[panta]

> Transportation costs and breakage are perhaps higher, but maybe that’s a cost we should accept?

I suspect that transportation and breakage costs are higher only because we don't account for externalities when considering plastic: in other words producers don't sustain the full costs and are effectively subsidized by the society at large and the environment (through increased healthcare spending, lower QOL, higher obesity rates, lower fertility, and other environmental costs that will be sustained by future generations).

[thomasguide]

Yes, this is a good point. Plastic is cheap because producers don’t pay the true costs.

There are externalities with glass too (think shattered bottles in public spaces) but my feeling is they’re fewer and less earth-destroying.

[nightski]

Glass has externalities as well. If all transportation weight is significantly higher that is going to have a large impact on global warming until we switch to clean transportation which to be frank is a long ways off if we are being honest.

[ASalazarMX]

Meat, plastics, metals, gas, everything that generates greenhouse gases in significant amounts has to become costlier so people consume it less.

It's been proven time after time that we won't reduce emissions by appealing to the social conscience of people and corporations, but everybody obeys economic measures.