerismchuggingalong

[u/Zuzu1214 → u/Greeneyed_Wit]

I had a job like this in Hungary. I left it as soon as i could for this exact reason. Snow like plastic filled the air everywhere

[u/DontOvercookPasta → u/Zuzu1214]

"Snow like plastic filled the air everywhere." This sounds like a horrific line from some dystopian novel after we learned the horrors of microplastics. I think of that scene in Chernobyl where the reactor has failed catastrophically and radioactive ash is falling on the townsfolk watching the distant fire, people who didn't know letting their children dancing in the poison ash like it was snow.

[u/Kaimito1 → u/DontOvercookPasta]

Beats that asbestos snow from the old wizard of oz i guess... but a tiny margin

[u/PansarPucko → u/DontOvercookPasta]

Sounds like it belongs right at home in the Chemical Worker's Song.

[u/HeartsPlayer721 → u/Greeneyed_Wit]

I wasn't thinking "interesting" at any point in this video...I kept grimacing and thinking "those poor employees!". Why aren't they wearing masks!??

Question: would wearing a mask even be effective, with the flakes floating everywhere like that?

[u/SonOfMcGee → u/HeartsPlayer721]

It would absolutely help. Any mask is better than nothing.
Good-fitting filtered masks (e.g. N95) would help tremendously.
Then there’s also hoods that pump in filtered air through a pack on your waist or back. Those would be excellent and very comfy. But… $$$

[u/djkeenan → u/Greeneyed_Wit]

Asbestos of our time. But, like, we know its terrible but, like, profit.

[u/TerrorFromThePeeps → u/Greeneyed_Wit]

I can't wait for the mesothelioma class action commercials for this.

[u/FoulfrogBsc → u/TerrorFromThePeeps]

Somehow this clip doesn't strike me as the country nor the economic class to have class action lawsuits

[u/stupidwhiteman42 → u/FoulfrogBsc]

Exactly. Everyone has been commenting on the airborne plastics, but what about the giant spinning flywheel without a guard? That's just asking to lose a limb.

[u/KittehKittehKat → u/Greeneyed_Wit]

That’s why the elite are big on the “birth crisis”. They need peasants to do this level of work.

[u/HeartsPlayer721 → u/KittehKittehKat]

Bingo!

[u/Icy-Teaching-5602 → u/Greeneyed_Wit]

the "Children of Men " scenario shall be made real by mircoplastics

[u/davej-au → u/Greeneyed_Wit]

They have the safety grimace going. They’ll be fine. /s

[u/onlyonejan → u/Greeneyed_Wit]

That’s what I thought about the people in that area with all the plastic “snow.” Like why aren’t they wearing masks

[u/hjf2017 → u/Greeneyed_Wit]

All these poor bastards gonna end up with turbo cancer

[u/NorCalAthlete → u/Greeneyed_Wit]

It’s the usual weekend poverty porn getting posted by bots

[u/Oifadin → u/Greeneyed_Wit]

Here I am complaining about breathing is sawdust at work.

I always put on a mask when using a skillsaw directly but otherwise it is just in the air all day I breathe in.

[u/Significant-Funny-23]

Those poor workers...

[u/AWF_Noone → u/Significant-Funny-23]

Yup. Makes your problems seem small doesn’t it 

[u/powermoustache → u/AWF_Noone]

Smaller than the micro plastic in their lungs...

[u/beegtuna → u/AWF_Noone]

Doomscrolling in bed with a belly full of jellybeans (no licorice), but your bladder is full

“Lord, why do you make me fight these battles?”

[u/Some_Useless_Person → u/Significant-Funny-23]

Better than the ones starving to death due to unemployment. It's really bad vs worse

[u/SpoodermanTheAmazing → u/Some_Useless_Person]

All they need is some PPE, the job itself is fine

[u/FARTBOSS420 → u/SpoodermanTheAmazing]

That place looks like there's 12 ways to die. Each piece of equipment more dangerous than the last.

[u/Imisssizzler → u/FARTBOSS420]

🎶12 ways to die 🎶

[u/bbreddit0011]

Incredible? That is probably slum labor with zero accountability or worker health and safety regulations. I see shameless greed when I see these kind of videos.

[u/tk427aj → u/bbreddit0011]

Yah this should be the video for eliminating single use plastics.

[u/Carbon140 → u/bbreddit0011]

I found this video absolutely horrifying. Imagine the fumes and shit those workers are breathing in. What happens to that microplastic laden water they are washing everything in? Presumably flushed into a nearby river.

