Plastics: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

[@robbingcars9140]

I’m glad he addressed the fact that corporations make it look like our fault when it’s really theirs

[@4333carol]

That's a key point that needs to be yelled to the rooftops

[@sonyaweinreis3658]

Yup

[@sarikasabnis2369]

yeah i feel like not enough time was spent on that, but that is really the only way it's going to get better.

[@alexanderwhitney464]

They only sell us what we are willing to buy.

[@winsol8888]

But we buy their shit! So we're complicit.

[@allisonz.4486]

Fish fact: blobfish are actually perfectly lovely when they’re swimming along at the depths where they live. They only become ugly blobs when they get pulled up quickly. The change in water pressure causes them to lose their natural shape, and now we’ve been cruelly laughing at murdered fish for decades.

[@AAAZK]

I came down here to say this

[@hectorleon6622]

Nothing fun about that fact

[@howardert5251]

oy... the guilt...

[@refragerator]

@@hectorleon6622 that's why it says "fish fact" and not "fun fact" :D

[@hectorleon6622]

@@refragerator haha that is fun

[@aquavita1]

After learning of this issue a few month ago, I have repetedly tried not to buy products with plastic packaging and every time I failed miserably. Everything is stored in plastic and even if you buy paper packaging, there is plastic packaging inside or the paper is plastic coated. As a consumer, it is nearly impossible to avoid it! Thank you for raising this issue.

[@quinndaniels1928]

@Chandru Rajkumar much like almost all the products in a grocery store, the reply above me is made of synthetics that can't be recycled. When will the p○rn scam bot industry learn and improve conditions for their workers?

[@sssaaa9043]

my dad works at a sorting facility here in europe, and he sais tetraPack is bulshit, and they say it is made from recyclable materials, such as cardboard plastic and aluminium (3 pack) but you can't recycle it bc you can't separate them, a lot of this goes to incinerators and cement factories over here . hdpe might be the best, it can be closed loop recycled about ten times, and it can also be reused without any definite research that it creates hormonal imbalance (such as pet) hdpe isn't used that much for bottles tho, it also has yhe advantage that i stead of 1000 yrs it only takes 400 to decompose, this might be the best plastic but still it is not as recyclable and reusable as glass and aluminium and it doesn't decompose as fast as cardboard or paper (which are also slightly recyclable)

[@aquavita1]

@@sssaaa9043 Very interesting. Thanks for the info.

[@grandmasue3702]

Buy whole food nothing in a package. Cook from scrstch! Try it as much as possible. We need a movement against plastic

[@supremefenix974]

I work in a grocery store and much of the stuff is shipped in an unnecessary amount of plastic packaging. We go though large bags full of it on a daily basis.

[@fartybutt42069]

I used to work at a recycling plant, it was depressing how little actually got recycled, even the stuff thats "recyclable" got thrown out because there wasn't enough profit in it

[@FredlocksAsher2012]

lets all forget about recycling and start to promote Re-fundable. There is a reason why we don't see iron and steel lying around beaches and city streets, mostly because those materials have a value. we should create a national Re-fundable LAW where all companies manufacturing plastic products must have a refundable program. my main point is to return there shit and get money back for doing so. Coco Cola should be expanding there re-fundable program or be forced by the government to do so,. I can also think of a few other companies, BIC lighters, Walmart shopping bags etc.,. they should offer at lease $0.10cents for returning their empty plastic shit and this should be a law. we don't care if they store them at their facility until they can find a way to re-use or recycle it, the main point is its not going into a land fill or a recycling box but going back directly to the manufacture. END OF PROBLEM! thanks you lol please share this idea with your local and state governments. Recycling is out Re-fundable is in

[@lincolnsand5127]

@@FredlocksAsher2012 I mean, also, a main difference between iron and steel vs plastic is iron and steel can be melted down and reused usually to some degree at least

[@nest1363]

@@FredlocksAsher2012 Great point indeed! Thanks for inspiring me!

[@sssaaa9043]

@@FredlocksAsher2012 this is available in Germany, but still, what are they going to do with them, the best case would be to switch to hdpe or glass and start demanding that you bring back the bottle in the same condition you bought it so that it can be reused, recycling hdpe in a closed loop (bottles to bottles) can only be done 10 times (the most of any plastic) and recycling glass (tho you can do it indefinitely) is as energy consuming as making another one. you need to reuse the packaging in order to make both environmental and economical sense, and for that you need a culture that is educated to do so, it doesn't happen overnight, the german system is not only based on a warranty of the package you pay and gets refunded to you when returning, it is based on decades of educating both the consumers and the manufacturers.

[@jaredsmith1871]

I think things are changing. People and communities are often now willing to pay for recycling when it is not profitable. And more environmentally-conscious politicians will be driving that. But there's a TON of waste due to consumer abuse as well, which John doesn't mention or highlight. I personally witness more and more inconsiderate people just littering on the streets without any care in the world- a product of our more narcissistic, convenience-driven society.

[@magnetiktrax]

"The USA is the only developed country in the world that doesn't ...." applies to soo many aspects of society I have to wonder if the USA really deserves the label "developed".

[@rowansidhe3239]

we’re a third world country wearing a Gucci belt.

[@aeringothyk5445]

The United States, if it were a person, is somebody who spends all of their money On trying to look superior while neglecting to handle their basic necessities

[@halcyon_echo42]

Seriously, we are a joke driving a fast car straight off a cliff saying "Insurance will cover it, I think!"

[@mikotomisaka8714]

the problem is that our corrupt officials all have this "We're better than everyone else" schtick they use to convince everyone that everything's fine so they can continue to gain power and get richer, and as a result things like this happen. so it's a vicious cycle. We aren't better because we think we're better, so nothing changes. But that doesn't mean we don't have our good sides. John Oliver is extremely passionate about America as a country and he loves it, which is why he became a citizen and why he has this show. Speaking as a Japanese Girl who immigrated to this country and has gone to school in both countries, I've looked at this from both the view of an insider and an outsider and there are multiple pros and cons. The con that needs consideration is that America still is the most powerful country and the most influential, regardless if it is fair or better to live in, which means when America does something, it influences the world, so World social-medical-and economic health is highly influenced by the state of the US.

[@frocco7125]

Remember when UN ambassadors were sent to the US south and found "third world living conditions"?

[@johneverson2433]

My father used to work at a factory that made return for deposit glass bottles, when plastic bottles became the newest best thing he would often say “we’ll all regret this mistake someday” his job was soon to disappear and now the road sides are littered with plastic bottles. As always dad, was right.

[@kalolord]

Well, depends. Plastics could be used for good, they could even help the environment. Transporting glass requires way more fuel than plastic but of course, we are fucking it up.

[@48macho82]

My chocolate milk bottle has the chasing arrows with a bottle pictures instead of any number. . ..

[@russellzauner]

we used to WASH glass bottles and reuse them. CHARGING customer if they broke the container.

[@katiekarcheuny6104]

#BringBackTheMilkMan

[@thelordsder]

did u even watch the video dude, basicly only thing that actually is recyclable is bottles?? wtf lol

[@habitatone]

Here in Germany we have a "Pfandsystem" for plastic drinking bottles. Works like this: You buy for example a bottle of Pepsi and pay 25 cent on top as "Pfand". When the bottle is empty you take it back to a supermarket and put it into a machine where it gets crushed and you get a voucher worth 25 cent that you can use for shopping or you can get the money back directly at the cash register. Now we have a lot of plastic that is recycleable and there is nearly no trash in public spaces. I collect my bottles in a reusable shopping bag and when i go grocery shopping i take the bag, redeem the Pfand, go shopping and use the same bag to carry my stuff home. Works pretty good.

[@TheMrBonhomme]

I'm from Canada and this video is not available in my country ... Good thing I have a VPN... Seriously KZbin, this is information that everybody should have access !

[@totesmcgoats3852]

KZbin is pulling some dirty tricks.

[@thesleepovercrew5]

Typically John Oliver’s video’s are released in Canada two-four weeks after they come out in America. The COVID ones where released globally, immediately, but it was just for those videos. However, the fact that they were able to do it for those videos does imply that they HBO/the show could decide to do it for all the shows.

[@jorisressing3626]

@@thesleepovercrew5 That would explain why they always popp up as released two weeks ago when I am sure to have looked for and not found any new ones a week ago.

[@DiscoFang]

Uhhh You realise this is a syndicated TV show right? It's not KZbin's choice.

[@rogerl3174]

Weird, I'm able to watch from Western Canada without a VPN.

[@SmootherThanSilk]

The future from Wall-E is looking more and more likely every year.

[@podefunder]

So romantic!

[@softyeee9695]

It looks more like **Idiocracy**

[@RalphNader2020]

@@softyeee9695 I really think Mike Judge had a very real vision of the future when he made Idiocracy. Tekashi69 is living proof of how accurate that vision was.

[@siliziwencanywa1138]

I just watched this movie for the first time on Saturday, and so this hits different...

