Anticonsumption

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/33471447

cross-posted from: https://beehaw.org/post/24447292

Europe’s supermarket shelves are packed with brands billing their plastic packaging as sustainable, but often only a fraction of the materials are truly recovered from waste, with the rest made from petroleum.

Brands using plastic packaging – from Kraft’s Heinz Beanz to Mondelēz’s Philadelphia – use materials made by the plastic manufacturing arm of the oil company Saudi Aramco.

The Saudi state-owned holding opposes production cuts under the UN plastic treaty and is the world’s largest corporate greenhouse gas emitter (more than 70m tonnes up to 2023).

Aramco’s petrochemical subsidiary, Sabic, along with other big players, devised a successful way to rebrand their harmful business as “planet saver”. They label plastic as “circular” and climate-friendly, although in practice it remains almost entirely fossil-based, exacerbating global warming and the plastic crisis.

Under industry pressure, Europe is on track to legalise this practice, which independent experts have described as greenwashing, with lax EU rules set to take effect in 2026 and similar UK regulations to be enforced as of 2027.

cross-posted from: https://sh.itjust.works/post/48943580

Google announced the end of support for early Nest Thermostats in a support document earlier this year that largely flew under the radar. As of October 25, first and second generation units released in 2011 and 2012, respectively, will be unpaired and removed from the Google Nest or Google Home app.

Users will no longer be able to control their thermostats remotely via their smartphone, receive notifications, or change settings from a mobile device. End-of-support also disables third-party assistants and other cloud-based features including multi-device Eco mode and Nest Protect connectivity.

Tip #3 "Second-hand first"

This tip is very simple, but maybe feels hard in the beginning, depending on the facilites in your country: If you think of items that you need and want to buy, ALWAYS first look second hand! There are several platforms online, both national and international, where people exchange stuff for a low bid or even free. And in many countries, you will even find smaller and and bigger thrift stores, where you can find these items. Of course, you still need to check the consdition and quality. But that is what you would do on a "regular" shopping trip anyways, right?

Example: Personally, I find it fun to set a date once in a while for searching 3-5 thrift stores in my area for anything I am still missing. (See list from tipp #1.) I keep it short, search focused for item X and then at the end of the day buy it or leave it. In my opinion, that is about the same effort, or less, when doing a "regular" shopping trip.

TL;DR: Search for your wanted items in second-hand stores or online marketplaces. Often you find what you need, in still good condition and cheaper. Also you give these items a longer life. And the effort is similar/lower to "new shopping" if you do it focused.

Tip #2: "In vs Out"

Often you find yourself overwhelmed by the stuff you have. Especially on physical items. Over the years we tend to accumulate a lot of things. Creating a huge, unecessary load; especially obvious to carry when moving. - So there is one radical rule for this to cut down the consumption: "For every new item to get in, at least one old item needs to go." You can even make it harder, by being more specific or adding contraints, if that rule sound to weak for you! Challenge yourself!

Examples: a) For every new kitchen aid, an old one doing the same needs to be trown away. b) For every new clothing, two old ones need to get out. c) For every new item, the same weight/volume of items needs to vanish.

This way you think more about your belongings before you buy and you start to balance your amount of stuff. And if you keep it up for a longer time, especially with the harder constraints, you might even reduce your belongings.

TL;DR: Only buy X if you can throw away Y, or X(old). Thus balancing consumption "input" with active "output". Add rules for higher pressure and reduction.

Made by privacy company Proton

Tip #1: "Wishlist"

Everyone gets an idea or already the urge to buy something a few times a week. Like for new clothing, a game, some device, etc. or even specific food/drinks. In that moment, write it down on a note or little list. Don't go to buy immediately, instead keep the note in some open place around. When you read it from time to time, then question yourself. "Do I need it now/soon? Why do I need it? Where would I keep it? Can I pay it immediately?" Give yourself enough time to answer all possible questions. If you are still certain, you want this item, then finally buy it. Or leave it, if that item became uninteresting to you.

Examples: You read about a game you find exciting. Put it on your [generic game store] wish list. Check it out later. Look for the pricing and possible offers. Wait a few months until you got the budget and time to play. You see some shiny new dress or accessoires in a magazine. Take a note, with the price(!) and put it on your note board. Another day, check the product, the shop and where it was made. Wait. Think about it. Check your wardrobe. Still need it?

TL;DR: Put stuff you want on a wish list. (Both for big and for small items.) Don't buy directly but check the list regularly. Slow it down, think it through. If after some time and good questioning you still want it, then go.

Source

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/32830326

I wonder if there is something subpar about whoever Google is getting the batteries from for the A series phones.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.nl/post/36327224

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/41338874

Amazon has quietly doubled the ad load on Prime Video to 4-6 minutes per hour, up from the 2-3.5 minutes initially discussed when ads launched in 2024.

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/66666607

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/40899078

cross-posted from: https://feddit.nl/post/35776924

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/30858817

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/29901935

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/22392153

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/22299764

The enemy of my enemy is not a friend. Let them fight. 🍿

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/44409839

It seems I shouldn't have posted this without context

TL;DW

• yes the video is (at least partially) about Teflon, hence the cynical title

• no, Teflon (or generally big Fluoropolymers) are not the problem. Ingesting them does nothing to you, because as long, chemically inert polymers they just pass through you from one end to the other

• The problem are perfluoroalkyl acids: C8 (PFOA) and later substitutes such as C6/GenX, PFOS, PFHA, PFHxS which are chemicals used to start the Teflon polymerization. They are short-chained carbon-fluorine molecules that coincidentally mimic the structure of fatty acids, thus can accumulate in our bodies without a way for our bodies to break them down.

• These chemicals leach into the environment from factories and accumulate in everything, to the point that the whole water cycle has been contaminated (yes that shit comes down everywhere with the rain)

• There is conclusive proof that PFOA exposure is linked to a number of organ damage and cancers, particularly testicular cancer and kidney cancer, with likely links to lung and pancreatic cancer not reflected in the study due to survivor bias (they died before the study was concluded)

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.zip/post/38381697

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/29144500