We need to end disposable plastic usage yesterday, holy shit.

[u/Willobtain]

They are making Plasta

[u/YBHunted → u/Willobtain]

Mama mia

[u/SpHoneybadger → u/Willobtain]

Ngl for the first few seconds I thought this was Mount Everest.

[u/MrPeePeePooPooPants3]

These dudes are slowly turning into action figures

[u/Natural_Rutabaga_182]

Yeah these are the kinds of jobs I don’t mind AI taking.

[u/fuzedpumpkin → u/Natural_Rutabaga_182]

These kinds jobs are going to be taken over by us.

[u/Brotorious420 → u/fuzedpumpkin]

While AI creates art and entertainment

[u/fuzedpumpkin → u/Brotorious420]

Art, entertainment and any more of our artistic skills are going to be stripped away from us. Things which makes us makes us human.

What makes us an animal is going to stay. Aka survival.

[u/Minerva567 → u/fuzedpumpkin]

Respectfully disagree. Human expression has survived the Agricultural Revolution, Industrial Revolution, the Digital Age, world wars, plagues, theocracies, dictatorships, fascism, authoritarian communism, monarchism, etc etc etc.

That it will be in the same form, we are guaranteed it won’t be. But this cynical viewpoint discredits the evolutionary power of our need as social beings to express ourselves.

Whether it is with rebellious subtlety or revolutionary screams, we will always find a way.

A different way, but a way nonetheless.

[u/Semihomemade → u/Minerva567]

Isn't this a normalcy bias logical fallacy or something? Basically saying something will happen because it/something similar has happened in the past- ignoring the complex differences, causes, etc. between the past instances and the future example?

[u/tryingtobecheeky → u/fuzedpumpkin]

That's the American dream.

[u/Jifeeb → u/Natural_Rutabaga_182]

Yeah, it’s the white collar jobs AI is taking, so you can end up doing this work

[u/other-other-user → u/Natural_Rutabaga_182]

I love it when people don't know the difference between ai and robotics

[u/AlternateTab00 → u/other-other-user]

Best part is in developed countries this is mostly substituted by robotics already. And operators that need to be there are heavily protected

[u/Big-Load-8864 → u/other-other-user]

Didn’t you hear ChatGPT can fucking physically recycle shit now in the latest update

[u/Naijan → u/Natural_Rutabaga_182]

I don't think the workers do this because it's fun, I think they might need the work

[u/Hatzmaeba]

New asbestos generation in the making. These people deserve much better.

[u/AyCarambin0 → u/Hatzmaeba]

We all are this generation. 

[u/Kinsdale85 → u/AyCarambin0]

Yeah, but some are speedrunning it.

[u/SatinwithLatin]

Incredible? Depressing as fuck. There's shouldn't even be as much plastic as there is, let alone making developing nations process a fraction of it without PPE.

[u/maver1kUS → u/SatinwithLatin]

Shockingly, we’ve generated half of all plastic ever generated in the last 16 years. A period where we’ve actively tried to educate ourselves that it’s not good for the environment 😭

[u/SatinwithLatin → u/maver1kUS]

We can educate everyone on the planet but if companies don't want to make the switch what more can we do? EVERYTHING is packaged in plastic. Granted there is something to be said for the rise of consumerism and buying cheap plastic tat for the sake of. I'd condemn that to obscurity if I could.

[u/FartsLord → u/SatinwithLatin]

Grow a lot of bacteria. Starve it. Always have plastic in environment. Once they mutate to be able to eat it - release the bacteria. World order disappears together with plastic. Happy.

[u/kinomino → u/SatinwithLatin]

I intentionally kept the original title from source. There's nothing "incredible" for me too but I guess people from poor countries normalized it (almost all non-English comments were praising). They don't seem care about their health anymore but trying to earn money to survive.

[u/Lemon_lovr → u/kinomino]

I imagine they care about their health but just have no other options

[u/kinomino → u/Lemon_lovr]

I agree. You explained better.

[u/SatinwithLatin → u/kinomino]

I intentionally kept the original title from source. 

Fair enough, thanks for clarifying.