[@silvergaming5759]

More people should have read wall-e

[@paigeroberts96]

I am surprised that John didn't touch on this, but that "chasing arrows" recycling symbol WITHOUT a number in the center is actually public domain, meaning that anyone can put that recycling symbol on any product whether it is actually recyclable or not. This is becoming more and more of a problem as consumers are starting to become more environmentally conscious and prefer to purchase a recyclable products, but are unknowingly being misled by companies making you think their products are recyclable when they are not. Surprise, surprise that companies care more about making money to the point of tricking their consumers into thinking they care about recycling and the environment rather than, oh I don't know, ACTUALLY caring about the environment.

[@billygoodman5636]

Can you provide any examples of this?

[@tifforo1]

Source?

[@egregiousqueef7781]

Yeah, it also ends up that EVEN IF you see that symbol doesn't mean that that particulary plastic is recyclable. Like #7 plastics. The symbol is horsesh*t

[@k10batmama]

This!!!!!!!!

[@SteadilyGrinding]

Just like when a burger company has the term "100% Beef" trademarked...

[@King-yj2jx]

Fun Fact: The blob fish only looks like that due to being in lower pressure environments. It's a deep sea fish

[@Mr.Sparks.173]

Which means the poor thing died a horrific death as it blew up like a meat balloon and its internal organs burst like soap bubbles.

[@Necrowma]

Was about to comment that.

[@stevefromsaskatoon830]

* fun fact; it looks like that when it's taking out of low pressure environment

[@Mr.Sparks.173]

@@stevefromsaskatoon830 nope, the deep sea where the blob fish lives is at a considerably higher pressure than sea level where the picture is taken. The blob fish is going through the equivalent of a human being exposed to the vacuum of space.

[@mikepictor]

It's not the pressure, it's just being out of water. There are blobfish living in aquariums at surface pressures, they look fine. Still a bit odd, but fine. It's being out of the buoyancy of water that does it.

[@JasonNockels]

I love how he, as a British person, still put on an extra layer of British accent to imitate a character from Harry Potter.

[@jpsinger16]

There is more than one "British accent" just like there is more than one "American accent"

[@israellai]

He's from Birmingham, so he needs a posher accent for those characters

[@frcluc]

@@israellai He was born in Birmingham, but didn't grow up there entirely, so he doesn't have a Brummie accent. Although, he also doesn't have a posh English accent.

[@j-mc5201]

Nope

[@ImGoingSupersonic]

@@jpsinger16 exactly.

[@LordKhabal]

“A lie is much easier to accept if you already want to believe it.” That is... that applies to so many aspects of life in general right now. Well said, John.

[@hazukichanx408]

Even those of us who try hard to be open-minded or objective need to remember that one, yes. And the moment we forget... well, then we risk the start of a slow slide away from understanding, into ignorance. Sad that we all need to be so vigilant, but it beats being ruled by liars any longer.

[@ranman7729]

@@hazukichanx408 you are right,i found this guy i went to high-school with,he is a woman now,when i asked him why he got mad at me for referring to him as bro ,he told me, i feel like a woman therefore I am. And all of his supporters came at me calling me everything but a child of god.when i replied, me and this guy played football on the same team,i was literally told to shut up and respect this woman, so now i agree with John, a lie is easy to tell when everyone wants to believe it.

[@hazukichanx408]

@@ranman7729 Sorry to ask, but the internet makes it hard to interpret people's intentions sometimes - lack of tone and all that. What lie are you referring to here?

[@SoItGoesCAL34]

Dear KZbin, I did not find the content of this video inappropriate for me. Keep it up, John. We love you

[@galactustales]

Yes, why is this age restricted..?

[@stadoblech]

because plastics are naughty. Also because kids are not allowed to hear word fu.... *SPITS ON FLOOR* i cannot even write this bad word here, so ashamed! So kids, i dare you, dont you even think about using naughty language while discussing plastics recycling!

[@totesmcgoats3852]

Down with new KZbin! Return to old KZbin!

[@roguebantha7324]

@@galactustales umm, did you NOT see Totes McGoats?!?!?!

[@sabine-marieeldracher4008]

I was also wondering... maybe the comment with the weasel?

[@Rookiewill]

I dialled the number, got through to an "Emergency Hall & Oates supply number" that played a song of my choosing from their catalogue. Second best use of my time ever.

[@taxy9653]

I scrolled through comments just to see if anyone had called the number. 😁 Curiosity satisfied - thanks!

[@insertcognomen]

I don't understand. There is an emergency supplier of oats? what emergency requires oats? Or halls? like if you're coughing a lot?

[@DiscoFang]

@@insertcognomen Yours is clearly a spelling problem. There must be another number you can call for that. I blame the parents.

[@rowan9568]

What was the first best use of your time ever?

[@fandomguy8025]

@@DiscoFang That was uncalled for.

[@Canada1994]

Any other Canadians were getting flashbacks of our countries feud with the Philippines a few years ago over "recycled plastics" we sent there and took back and burned?

[@lindsaydesjardins5102]

😬😱🤷🤦🙅 unfortunately yes

[@Mini_Squatch]

i literally have never heard of that before O.o

[@iron___]

I remember - it was early 2019 when that story went viral

[@UndeadGary]

Yup! Anyone remember when it got to the point Duterte threatened war over it!? Crazy times and very shameful for me as a Canadian. As a Vancouver local I can say that most people I knew had no idea how their recycling/garbage was handled at all let alone that it was being shipped out overseas to unconsenting countries. Then our government fumbled around before finally conceding and picking it up. Really shows why it's important to educate ourselves on how our waste is handled.

[@Canada1994]

@@UndeadGary I forgot about Duterte threatening war over it but I do remember rolling my eyes when I heard that when it happened thinking "first of all good luck crossing the Pacific and getting a foothold here and Second you'll be declaring war on all of NATO with Article 5

[@redbaby814]

I remember hearing a debate from a Canadian Comedy Club on recyclables, and he said, "Recyclable material is just trash that is taking the scenic route to the dump"

[@christie4378]

That's hilarious and so true.

[@legoworksstudios1]

Hahaha

[@thefluffymarshmallo]

*Fun Fact* : that symbol on plastic containers actually ISN'T the recycle symbol. It's its own _very misleading_ symbol called the "Resin Identification Code." If you look closely, the actual recycle symbol has thicker arrows, whereas the RIC has thinner arrows... this makes them legally distinct, but essentially the same in the eyes of consumers. *This. Was. Intentional.* Plastics makers wanted consumers to think they were recyclable so that they wouldn't feel bad about plastics use.

[@thomascarpenter5536]

The RIC is the identifier of what the polymer is. It is what is used behind the scenes to separate the polymers for recycling and to make an industry standard for labeling what polymer the product was made from. It may be misleading to those not educated on this topic but a quick google search should clear everything up to those who care to be educated. It was not made for the consumer.

[@DiscoFang]

@thefluffymarshmallo Haha Conspiracy theory much? Fun Falsehood you mean. They used the arrows to indicate that it relates to recycling. There's no regulation to stop them using thicker arrows, so if there was intentional deception afoot, that's what they would have done. Your BS is the worst kind of BS.

[@Kakwann]

-Boss i need 50$ for the sketch this week! -What you gonna to buy this time, John? -A goat mask and a custom teal tshirt.

[@cityraildude]

-Boss I need $50 for the sketch this week! -Are you sure? That seems unusually cheap for this show

[@denverarnold6210]

@@cityraildude you're not gonna buy 50 pounds of expired raisins again, are you?

[@cmdrpickles]

“You’re like a furry who can’t commit.” Oh that hurt my sides so much.

[@wisleylau3149]

John Oliver is my weekly dose of sadness combined with some comedy (Edit: Thank you for all the likes!)

[@dadikkedude]

Comedy is usually sad.

[@ntombi-yensimbinarrates7297]

Im getting this comment on a t-shirt

[@Robin-jk6wz]

Are you usually not sad?

[@The420033]

I'd recommend watching Shoe0nHead if you like this feeling of fun despair.

[@gregoryashton]

Comedy?? Which bit was funny? 😂

[@petrahilbig9434]

Fun fact : the”blob fish” normally doesn’t look this way . It’s a deep sea fish that blows up due to the missing pressure when pulled out of his environment.

[@RadzHexz]

Fun.

[@petrahilbig9434]

@@RadzHexz Not really Fun for blobby....

[@airplanes_aren.t_real]

True I heard about this when I was discussing on reddit about made in abyss The basic premise is that there whole world has already been discovered except for an estimated 20,000 meters and the protagonists wants to go to the bottom of it

[@resuteru502]

Come on! Spoilers! I haven't seen the third movie yet!

[@arellajay6508]

@@petrahilbig9434 that fish ain't right

[@carlosbaezjr.7674]

Yet another episode of “there was a global agreement to mitigate the problem that America completely swerved on”

[@imustbecrazy5626]

Soy much?

[@karlhungus545]

Two words...Citizens United.

