I can't help but think of the unexpectedly intelligent dolphins leaving a fucked up planet earth singing 'so long, and thanks for all the fish', laughing at how oblivious human beings are, having no idea the Vogons were planning to obliterate Earth to make way for a hyperspace bypass. If you're not sure about this analogy, what I'm trying to say is that 'hyperspace bypass' is 'environmental catatrophe' and humans don't have the imagination to see their role in it and the little changes we can all make to avert more disaster.
I'm sure I have something in common with those dolphines, trying hard not to call people stupid, even in my own head. It's mean, and it doesn't take into account people's knowledge base, their ability to process information, or a plethora of other reasons why they might just not get it.
But this week, I couldn't help it. Damn it was hard not to drip with sarcasm in online conversations about the South Australian government's decision to ban little fish.
Little fish are those fish shaped containers used for single serve soy sauce for sushi (say that fast). Of all the daft fucking things in the universe - we know single use plastics are bad, yet still we accept these by the handful at the sushi counter, along with packets of wasabi and pickled ginger.
The state becomes the first to enact a historic legislative change, banning these single use condiments from the beginning of next month.
It's a push toward environmental preservationa and avoiding waste around the country - an absolute no brainer. Why we haven't done it before is beyond me.
But.
The comments section.
'Why' Jessica moans. 'I LOVE soy sauce on my sushi! Why are you banning it!'
Darling, we aren't banning soy sauce, we're just banning the plastic in comes in, for fuck's sake.
'Huh, well, I've heard it all now' says Andrew. 'Next they'll be banning packets of tomato sauce with your pie'.
Yes, Andrew, that's the idea. Single use plastics = bad. Not single use plastics = good.
'But what are we meant to do?' says Marta. 'Bring our own soy sauce??'
Hey Marta - that's a fabulous idea! You could have a glovebox full of condiments! Tomato sauce for pasties! Vinegar for fish and chips! Chilli sauce for tacos! Mayo for burgers! We will wander round supermarket carparks with our bags of sushi crying: 'Has anyone got any soy sauce? Mine's in the other car!'
Or - how about this one, Marta? It'll blow your mind. Once upon a time, before little fish were invented, and before they became an iconic item with your california hand rolls, we had these things called bottles, made of glass, and they'd have enough soy sauce in for everyone. You could sprinkle it on your rice at the counter, or when you - god forbid - sat down for lunch for ten minutes instead of rushing off somewhere Important.
Same with the fish and chip shop. Remember the bottles of malt vinegar to splash liberally over your crispy chippies? Or the refillable tomato sauce for your sausage rolls - the trick was to insert the tip of the squeezy bottle into your meat, squeeze, and the sauce would spread out under the pastry instead of on top to drip on your white Levi's. So good. One upon a time, you didn't have a packet of tomato sauce that you'd tear open with your teeth - you'd have a bottle. I remember working in cafes and it was one of my jobs to go round and refill them from a big bottle in the storeroom, and wipe or wash the nozzles every day of encrusted tommy k.
So before you go putting your personal convenience before the environment, think about how easy it actually is to splash on some soy sauce at the counter. You're not going to die for want of little fish.
With Love,
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These plastic initiatives always end up being the public's responsibility - Like the plastic-straw bans in the US... Meanwhile, the corporations that are responsible for 99% of global pollution are continuing to lobby to reduce environmental regulations.
Can't wait to hear how the world was saved after the soy packets were banned.
Yes but surely that's no reason to ban single use plastics. It has to start somewhere. I agree it's frustrating when, for eg, you go to a supermarket and can't get a plastic bag to take your groceries home Yes the entire supermarket is full of food with superfluous packaging. ..BUT
LITTLE FISH
PLASTIC BAGS
WATER BOTTLES
STRAWS
and so on.... Surely big companies are forced to change to, as they can't produce food in plastic anymore?
I totally agree with your point, but I'm still supportive of any move to ban single use plastics.
Not in South Australia, where I am from! We have had so many awesome recycling and reduction initiatives throughout the years and they work. Not as well as they should, but theres no Styrofoam containers for fast food. No plastic Petri dishes of tiny side sauces.
No plastic take away coffee cups.
Now the only thing that I take offence to is the "single use" plastic rule not applying to things that while intended for a multiple serving, get devoured in one, thus making it "single use" - eg: Museli bars packaged in a box, but then individually wrapped in plastic.
Wax paper would do the same thing. So frustrating.
Oh I see, perhaps I misread the post. I also support people taking initiatives and doing the right thing...I do think that a ban on plastics is a net good, I just think it has very little environmental impact, and relies mostly on keeping the public believing that they are doing something meaningful, while the truth is that it's only a tiny fraction of the global pollution.
The recycling in the US used to be a lot more acted upon, but over time it kinda got decentralized, states and cities have all very different standards... Americans just cannot be bothered to properly dispose of recycling materials - they don't wash the plastics, don't remove caps, throw nylon, etc. You supposed to remove the label from glass bottles - ideally. As a result, a lot of the recycling material is tainted and china has refused to buy any of our recyclables.
We do still have soy bottles - just as you mentioned - I haven't seen anything like the single-use packs you mentioned.
aaahhh sorry i replied to @holoz0r and it was mostly meant for @riverflows 🙃 sorry
I didn't even think that reading research on the accumulation of microplastics in the body would affect my habits. But it did. Now I overpay in the store, buying products in glass or paper containers. And today I take a glass bottle of water, corked with a wine cork, to my garden :)
The more people that do this, the more demand rises , means price gues down ...yes?
It's the simple things ❤️
Im so proud to live in south Australia. There's still so much to do with limiting plastic waste.
I do miss the little plastic pizza box stoppers though, they were cute. Useless, but cute.
... little plastic pizza box stoppers
What now?
I'm going to describe them as badly as I can.
Imagine an outdoor table. Those plstic ones. With the four pop on legs, that you saw at every outdoor gathering in the 90s, with the seats that stacked on top of each other.
Anyway, those plastic tables. shrunk down to fit inside a pizza box, placed in the middle of the pizza, to stop the box crushing down onto the topping, and the topping getting stuck to the pizza box lid.
Ohhhhhh yeah ok! I vaguely recall..well, again, we get by without such things.
The little fish-shaped containers aren't a thing here, so I had to look them up to see one. They're cute! But yeah, single-use is not good. Here, we have non-descript rectangular packets which are just as bad, not as cute, and hard to open, too. 😆