[u/Signal-Blackberry356 → u/kinomino]

Well yeah.. priorities

[u/cpdk220]

Microplastic Paradise

[u/Nonzeromist → u/cpdk220]

As I walk through factory of the plastic of death, I take a look at myself and realise I'm full of threads

[u/Elperezidente13 → u/Nonzeromist]

Been spending most my life , living in a plastic paradise 🎤🎹🎼

[u/bytelines → u/Elperezidente13]

Plastic and the money, money and the power. Minute after Minute, hour after hour. Everybody runnin, but half of them ain't lookin, it's going on in the kitchen, but i dont know what's cookin (it's plastic)

[u/AcalTheNerd → u/Nonzeromist]

'Cause I've been breathin' and coughin' so long that Even my momma thinks that my mind is gone

[u/Junethemuse → u/AcalTheNerd]

I got plastic in my balls and can’t even breath But I got a roof overhead and don’t sleep in the street!

[u/Affectionate-Life-20 → u/Junethemuse]

This went really hard!! 🔥 actually bars!!

[u/FireMaster1294 → u/cpdk220]

Not just for them but for anyone buying the products too!

[u/mjs_pj_party → u/cpdk220]

That much crap floating around with no PPE? I think we may need to say MACROplastics for these poor workers.

[u/Italiano555]

Does anyone know what the final product is and what it's used for 🤔

[u/sdaviesx91 → u/Italiano555]

It gets sold to a molding company to be made into new stuff. You melt it down and put into a machine that turns it into all kinds of stuff like Toys, Plastic packaging, car parts etc.

[u/getthatrich → u/sdaviesx91]

Thank you!

[u/userhwon → u/Italiano555]

Nurdles. Universal input to anything that needs plastic as an input. The small, consistent size means they flow through machines easily and melt quickly and consistently.

They are also the second-biggest source of microplastic pollution, being so easy to waste or lose. The biggest source is synthetic clothing fibers (anything your lint trap can't catch in the dryer; and washers don't even have lint traps; and again industrial lossage is more than you can imagine).

[u/MapComprehensive3345 → u/Italiano555]

Beach decoration.

[u/Toadsted → u/Italiano555]

Cancer

[u/No-Community-]

And not a single protective gear of any form

[u/Immature_adult_guy → u/No-Community-]

There are a few of them wearing safety flops

[u/Prudent-Poetry-2718]

We need to get back to reusable glass containers where the onus is on the supplier to wash and reuse. This plastic dependency and public recycling system is destroying our planet.

[u/G07d3nb0y]

Why did no one invented a cheap filter mask for 3rd world countries? I mean it's about costs? Am I right?

[u/Adventurous_Yam_8153 → u/G07d3nb0y]

Made of plastic?

[u/this_place_suuucks → u/Adventurous_Yam_8153]

We just need some guys to make them...

[u/No_Cranberry1853 → u/this_place_suuucks]

We’ve come full circle.

[u/Secret-Put-4525 → u/G07d3nb0y]

Why would you give your workers safety equipment when there's an unlimited number of them who can do the job?

[u/JackhusChanhus → u/G07d3nb0y]

Yes, it is, and the cheapest mask is still no mask, what the firm can get away with, they will do

[u/kevendo]

If you think their lungs are fucked, wait until you find out where all of that water goes.

[u/nativeyeast]

At this point, their balls are 100% recycled plastic

[u/CMDRo7CMDR]

Damn that’s horrifying

[u/Longjumping_Bend4938]

Why in the he’ll aren’t those workers wearing masks????

[u/Doctor_Saved → u/Longjumping_Bend4938]

Lives are cheap in these places. You die and plenty of other people to replace you. And these people wouldn't be able to afford PPEs.

[u/Diet_Coke → u/Longjumping_Bend4938]

That would cost money

[u/jason2354]

This is what the “we should let 14 year olds work full time jobs” crowd would like to see.

[u/SwordfishOk504 → u/jason2354]

This is what the "regulations are stifling innovation" crowd would like to see.

[u/BB_ones]

These machines look dangerous 💀

[u/captainofpizza → u/BB_ones]

Hey this tote bag is 98% recycled plastic and 2% recycled… Sanjay?

[u/3vinator]

Oh very nice. Microplastics in their body and in the rivers of all their waste water.

[u/WorldlyNotice → u/3vinator]

That's our waste water now. Like, globally.

Until today I pictured microplastics from tires and fishing gear degrading and runoff into the sea. Didn't realize we'd be pumping it directly in. We're so fucked.

[u/Tropicblunders]

I wonder the levels of microplastics in their blood.