[@beyondtrash1627]

@@imustbecrazy5626 soy? what does soy have to do anything?

[@dlewis1498]

@@karlhungus545 Two words: It has nothing to do with corporate political spending, it's just that even when consumers actually know there is a problem, they don't really care as long as it's cheaper for them personally (and they won't start actually demanding change until it becomes a PARTISAN issue, since partisan politics is all that matters to anyone anymore).

[@karlhungus545]

@@dlewis1498 I disagree. The US has the same legalized bribery of politicians that Somalia and Indonesia enjoy, only much worse as the lobbyists have a lot more money. Big oil, Big pharma, and the banks run your country, and nothing can ever get done because of it. You should be embarrassed by your countries squandered potential.

[@mrrd4444]

Plastic from Canada was sent back in shipping containers from the Philippines and they had to burn it all in Vancouver. It doesn't get recycled, it gets dumped in other countries. It sucks it's still so prevalent in supposedly first world nations.

[@soriaadibi9431]

FACTS! This is why China stopped importing our "recycling" after enacting their own environmental regulations. We were shipping them nothing but trash.

[@user-kb2bh6vq8k]

Here in Switzerland, when cheap plastic bags started to cost 5 cents, the demand was reduced by 80%. Just because of 5 cents.

[@hoboroller5642]

Then the covid-19 got spread all over 🤔

[@Blottingpaper]

None of our super markets use disposable plastic bags in Australia, it's not much but it's a start. Aus has been far too complacent with recycling, as we shipped most of it to be processed overseas. (much to many Australian's surprise and disgust).

[@colleenharrison1638]

In America here in the midwest, we have a store called Aldi's. You're allowed to have free boxes to carry your stuff home in and if you want to buy bags they have cheap paper ones for 10 cents and then they have a little bit more expensive plastic ones. I think it would help if they did more other stores like Aldi's does.

[@lhunn4448]

Maryland, US does that as well

[@lhunn4448]

@@colleenharrison1638 Aldis actually came to the US from Australia

[@DomenBremecXCVI]

You know the world is fucked when Nestle is doing the best out of all the companies.

[@alexvega7893]

Nestle is the largest food company in the world. They should be leading the way in that sense.

[@Optimus19]

Nestle is taking the lead. That's great move by them

[@Leenapanther]

@@alexvega7893 Nestle is a Swiss company. In Switzerland we can actually return plastic bottles (e.g. shampoo bottles) back to the store. Stores also implemented a refill stations for shampoo and soap bootles. I mean we at least try.

[@viewer-of-content]

Or you know it's the 1970's and of all the formula companies Nestle is doing the best at killing Babies through malnutrition

[@juresichj]

@@Optimus19 They get public water for almost free, put it in plastic bottles, using oil to make the bottles, and more oil to ship them around. They are parasites, and deserve no applause.

[@GreenOnionBrother]

I knew Totes McGoats was gonna make an appearance and it still creeped me the eff out.

[@ulogy]

I love that CBC Marketplace became a primary source for Last Week Tonight. It's a mashup I love.

[@k-isfor-kristina]

I'm surprised they didn't include bits from the Marketplsce episode where they track electronics recycling. Although I suppose it is a when separate recycling issue, not specific to plastic recycling.

[@sssaaa9043]

@@k-isfor-kristina I didn't see the cbc Marketplace piece, but I can say that there is a very definite reason why apple says their electronics are made from recyclable materials and they are not saying they are easy to recycle... actually old plastic PCs were more likely to be recycled, the pentium processor contains a lot of easily (relative to today) retrievable gold and the old ddrs too, nowadays what gets recycled really nicely are the 3G antenna's (a lot of gold on the boards for the large bandwith and high speed requirement) as telco companies moved to 4G and are putting 5G in place

[@thekamakaji]

It's such a relief that John can go back to telling us about the apocalypse happening tomorrow instead of the apocalypse happening today. Gives me a little more time to breath

[@TOSkwar22]

Well, considering how big a problem microplastics already are, it's definitely already happening today. Like he said, you might be eating more than a credit card per week in microscopic plastic that's going to utterly ruin your entire body. And you can't even tell it's happening.

[@beccaintoyland]

In case anyone is wondering- that number John dares us to call is an emergency Hall & Oates line that plays whichever song you choose 😅

[@SiamHossain7]

Immediately into my contact list, that's a life saver

[@arothmanmusic]

Becca doing the real work out here in the comments.

[@TehUberGethKill3r]

Someone should really do up a rickroll phonenumber

[@MrBeastsHiddenWorld]

"'Private Eyes,' please."

[@n8maintenance]

hahaha so awesome 😎

[@sidkit4ever]

That BTS analogy came out of nowhere, but was so true. Nice

[@snoopy1977]

I just learned that every pizza box i have ever pit in my blue bin has not been recycled. If the box has any grease on it from the pizza(they all do) then it is not recyclable.

[@pieceofpeace35]

It should be compostable though!

[@paulzammataro7185]

​@@pieceofpeace35 😂

[@acidfunk555]

It’s so weirdly satisfying that his tie is striped but reflects as criss-crossed

[@buddhavskungfu]

No again

[@stephanies3246]

How does that happen?

[@VinnyPTAstartes]

@@stephanies3246 the tie goes on under the table and we see it through the table and we also see the reflection of the upper part of the tie, creating a criss-cross pattern

[@stokk8310]

The table is transparent, but because of the angle, we see a reflection on top of his tie.

[@pickednads6]

It doesn't. The reason it seems criss-crossed is that you're seeing his actual tie through the glass table, as well as the reflection on the surface.

[@ladygaygay94]

“Lies go down easier when you want them to be true” *BARS*

[@samkam1041]

Nice profile pic 👍🏻

[@leonske]

I think think it's true for the opposite too: Facts go down more difficult when you don't want them to be true. Like climate change.

[@arrowgunt]

What do you mean

[@CAP198462]

Motto of every sales department ever.

[@joaofarias6473]

@@leonske 1) Wishful Lie: "The most you can do as an individual is not to make use of single plastics like straws, bags or food packaging." Uncomfortable truth: About half of *all* plastic in the great pacific garbage patch come from discarded fishing lines. This means you can stop eating fish to save the fish. Crazy, right? 2) Wishful Lie: "The blob fish looks so funny and weird... It really is the ugly duckling of the animal world haha" Uncomfortable truth: The blob fish only look like a blob because they are suddenly dragged from the bottom of the ocean up to the surface with no chance to equalize their internal pressure. This causes their tissues to literally explode like a balloon. If we give it a funny voice though, comedy gold! Did these 2 lies go down easy? Edit: changed the first claim from 'More than half of all plastic' to 'About half of all plastic' so as to reflect one easily found study by Nature estimating 46% of all plastic in the great pacific garbage patch to come from discarded fishing gear.

[@MaidMirawyn]

The real irony is that those creepy recycling mascot costumes are all non-recyclable…

[@sarahhenley9808]

Yeah, but you can reuse the costumes again and again, and terrify children for years to come

[@evan10307]

And they’re made from non recycled materials and plastic 😩

[@BrokeredHeart]

This pandemic has been a boon for the plastics industry, as people moved back to requesting individually wrapped goods, grocery bags that are a one-time use, and the health crisis precipitated a demand for "disposable" facemasks and gloves. I've been walking around my neighborhood noticing them all scattered along the sidewalk and in parking lots as the winter snow melts. It's very frustrating that we're still driving this industry to maintain destructive environmental practices. Also, a good note for anyone wearing those paper and elastic masks, when you're done with them, please cut the ear bands. They get looped around the beaks, feet, and necks of wildlife. Or better yet, switch to double liner cloth ones with a carbon filter in them - they're washable, and in the length of the pandemic, they're more cost effective. We all have purchasing power, and while it's alluring to see "made from 100% recycled plastics" on tubs and jars in the grocery aisle, really ask yourself if that's the best they can come up with. Pressure your major grocery chains to pursue food processing companies with a higher percentage of products that are wrapped in biodegradable, or truly recyclable materials, like glass, metal, or paper. And join your local city council discussion panels on recycling and waste management to listen in and contribute on future plans to increase green waste policies and removing plastics from your waste stream. All that junk we've been sending overseas for "those people" to deal with is being shipped right back to us, so it's time we start analyzing what we're tossing, and questioning the companies that are producing this much waste on why they refuse to innovate how their products are made and displayed.

[@matthewcrane1144]

I work in a hospital. I use gloves like I breathe air. We go through so much plastic. There is a medical purpose for that stuff, but I hate how much I need to waste.

[@krabbykrabby8818]

Didn't know about the "cut the loops" going to start doing that.

[@noellwilson1273]

Change the labels on plastic to 1, 2, and “Not Recyclable”.

[@audreygabrielli8564]

Except only non-crinkle 1s and 2s are recyclable in most places and 3-7 are recyclable in some places. Such a mess.

[@MusicfromMarrs]

The plastic industry will fight this tooth and nail.

[@alexanderrobins7497]

@@audreygabrielli8564 It drives me crazy how many people throw plastic bags in the recycle bin. Also, in Washington, number 5 is recyclable, but I can absolutely see how people would get confused. Definitely need more public awareness.

[@eveFlower101]

It’s quite confusing, some bottles are recyclable but not the bottle caps so we need to take them off and plastic containers with grease residue from food etc also don’t get recycled, we’d need to wash them before putting them into the bin.

[@MrOttopants]

There is a non-recyclable symbol already. He just didn't show it.

[@TimMacctroyens]

I live in Bali, Indonesia. They introduced plastic ban on single use plastics in 2019 after local associations lobbied the governor. Change is possible, but only to the extent of people's will.

[@josuad6890]

plastic bag is still used by the native population in more rural areas in bali, and there's nothing the police can do about it. yes, you can raid them for a day, told them to close the store and confiscate the plastic bags, but they'll open back again tomorrow with more plastic bags and more resentment to the govt. indonesia is forcing a change without giving proper alternative, hence people always came bag (pun intended) to the old cheap thing they know it worked.

[@TimMacctroyens]

@@josuad6890 of course new policy doesnt mean flawless implementation overnight. However one can't help but notice the gap between some countries and the US, where industries lobby Congress to introduce anti anti-plastic regulations

[@sorrymabbad]

Don't forget the ones also passed in Jakarta and Bogor. I believe that if we can do this much already, we can do even more by public information campaigns and some protest.

[@josuad6890]

@@TimMacctroyens it's not about flawless implementation overnight, it's about we don't have a better alternative than a plastic bag. What do you even swap plastic bags for? re-useable bags are still plastic, as they're just fake fabric which most of them still end on landfill. paper bags need trees to make, so you're cutting more trees in exchange for less plastic bags, and not to forget those paper bags also end in the landfill. See my point? plastic bags is still more economically viable and probably has the same impact to the environment as other solutions. banning plastic bags are more for PR stunt rather than actually caring for the environment. Though not all is hopeless. Here's my proposal to actually saving the environment: lift the dumb plastic bag ban, and encourage recycling facilities, like, really make them crop out like mushroom overnight. how? state sponsored waste processing, tax incentives for recycling industries, easier bureaucratic process to setup such facilities, etc. I do believe that recycling is the ultimate answer to our plastic problem, as it is the most economically viable and readily available, with minimal environmental impact.

[@hardyorange]

@@josuad6890 paper bags compost down into soil, and trees can be regrown, especially ones used for making paper. Meanwhile, as the video said, plastic bags largely can't be recycled, so growing the number of recycling plants won't help. Plus, as the video also said, it's cheaper for companies to make new plastic than recycle old. Personally, my reusable bags are make out of cotton canvas, and so are 100% plant material that withstands hundreds of washes, but will break down into compost at the end of their usefulness. Putting the pressure on recycling plants to do more instead of on manufacturers to come up with better options is the exact opposite of what this video recommends.

[@lostonearth7856]

"You look like a Furry who cant commit" My favourite line from John Oliver so far.

[@rburgener2]

This video should not be "age-restricted", the message is too important ... is that why? It could be the freaky goat. I can't believe that showing a plastic phallus for a few seconds would be more offensive than the plastics industry.

[@thedapperdolphin1590]

They found a plastic bag at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, which is the deepest part of the ocean, and one of the most remote places on Earth. Just to get a sense of how badly we’ve messed things up.

[@yesthenyes6727]

@Đeath Vader I hope you're at least getting paid for spreading false information. Or is it just a sick hobby?

[@adrienfox6228]

@Đeath Vader Provide your reputable sources for those claims. That's how science works kiddo. I'll wait :)

[@Paulscottrock]

Space is so full of trash to

[@smaragdwolf1]

@Đeath Vader not harmless at all. Animals think its food and starve, others die because they got stuck in plastic objects. Microplastic gets eaten, wandering the foodchain up until it ends in our bodies. Atleast TRY to come up with some good false comments.

[@chadlewis7545]

And that plastic was from the future

[@TheSeaMonkeyProject]

Thank you so much for commenting on this topic that we and many others fight against And we hope that this will bring more people to fight against plastic with us. Thank you!

[@mariannecontrino6297]

Just subscribed to your channel after seeing this post. Definitely gonna watch your videos tomorrow. Keep up the good work, and thank you for all that you do.

[@arcanondrum6543]

@@mariannecontrino6297 Well, don't wander over to MY Channel. Either KZbin or Last Week Tonight won't let me tell you about it.

[@arcanondrum6543]

@Pa V What a waste of time you are; running around telling everyone not to care. Does that contradiction need to be explained to you or is your horrible spelling an indication that tying your shoes is your top accomplishment?

[@FumbleSquid]

@Pa V "u only live 80 yesrs" Maybe because we have empathy you sociopath.

[@FumbleSquid]

@Pa V Again, empathy, it exists. Normal people have it. Like look it up. How do you not care about other people's well being? Do you have no morals or ethics?

[@lindsaydesjardins5102]

In Canada, many grocery stores have gone to paper bags, boxes, or $0.25 reusable bags recently. Guess what the trash in my apartment building was filled with last week? The plethora of "reusable" bags people don't need.

[@nextpage4994]

💋Best adult contact site💘👇 Click Here 》》 livegirls19. com 《《 Leurs états de santé respectifs les empêchent de s'approcher trop près l'un de l'autre. 在整個人類歷史上，強者， 富人和具有狡猾特質的人捕食部落，氏族，城鎮，城市~sae和鄉村中的弱者，無力防守和貧窮成員。 然而，人類的生存意願迫使那些被拒絕，被剝奪或摧毀的基本需求的人們找到了一種生活方式，並繼續將其𝔻𝕅𝔸融入不斷發展的人類社會。 說到食物，不要以為那些被拒絕的人只吃垃圾。相反，他們學會了在被忽視的肉類和蔬菜中尋找營養。 他們學會了清潔，切塊，調味和慢燉慢燉的野菜和肉類，在食品市場上被忽略的部分家用蔬菜和肉類，並且學會了使用芳香的木煙（如山核桃，山核桃和豆科灌木）來調味食物煮的時候 1618824196

[@aireekim8857]

sad. sounds like we also need to target public opinion and behavior surrounding waste as well

[@binhhoa7152]

@@nextpage4994 . Và

[@sophieochmann2384]

The problem is that other, more "reusable" bags cost the environment more (production, transport, disposal). The only upside of non-plastic alternatives is that it doesn't end up in the ocean. Check out Our World in Data's contribution on plastic recycling! ourworldindata.org/faq-on-plastics#are-plastic-alternatives-better-for-the-environment

[@katherinemorelle7115]

@@sophieochmann2384 and those reusable bags are made of... plastic. They’re polyester. You’re better off trying to find 100% cotton tote bags. Those actually are better for the environment.

[@Theinternalrewrite]

As a fellow Brit I died a little when he said aluminum. It's aluminium John, you know it is!

[@willnash7907]

I've always liked the idea that we should compromise and call the element/resource aluminium but the material in use aluminum.

[@jchootie]

As a Malaysian, I can confirm this horrible practice. I do hope this informative piece will educate those who need educating.

[@chrisbe4655]

Unfortunately, I don't think that education is the key here... the people know very well about this horrible practice. But as long as it doesn't happen right next to them they disavow it. I don't know how to escape from this. Capitalism sucks.😓

[@Dangic23]

I stopped recycling when I found out a few years ago how our US trash ended up in SE Asia. I rather keep it in our own US landfills.

[@OOZ662]

@@Dangic23 At least keep recycling aluminum and unwaxed paper (especially cardboard); they're pretty much always viable to actually be recycled since they (in simplified terms) only require melting and re-pulping respectively. The complex chemistry, strong bonds, and lack of reactivity that make plastics great at the things we use them for are also what make them expensive if not impossible to render back down to usable raw material, and of course anything expensive to deal with gets dumptrucked onto the heads of the poor.

[@Dangic23]

@@OOZ662 True. I do recycle the basics....cardboard, big water jugs, glass. I don't buy anything in aluminum cans, so no issues there. I only stopped recycling everything else I used to.

[@desi1790]

that's horrible; all that trash destroying a beautiful country

[@WildDragon144]

Fun fact about Blobfish, they actually look like normal fish in their natural environment - their bodies are kept in a fish shape by the water pressure of the deep ocean.

[@RustyShackleford_]

Stop it And thank you

[@elisecutts4307]

Reminds me of a *very* empassioned defense of the blobfish by the deep sea podcast hosts

[@pollypocket2743]

Lmao I was just checking the comments to see if anyone else had spotted that

[@Maximaltenor]

Yup. People making fun of blobfish for looking ugly are actually ridiculing a corpse that was deformed by being put into a completely different environment. It's like looking at a sausage and concluding that pigs are ugly.

[@jkr9594]

so thats why the aliens call us sludge-mamals, why didn't i think of this earlyer!