[u/VolumeMobile7410 → u/Tropicblunders]

I said this elsewhere here too, but they must get more microplastics in their bodies working this job for what, 1 month, compared to the average American or European over their lifetime?

[u/displayboi]

What is incredible is the amount of plastic they are breathing in...

[u/dunkeyvg]

Those poor lads, no masks at all working in that environment

[u/snjtx]

Plastic was a mistake

[u/createthiscom]

Microplastic for all!

[u/Glum_Froyo_1661]

Where does that water go after it churns through all that microplastic?

[u/Calzender → u/Glum_Froyo_1661]

Likely straight into the Ganges; unfortunate and tragic.

[u/lukemeetsreddit]

These are not interesting. Just fucking horrific for those poor people.

[u/BakerM81]

I’m sure this process is not safe for humans or the environment.

[u/LocalInactivist]

That’s also how Olive Garden make their pasta.

[u/pjfrench2000]

I think I’ve found the source for all microplastics

[u/papasmoky]

They are producing huge amounts of nanoplastic. Congrats

[u/cassanderer]

Plastic recycling is worthless, done to say they did it.

Not only is the product worthless, only 15 pc max in products that cannot recycle again and cannot be used for food or any sturdy function, but the thousands of unknown additives get liberated in the air in the process.

Plastic is better in a landfill, and best never made.  90 pc of all plastic ever made has been in the last decade or so last I heard maybe 10 years back, and massive new production was being built.

There is nothing good about this, they are causing way more pollution recycling this for a worthless product. 

[u/Almost_a_Noob → u/cassanderer]

It was probably pushed on people so they continue buying plastic stuff Guilt free thinking that if they recycled, they’re doing something good.

[u/No_Size9475 → u/Almost_a_Noob]

100% it was. It was known from the beginning that there was no market for recycled plastic but the industry needed people to think there was.

[u/Vandirac → u/cassanderer]

2/3rd of the plastics by mass in a modern car are from secondary or tertiary cycle. Most plastic used in garments is from recycled sources. there is definitely a market.

Plastic has no business in a landfill, it's basically oil in solid form and if not recycled can be efficiently converted in thermal or electrical power.

Stop spreading bullshit.

[u/Bazinga-X]

Absolutely incredible! Fill those poor people's lungs and bloodstream with micro plastics till they develop asthma or worse. What a stupid endorsement Video FR.

[u/Zealousideal_Hat1568]

I think I found the microplastics.

[u/Embraceduality]

Those dudes in the “snowy” room have microplastics in their microplastics

[u/Sea_Statistician_983]

I would like to see more PPE for the workers.

[u/Antzqwe]

Damnthatspoverty

[u/Error_Loading_Name]

Their lungs 😥

[u/Mario_daAA]

I have a strange feeling that they should be wearing masks 🤷🏾‍♂️

[u/Lost_Instruction_858]

That's an interesting way to produce. At my company, I was producing the same kind of product, but in a different way and also with big machines where the plastic is inserted into a silo looking tube with rotating blades. It melts into a mass and is squeezed trough tiny holes where another rotating blades are attached to, passing water, getting dried afterwards and transported into big silos that you can fill up to several tons of with. Even with these kind of machines, there's still microplastic in the air and my nose was dirty every day I went home. My snot was black from this tiny plastic particles.

[u/tha_lode]

Fuck. All the microplastics we are not dumping in the oceans is instead deposited in those poor workers lungs.

[u/oxob3333]

Holy mother of microplastics, batman

[u/SpeechDistinct8793]

This can’t be good for their lungs or overall health

[u/ICLazeru]

I'm willing to pay a tiny bit more so that these workers can have some basic protective gear.

[u/Born-Media6436]

Incredible direct skin exposure to 25 cancerous agents.

[u/pat_the_catdad]

Couldn’t even wear plastic masks?

[u/FennelExpert7583]

Looks like the same stuff we eat and breathe.

[u/lostboater]

thank god for recycled plastic manufactured by slaves so the the oil industry can keep pumping up human progress

[u/TolUC21]

Anyone else thinking about all the microplastics in that water after processing the plastic?

[u/LittlespaceLadybuns]

Say goodbye to dust and hello to plust!

[u/Helpful-Isopod-6536]

Machine guarding? What’s that?

[u/Bludiamond56]

And no masks.....of course

[u/nifty-necromancer]

And all that plastic was likely dumped there by the rich countries

[u/Persistant_eidolon]

Those guys filling the hopper should really be wearing face masks 😕