[@ShaddowDemon]

My state (Delaware) recently implemented a ban on single use plastic bags. Now, supermarkets give you "multi-use plastic bags" (also for free), which are just very thick plastic bags with more plastic. Some use a little bit of recycled material. I have never seen anyone use one of them again, myself included. The upside is it's so terrible that I am going to actually buy nice fabric bags and start using them instead... but most people will probably not. The single use ban will likely actually increase the amount of plastic waste via bags :(

[@veryanonymous3630]

Time to start charging for bags

[@jedi22300]

Unfortunately, buying a fabric bag may not have been a good idea. Kurzgesagt's video "Plastic Pollution: How Humans are Turning the World into Plastic" is worth a watch if you're interested

[@JahRandom]

Here in CT they changed the law so that single use plastic bags were a dime. And so the great majority of people started using the cloth reusable ones, as opposed to paying the dime. But a month or so ago we outlawed them in their entirety.

[@Moonsong227]

Eyy, this is what my thesis is on, glad someone else noticed how much plastic *can’t* be recycled.

[@madisonwuertz2349]

Is there somewhere I can read your thesis once it’s done? :3

[@Hellingame]

Back in middle/high school, my family was laughed at as being "poor", "cheap", or "Asian" because we reused or repurposed most of the plastic bags and containers that our foods came in. Wasn't because we couldn't afford to buy new stuff....my parents just didn't see the need to. Whilst my footprint isn't clean, I'm sure my family's decades worth of reducing and reusing (in that order) has lightened our plastic waste quite a bit.

[@hhheidi1121]

Yeah I still keep jars, recycle paper and do craft with magazine papers!! Cheers to all Asian people and we should stop taking other countries shit into ours !!

[@jameslasinski676]

I grew up in weird household that was Jewish and protestant christian Most of my routes are in Poland and norway But my family was obsessed with reusing everything and relying on plastic and little as possible, I think it was because my mom was a hippie when she was younger But all I'm saying is I think you're family is pretty cool and pretty clever and way ahead of everyone else in what we should be doing

[@zazzue5131]

I reuse most plastic containers until they aren't usable any more. I buy salad mixes in bags, not great but better than clam shells. I haven't bought plastic containers for almost 20 years. I even have a big plastic container that I use to put all those napkins I end up with take out places. I haven't bought napkins in over 30 years or paper towels in over 15 years, I use those take out napkins or cloth towels.

[@sonyaweinreis3658]

Yup our family was the same but my parents were born in the 20s and it was ingrained in them

[@juzoli]

Reusing and repurposing is ALWAYS inferior to not buying and producing it in first place. You are STILL part of the problem, and not the solution. You are polluting a bit less, but your pollution is still not sustainable.

[@matrixphijr]

This will be my new “fun fact” to bring up in conversation whenever somebody mentions the, “Did you know you eat 8 spiders in your sleep?” or some such: “No, that’s actually a total myth, but you know what isn’t? You consume a credit card worth of microplastic every week.”

[@vampirebicth]

average person eats no plastic a week. plastic georg, who eats 10 pounds of plastic every day, is an outlier and should not have been counted

[@tubekrake]

It's also put in shampoo and all kind of creams.

[@rumaddzero9100]

@@vampirebicth you bet me to the joke

[@metal4lifewp]

I knew that was false. You have to have spiders in your house in the first place to eat them

[@matrixphijr]

@@metal4lifewp Well, yes, but in all honesty, even if you sleep with your mouth wide open, a spider is smart enough to not crawl in there.

[@Falkkonstag]

I lost it at "hypertension". He deserves a raise, John.

[@hpnut4ever]

Really glad to see clips from CBC Marketplace showing up here. Their consumer journalism is fantastic and their piece on plastic recycling was eye-opening.

[@spyrocrashthecats9678]

This show gives me a new reason to have an existential crisis every week.

[@mattbush1542]

You're in luck! They're off next week.

[@spyrocrashthecats9678]

Ah, the American flag avatar. My favorite shorthand for, "I'm about to post something so inane, your eyes will roll right out of your head."

[@goodguy...badrep.]

@@spyrocrashthecats9678 🤣👍

[@brixzz6710]

@Scott Covert said by the guy with a US flag as a profile picture

[@thatboii3094]

the messge here is(like always) : there got to be way to make conspmtion safe except there isnt but we got to try even though our grandfathers told us nothing come without price and luxury also have price but this generation is so stubborn and unwise

[@raybin6873]

I worked in plastics recycling industry 18 years. Finding a profitable product of recycled plastics has been very difficult...we have tried many innovative ideas. Want to correct some things said in John's video...LDPE & PP are recyclable too...they can be mixed together (blended) with HDPE...we made sheets with these. The Wal-Mart bags are recyclable - they even have recycling bins in stores. The WORST non-recyclable is the single serve water bottles - DON'T BUY drinking water in these flimsy junk plastic bottles. Buy the 1 gallon size - the jugs are made of good recyclable HDPE. Those who think they are so "chique" drinking water using single serve bottles are idiots in my book. (Thanks for reading this - do your part)👍

[@tatchik77]

I HATE those bottles! I've been saying for about 10 years that if they are gonna make those why can't they have refilling kiosks like they do for gallon & 5 gallon jugs? There could be a tray/crate you put bottles in with dispenser that doesn't touch the bottles so you wouldn't get cooties. ☹

[@jans1916]

I own a Sodastream and drink my tap water. So much easier and you dont even need plastic bottles beside the ONE you use over and over again which you only have to clean

[@tatchik77]

@@jans1916 my sister has well water that smells like sulfur horribly bad, I wonder if that would make it drinkable. Brita filters haven't even helped.

[@ludde438]

Wait are the single serve bottles you're talking about PET bottles?

[@jans1916]

@@tatchik77 depends where she lives. i live in Germany where the tap water has to match high standards. In the US for example the standards are so much lower. You even can lit the water on fire in certain areas because of fracking.

[@mai-lovebeautiful9746]

Maybe it’s time for some companies, like Tropicana, Beneful, etc., who use plastic to store their products to create sites in order to receive back their containers to be reused again. They should create a mailing address and provide consumers with a free shipping label so that they can ship the bottles back to the companies and these companies will sanitize and disinfect the bottles to reuse them. It’s a solution which can help companies save money and reduce pollution. Some bottles, after it’s opened, can be reused.

[@Raz.C]

I just wrote this same message somewhere else, so I'll be brief this time: When I did my BSc 20 odd years ago (double major in chemistry) one of the subjects I did was Environmental Chemistry. In my extracurricular studies, I found that recycling papers and plastics actually used more energy and produced FAR more pollution that to simply make new paper and plastics. My study looked at trends over the next 50 years and the relationship was linear, with no reason and no evidence to suggest that extrapolation beyond those 50 years would change the trajectory into anything other than a continuation of that linear progression. Ie: It will ALWAYS be worse for the environment to recycle, than to produce new paper/ plastic. HOWEVER, this was 20 years ago now and the one thing I couldn't account for in my study was the discovery of new recycling tech that would decrease power requirements and/ or decrease the pollution emitted during recycling. So it's theoretically possible that recycling is an environmentally conscionable action these days and if so, I would be VERY eager to hear from any Chemists out there with the appropriate Environmental Chemistry accreditation. If things have changed and my initial conclusions are no longer accurate I would be very eager to hear from you, so please do let me know. Cheers, Raz

[@djosjowa8433]

In the Netherlands we have a system where you pay a little bit extra for plastic bottles when you buy them. Once they are empty, you can bring them back to the supermarket to get the money back. These bottles then get cleaned and refilled by their respective manufacturer.

[@marafortune3713]

We have the same in Germany called "Pfand" system. We even apply it to soda cans :)

[@MrMelon247]

We have the same thing in America...

[@user-es6gq3je4b]

we had that with glass bottle in the 90's in India

[@KappakIaus]

@@marafortune3713 except that (at least in Germany) the plastic bottles aren't "cleaned and refilled", they are shredded and sometimes (not always) recycled... Glass bottles with pledge are reused though

[@just4funallday508]

@@KappakIaus It does make us 'feel' better that we are recycling. A German TV show explained how some of the sturdy plastic bottles may be used 2-3 times before being dumped and only a small percentage of the bottles get recycled into something else.

[@dalpz205]

It's a hard pill to swallow when you realize you fell into industry manipulation and bs. I mean it's industry and I should've known.

[@dadikkedude]

What would be the next big bombshell?

[@rabidmonk5]

Would be easier to swallow if it were in a micro form preferably ingested with the fish I eat or the water I drink.

[@killerluuk]

And nothing will change, you will just keep wasting and using a shit ton of plastic

[@LoveLove-fp2rn]

@@killerluuk Did you learn nothing from the video?

[@maythesciencebewithyou]

@@LoveLove-fp2rn What did you learn from the video? You liked it because it makes your conscience guilt free so you can keep on buying stuff in plastic packaging? If there are apples in a shop lying in a card box and next to it apples wrapped in plastic packaging, if you buy the one with the plastic packaging you incentivize companies to wrap their stuff in plastic. Same if you pick apples from the card board box and put them in a plastic bag. That's your choice. If you go shopping and let the bagging guy bag your groceries in bunch of plastic bags it on you that you don't carry a cotton bag along with you. If you buy plastic bottles instead of glass bottles it's on you. The companies go with plastic because the people buy it and don't really give a shit. Chocolate companies started selling packages with bunch of small chocolates each wrapped in their own plastic wrapping instead of selling large bars. Why? Because people liked that, because people buy that. There are many ways you can reduce the amount of plastic. People want convenience , not be lectured about environmental responsibility. That's where the problem is and the companies give them the convenience of a quick meal wrapped in plastic. If you constantly consume new stuff you increase the demand for more plastic.

[@Steaksauce97]

Just watched Seaspiracy on Netflix, which complements this segment really well. Highly recommend if you want to take a deeper dive into this topic.

[@FredlocksAsher2012]

lets all forget about recycling and start to promote Re-fundable. There is a reason why we don't see iron and steel lying around beaches and city streets, mostly because those materials have a value. we should create a national Re-fundable LAW where all companies manufacturing plastic products must have a refundable program. my main point is to return there shit and get money back for doing so. Coco Cola should be expanding there re-fundable program or be forced by the government to do so,. I can also think of a few other companies, BIC lighters, Walmart shopping bags etc.,. they should offer at lease $0.10cents for returning their empty plastic shit and this should be a law. we don't care if they store them at their facility until they can find a way to re-use or recycle it, the main point is its not going into a land fill or a recycling box but going back directly to the manufacture. END OF PROBLEM! thanks you lol please share this idea with your local and state governments. Recycling is out Re-fundable is in

[@nicklang7670]

Try stores that give you an option to bring your own container so you can refill your products. I wish there were more stores like it, I think some people are calling it a Refillery.

[@Reilly-K]

That should be the norm everywhere, honestly.

[@mechengr1731]

Whole foods lets you bring your own bags or give you paper bags. Aldis and costco don't even offer bags, plastic or paper

[@dr.zombiex]

“You’re like a furry who can’t commit...” My cereal is now everywhere. Thanks.

[@codycarney2311]

Yep

[@thetato1273]

Well pick it up! We cant let the cereal plastic go to waste

[@JonesCrimson]

*THEY'RRE GRRREAT!* ~Tony the furry cereal mascot tiger

[@jasonjimerson7046]

Good thing I watched this before breakfast. Now I don't feel hungry anymore for some reason.

[@idalarsen2540]

Yup. I spit my coffee. Thanks.

[@varoslay8335]

fun fact: blobfish look normal when theyre deep underwater under pressure, however when they're pulled out they become bloby since there is no pressure keeping them together

[@13ellamy]

very true! i don’t know why the popular perception of blowfish is only when their appearance screams “i am in excruciating pain.” they actually look pretty cool when they’re alive !

[@JeffreyBoles]

It makes me sad whenever I see a picture of a blobfish that has pulled up to sea level. They only look like that because every cell in their body ruptured. Deep underwater the pictures of them are really cute!

[@Outside85]

Does this mean Ted Cruz would look normal if he was sent to the bottom of the sea?

[@MCNarret]

Yes

[@yeetyeet7070]

@@Outside85 yes, we need to get him back down there

[@joe88john]

Richard Kind always kills it! Loved the ending!

[@damistrokzane4545]

I'm Italian and youtube wanted me to write my age before watching this video. I thought "what have John showed this time? something cruel"? yes, the truth. grazie Last Week Tonight

[@Jordy666sic]

Yeah these new EU restrictions are extremely annoying. As if I'm going to send a copy of my ID or pasport to Google...

[@tfox285]

Anyone else become obsessed with how the glass table made the reflection of his tie look like it has crossing lines not parallel ones?

[@superpotterfan7435]

Oh. 🤦‍♀️ Now I have to go back and re watch but just look at the table. 😆 that is fascinating

[@victortorres6574]

Bro thanks . Now I can’t stop looking at it lol😂

[@metal4lifewp]

You're fucking right I see it too

[@skival]

well, i am now!

[@bottomsecretauthorizedpersons]

No. I was too busy reading comments. That's a crazy optical illusion that a magician like to know about. That is if they don't already know that illusion effect.

[@CassandraBankson]

*UPDATE: I CALLED THE PHONE NUMBER!!!* shockingly, an ominous voice on the other side replied, “you have reached the New Jersey state prison. If you know your extension, please dial it now.” I am closing this drawer even more perplexed than when I opened it, as I live in California and don’t know anyone in New Jersey...

[@isissorrowchongdongproduct6361]

Bruh

[@enginerd1985]

That's weird, considering a 719 number should be in southern Colorado.

[@SapphicKnits]

@@enginerd1985 I think they mean a number from their personal drawer, not the one in the video

[@mr_sammitch]

You dialed the wrong number, it's a Hall and Oates Emergency help line.

[@hassfam]

It's supposed to be the Hall and Oates Emergency help line (I googled searched the number after the episode came out)

[@PoMaQue]

No idea what is being said in the video, but KZbin is blocking this under "age restriction". Only way to watch it, would be to provide credit card or ID card details... like that's ever going to happen. Here's a thumbs up anyway, John Oliver never disappoints.

[@mrssmith1691]

This is so sad. Thank you for doing this. I complained to stores and companies as it became harder and harder to find things packed in metal or paper or glass. I kept getting told that the weight of plastic compared to glass was actually better overall for the environment and don't worry as plastic recycling was getting better and better.

[@dragoncongrelos]

"Lies are easier to believe when we want them to be true" All of us should be aware of this.

[@minuette1752]

"A lie told once remains a lie but a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth " "If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself." -Joseph Goebbels

[@jasperdegroes5756]

"If all the truth does, is make your heart ache, sometimes a lie is easier to take."

[@Dr.JamesJohannson]

I want to believe that, but I’m scared it may just be a lie

[@budmeasap]

Mentality of Trump supporters, in a nutshell.

[@TheTrueBrawler]

@@budmeasap Truer words haven't been spoken in decades. Not literally, but you all get the point.

[@tatchik77]

I think stores should have refilling machines for things like detergent, shampoo, conditioner, laundry soap, fabric softener, single serving water bottles, etc. I would happily take my empty bottles in for refills rather than have all that plastic waste!

[@shardator]

The only problem is that when you reuse a plastic bottle, you increase the number of microparticles consumed. Water bottles, when empty, tend to crack and when you refill them, you drink the microparticles departing from the pushed surfaces. So it is basically making things worse. Btw this does not solve the problem just prolongs it. Prolongation is only useful when there is a more permanent solution in sight. But if there is none, we'll end up in the same situation, just a bit later.

[@inoriyorita3972]

it would have to be with glass or metal containers though, and not plastic ones.

[@tatchik77]

@@shardator oh I see. But it could still be done for inedible stuff.

[@Rexwar31]

@FAAASZÓÓÓÓM I would say that using it for soap, shampoo and body wash is not going to have the same issue. It is permanent for those as we don’t consume those products. I already do buy refills for my soap but still have a massive bottle to get rid of when done.

[@jendubay3782]

OH MY GOD YES

[@rebeccajackson4984]

This segment is just so critically important. I would argue that it is more important than any of the others. Other issues will simply not matter if we no longer exist because we destroyed our own home.

[@MageMaggie]

John, you’re gonna be real sad when I tell you that blob fish only look like that because of the extreme tissue damage that they undergo due to it being brought up to the surface.

[@ChrisD__]

Dies in the 3rd movie? No, he's already dead!

[@Situayo]

Its extreme cruelty. Its a regular fish before humans pull them out of the water

[@SamarTareen]

@@Situayo if you think about it, most form of fishing are extreme cruelty too because the fish are alive when taken out of the water

[@Lisbee]

@@SamarTareen Gassing is a popular way to kill pigs too, so I guess we hoomans just have a thing for asphyxiating animals.

[@coolcatalesha]

omg im so sad about that

[@noeljaime9266]

From Germany here: Can't watch the video without verifying my age using a credit card or passport.... What the hell, never was a problem with any other video.... What is going on youtube, and how is this video age restricted... everyone should be able to watch it...

[@DarthFerder]

Had this a some time ago on the last big Rezo video. Was super pissed.

[@Manuel-yi6cw]

Try mobile... KZbin's just trying to verify it's data on you

[@yakmartin5429]

From Germany, here, too: Bullshit. Clicking „I agree with your puritan dipshit policies“, done. Firefox, Adblock Plus. (Echt, Du gibst denen Deine Kreditkartennummer?) 🧸💕

[@kalinadesseaux8011]

You had the problem too? I did too! I'm 30. Wth youtube? I never had to verify my bday before, now I have but why the sudden prob, I've had this account for years..

[@benjaminhanke79]

Same thing here. I'm logged in on KZbin since the app forced me a few weeks ago. *Edit* Strangly I can watch this on my phone but on my Desktop I'm asked for age verification, even if I'm logged in.

[@natashasheibak1954]

Thank you John for doing this episode. I was waiting for it for a long time. Also plastic companies with their ads made us believe that the plastic pollution can be solved by recycling. So people would buy it instead of choosing an alternative.

[@miololix]

7:37 y'all know your audience so well, aka me. the last week tonight team are really doing the most out here

[@thedapperdolphin1590]

“We should hold companies accountable for the waste they produce” Conservatives: “But that’s socialism. We need less restrictions on our beloved companies that happen to give me lots of money.

[@JEDonnert]

Truth

[@CharlieThunder24]

exactly! !

[@adrienfox6228]

@UCREkRWOy5lpzJe-Ukcv8HtQ Whataboutism is a logical fallacy used to try and deflect and invalidate valid criticism. Try again kiddo.

[@jerome_mgozama]

Correction: Democrats - let market forces and 0 regulation do the work. Republicans - lets not regulate. Both dont give a fuck. Becuase environment isn't a priority in capitalism, you ignorant fool.

[@jonarias6441]

True, but those corporations are the same people moving Johns mouth like an ass puppet.

[@TheMountainWulf]

What's sad is the blobfish is actually very cute. They only look like that after being dragged up from the deep ocean, causing depressurization, ruptured organs, suffocation and eventually death. It's really quite slow and painful how they die. We don't even eat them because of how they look, so they just get thrown overboard after. But you know, before all of that, they're actually quite cute.

[@KamikazeNews]

dont assume a species pain threshold, fish are 1000000000% meant to be ate.So freaking good and they look like aliens and you cant pet them (i like fish n pet them all the time)

[@gracelandtoo6240]

@@KamikazeNews Yeah not everyone is oblivious to the torturing and killing of animals like you are, Daniel.

[@karnadyjuan]

thats useful information @ThemountainWulf .... thanks

[@lorah3005]

#BoycottMeat and all other animal products of cruelty and exploitation in any way possible!

[@ramotnik8061]

Up people need to gry informed

[@taraskucherenko6661]

Thank you for sharing this info!

[@ot4627]

"You look like a furry who can't commit" had me dead

[@confusedbud_yt7973]

same lol

[@totesmcgoats3852]

I know.

[@KogentaSama]

As a furry, I loved that line

[@VeraTheTabbynx]

@@KogentaSama lol

[@kiracaroso]

As a furry, I have to agree with that assessment.

[@2iiAaron]

As a Malaysian this truly breaks my heart. This is not how we want our named to be known. This is not how we want to see the world, through a plastic bag from Walmart.

[@oOo-dj7pt]

If incinerating garbage is what they want to do they should invest in WTE technology. Its expensive but the pros are worth it. WTE tech burns garbage but then it also burns the toxic fumes created by the incineration process and it creates clean energy in the process. Imagine powering a hospital or a home by burning garbage! I wish my country would incorporate more of this technology.

[@SamiMarjeta]

@@oOo-dj7pt "They" is the tricky part. It not like Malaysian government ordered a boat load of garbage to pollute a river. Greedy companies got paid and they in turn lubricated local officials to look away. Now Malaysia got the long stick. WTE should be at birth place of garbage, i.e. in USA.

[@aoifedelaney6748]

I think of fruit and dying textiles

[@desimc89]

Out of sight, out of mind on a world map and hypocrisy is why. My neighbor is an executive at one of the largest chemicals companies and plastics manufacturers. He will shout at the swimming pool cleaner unless the water is immaculate, but he’s happy doing much worse to other places and communities...his corporation’s money drowns out and lobbies against regulations to protect weaker people.

[@InterdimensionalDudeMan]

When that Malaysian woman described kids getting sick from the burnt fumes of my trash, i really just woke up from a plastic coma. I'm so sorry.

[@alexhulme6135]

This show has been the missing piece of my morning 😂 haven’t laughed this hard in so long 😂😂

[@sweetlorikeet]

It's so wild how rapidly our world started putting plastic in EVERYTHING. Whenever it's suggested that we reduce it, people freak out about how we can't make do without it, despite the fact that it didn't even EXIST until the 1900s and somehow humanity managed to survive as a species.

[@marsalenda1660]

The literal tag line of Last Week Tonight “It’s actually not that simple”

[@theweakestbrazilianmale3398]

"You fucking idiot of course it gets worse"

[@adrielsebastian5216]

"Moving on, our main story tonight is [insert a depressing topic that no one is covering]".

[@felixjassler8961]

I'd love for that Ryan George guy to come up and say: "Actually, it's super easy, barely an inconvenience"

[@alexreiser6325]

*vsauce music*

[@shivscd]

All contemporary problems are not that simple.. else would have solved by ages ago ..

[@RobertoBastone]

Nothing better than starting another week with a high dose of anxiety and depression in form of a twenty minutes tv show.

[@edmundthespiffing2920]

And somehow we still manage to laught too

[@RobertoBastone]

@@edmundthespiffing2920 and learn something too. I call it "informative masochism"

[@edmundthespiffing2920]

@@RobertoBastone cool name. I will start using it when describing the show

[@RobertoBastone]

@@edmundthespiffing2920 be my guest, Edmund 😁

[@ilovefunnyamv2nd]

but now hiatus, im thinking I'll watch slapp suits again nextweek

[@louisfoley6955]

What a goddamn comedic genius. I was lmfao when totes magotes walked into the studio lmaoo. "Hypertension" 😭😭

[@feral_insulin]

7:36 that was a really cute and funny mention of BTS~ good job, writers :)

[@ninjabreadgirl]

Thank you for speaking out about this very important, pressing issue, John. The plastics industry has reframed the conversation from "we should not be using plastics in the first place" to "recycle and everything will be fine!" These companies need to be held responsible and PAY UP instead of getting filthy rich off of destroying the world and getting away with ignoring the fallout.

[@qelectron3012]

stfu

[@58209]

"we should not be using plastics in the first place" remember that single-use plastics are essential to health, safety, and progress. we can be more responsible with our plastic waste and consumption, but this push for "no plastic ever" overreaches sensibility and leaves no room for disabled people who rely on sterile and disposable plastics to live, for the sick and hospitalized who need sterile single-use plastic equipment like IV bags and catheters, and technological and scientific advancements based on plastics.

[@qelectron3012]

These people don't actually think logically. Their answer to everything is pay up. To who? The government? Brain dead. Plastics are one of the most advancing pieces of tech we have ever had.

[@user-xv6ig8tu9b]

@@qelectron3012 Our environment is being destroyed. Something has to change, and your moderate solutions are not enough. Some new tech will have to be made to take the place of plastics, but we can’t just ignore the fact that the tech we have right now is damaging. Our environment doesn’t care about how impossible getting rid of plastics will be. Natural disasters and other consequences of our damage to the environment don’t care about human survival, unfortunately, and pretending that it’s not the bad, while tempting, does not actually solve the problem at hand. The scientific community has come to a consensus that human activity is driving climate change. Act while we can still make a difference, estimates say we have less than 12 years to act before the damage we’ve done to the ecosystem is irreversible. we will have way more pressing problems to human life than the absence of plastics if we don’t act soon

[@Mr.Sparks.173]

@@user-xv6ig8tu9b to make things worse, a lot of times plastics are used as either a convenience or because its cheaper to manufacture. A plastic bottle can easily be replaced with a glass one (we used them before) plastic bags with paper ones, and so on. We already know how to package stuff without plastic, we've been doing it from the 1700s to the 1960s. And that includes keeping things sanitary, waterproof, long term storage, and protection from breakage. Plastic offers nothing new in packaging except that its 0.5 cents to make instead of 3 cents. In the case of packaging plastics, it's long since time to get rid of them. We have non plastic solutions to the common packaging problems, and the benfits that using plastic packaging provides doesnt even benfit the end consumer.

[@chrismeyers7487]

"Sometimes it's cheaper for a company to make new plastic, than recycle" Well, if that doesn't just spell it out for you

[@CyrilFiggis36]

If only there was some way governments could increase the cost of this new plastic. Maybe by charging some form of tax on it. No, that's silly. Forget I even said it.

[@arturasp9738]

Germany subsidizes plastic packaging production

[@davidhollenshead4892]

Of course, Plastic Lumber exists but is mostly used in benches, loading docks & decks in rainy climates...

[@augustaseptemberova5664]

@@CyrilFiggis36 It isn't as easy as taxing virgin plastic. And sorry for the rant in advance, but I'm teaching macromolecular chemistry, and plastics recycling has purely physical / chemical limits. Idk if you ever noticed plastics turn yellow-ish over time, or transparent plastics becoming opaque, or flexible plastics turn stiff and brittle - plastic materials age via oxidative and thermal damage, and loss of softening agents and/or cross-linking agents. This kind of aging cannot be reversed in processing/recycling like it can be reversed for metals. In addition: plastics are made of polymers. The polymer composition determines many material properties. Company A makes a PET polymer that makes the material chemically stable to serve as a container for an acidic household cleaner. Company B makes a PET polymer that makes the material chemically stable to serve as a bottle of bleach. Company C: same, but for a soft drink. If you recycle these three PET packaging materials together (=you melt them together to create something new) you'll likely get a materiel that won't be able to hold acid or bleach or soft drink. In addition: crystallinity vs. transparency. Polymers need some degree of crystallinity to be visually opaque and chemically robust. Amorphous polymers are transparent and permeable. Crystallinity, if desired, can be achieved during virgin production relatively easily. Most plastics, when melted and reshaped, will not retain their crystallinity. It then needs ridiculous amounts of time and energy (tempering) to bring crystallinity back up. The ecological footprint of tempering would be horrendous and horribly outweigh the benefit of recycling such materials. In short: there's several heavy physical/chemical limitations on plastics recycling, and why plastics can, at best, be reused in their virgin shape for X amount of times and then get down-cycled. Having said that, that "X amount" heavily depends on the material. 9% recycling sounds low, but unfortunately is realistic for some (!) polymers. For most typical polymers though, I'd say 30% is realistic - 90% if "recycling" means: no centralized plastics recycling (where different companies' packaging gets mixed and melted), but instead the companies take back their containers and refill them = reuse for X amount of times. And the 90% in turn are somewhat unrealistic again, as in: I can see myself returning larger containers for drinks, detergent etc. But things like wrappers (for sweets, hygiene products, condoms etc.), the foil around freezer-pizza, the foil on top of veggie and fruit packages etc. - I can't imagine a working system here, where each of these packaging items is returned to their respective company for reuse. Honestly, in my professional opinion, I'd say the best way forward is biodegradable plastics.

[@yogaflirt7]

@@CyrilFiggis36 Governments need to form a committee to think critically about the plastic problem. It desperately needs to be addressed. And companies which are part of the problem should be held FULLY ACCOUNTABLE. You hear us Walmart & Coca Cola?!!

[@tokenbones345]

I can now sleep at night knowing that a Hall & Oates emergency help line is just a speed dial away. Thanks, John.

[@ben53933]

Thanks for all this information

[@blipmachine]

I guess the takeaway is that the real plastic was inside us this whole time. Edit: Writing's not that easy, but Grammarly can help. This sentence is grammatically correct, but it's wordy and hard to read. "I guess -the takeaway is that- the real plastic was inside us this whole time." Much better.

[@cellonpot]

Even placentas www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/22/microplastics-revealed-in-placentas-unborn-babies

[@randyjax09]

That’s so wrong 😂😂😂

[@lynniewood]

I can't tell if you're talking about eating plastic or the sex toy thing

[@TheGenerations1]

😮

[@damjanp7920]

plastic was the friends we ate along the way

[@ryospeedwagon1456]

I've been reading into this stuff for awhile now, its so much worse than John tells it as. I do my best to recycle everything properly by rinsing out everything and breaking them down, but I can't help but feel like I'm putting a hello kitty band aid on the big toe of someone who just had a stroke, tripped and fell into a bin of used needles and then was set on fire for good measure.

[@joelcoriano1778]

Reciclyng is a hello kitty bandaid, but try reducing your plastic consumption or reusing the plastic you buy. Those are way more effective than recycling, even if 100% were to be recycled.

[@Dankman9]

Band-aids don't always help and they are just more pollution.

[@crazyratlady3438]

What really put it into perspective for me was paying attention to the amount of trash just my family produced every single day, when I worked at a dept store, the amount from my single make up counter, the amount we get every single day in the mailbox and now this past yr w ordering most things online, the amount in packaging..when u extrapolate that out to all the households around the world and what kinda waste a Corp/business must produce going by that one make up counter, it just is mind numbing the amount of waste produced on a daily basis.

[@AbsentWithoutLeaving]

Thing is, when you recycle, even if you do it scrupulously, you're trusting that recycling waste hauler to do THEIR part just as scrupulously. Do you think they are? I live in a small (6 units) condo in Chicago, where any building over 4 units is required to hire a private waste removal service, including a separate recycling service. Found out over the pandemic that our waste service, which provides "separate" recycling service and a dedicated bin for recyclables, which are picked up on different dates than regular waste, has been dumping both bins into one truck instead of separating recyclables from regular waste. When we called them on it, they claimed they are still recycling, but they're just "separating the recyclables at the plant." uhHUH. So for over a year, we've been paying a not-inconsiderable up-charge for recycling, which they are clearly not doing. But if we drop the recycling, the city will impose an enormous fine on us. Of course, they won't mess with the high-rise buildings, just us little six-unit condo conversions. Recycling is a joke in the US.

[@ryospeedwagon1456]

@@crazyratlady3438 Yeah it's been pretty insane to see for sure. I end up taking the "trash can" to the curb every other week now. I think I might be "wish-cycling" some stuff still, so I'll have to look into it more.

[@CrispyChrisCries69]

This episode needs a part two.

[@AnimalLover101195]

lol to the random intern who had to go into John's home and dress up in a goat head when John has two boys under the age of 5.

[@shangerdanger]

Thanks for doing this John. I was just at the beach today and saw tons of plastic that washed up cuz the wind has been blowing extra hard lately here in Hawai'i. I wondered what it was like when it first started to do that... now we're here and we need to find a way to get rid of it

[@shangerdanger]

and recycling is a myth

[@chasewarren9702]

@@shangerdanger That dude is like 90% probably a troll. A name that obnoxious and a pfp of Xi Jinping just seems like they're looking for any sad reason to get into fight with an internet stranger.

[@legoworksstudios1]

@COVID IS FAKE WEAR A MASK BE A SLAVE i talked to Jim about the game the other day and I don't think his he's getting anywhere with the Broncos. He's already $400 in, the _testa di cazzo_ ...

[@yesthenyes6727]

@@shangerdanger The person is dealing with other issues in their life and this is their escape. Just ignore them, Like the crazy man yelling on the subway. They will pass by.

[@72marshflower15]

I try to clean up the remote beaches out on the east side of the big isle.. the ones no one knows about, but there’s just too much plastic washing up to keep up with it.

[@the_real_Kurt_Yarish]

I'd like to mention that the "chasing arrows" symbol put on plastic products isn't the same symbol as the recycling symbol, it's a legally separate symbol that was intentionally designed by plastic manufacturers to resemble the recycle logo in order to give consumers the false impression that all types of plastics are recyclable.

[@58209]

can you point me to a source or further reading for that claim? i like to lean more about the chasing arrow being appropriated by the plastic industry.

[@the_real_Kurt_Yarish]

@@58209 I first heard that specific claim from this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnvRe2ujgJiEack , if I recall correctly they mention their sources in the video itself. It's not exactly a first-hand source, but it should give you an idea on what to look for on your own.

[@lindsaydesjardins5102]

And that recycling meant a perpetual cycle of use of the raw ingredients

[@weismeister121]

Legally separate...is the best kind of separate

[@ammess2033]

I like how he is always moving on at the beginning!

[@mommat794]

Beautifully done

[@jackdailey5238]

This hurts a lot because normally he ends with something we can do to improve but in this one he’s just like “it sucks and will be hard to fix”

[@aileeneilert7162]

What about calling your elected officials about the Break Free From Plastic Act? We need a national movement on this bill, It's probably the only thing that will help.

[@susieb7305]

Do right to your local government and ask them to pass these laws!

[@XD152awesomeness]

That’s why they set up the emergency Hall and Oates hotline

[@VMYeahVN]

I had the exact same reaction. I was watching this WAITING for the "and here's a link to do XYZ to actually have some direct hand in hopefully making a change". But not this time. This is one of those things where it can only happen through like 4 degrees of separation. We all on the individual level have to pressure local and government officials to battle it out in congress to make this happen and that's just such a long and uphill battle. I'm willing to do it, it's just one of those things where it doesn't work unless lots and lots of people do it. Which automatically makes it feel near (but not entirely) hopeless.

[@lionon316]

When he said "the good news is that over 180 countries limited the export of plastics last year" you just knew what comes next^^

[@bogusmcbogus2637]

Yup, it means 'Murica didn't do the right thing.

[@Panglo55]

@COVID IS FAKE WEAR A MASK BE A SLAVE Thank you. Anytime one of you brainwashed conspiracy nutcases post something it brings a smile to my face.

[@alastairhewitt380]

@@Panglo55 I know you are mocking him, but please don't feed the troll. Dude clearly has issues and engaging only encourages him to spread more paranoid BS.

[@sorenwright9461]

@COVID IS FAKE WEAR A MASK BE A SLAVE Are you seriously gonna be the dunce who says that countries preventing the export of garbage to places where it gives the elderly and children cancer and lung problems is part of the illuminati or qanon or whatever organization that spews this toxic misinformation that you absorb like a cucumber?