Comment by derefr | Hacker News Reader

Comment by derefr | Hacker News Reader

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I mean, I don't think anyone who is aware of the microplastics thing is still using plastic containers. The point is that there is a reason (besides cost) that people were preferring plastic containers when they were unaware of the problems with them: they were lighter. An ideal solution — a true replacement for plastic containers — would be something that retains that advantage, while not putting small amounts of poison into your body.

> Carrying just a bit more weight doesn't even register as inconvenient.

Do you drive/ride transit to work/school? Some people bike, or even walk/jog, with all the things they will need for the day in a bag. Students in school even continue to carry that bag all throughout the day, before, between, and after classes! For a kid who is already carrying a laptop, textbooks and notebooks, etc., having an extra kilo of weight from a glass container can make the difference between just "a heavy backpack", and ending up with bruised shoulders and a kink in their back.

As a former college student who carried a backpack stuffed with textbooks and a laptop sometimes for miles around campus, I didn't notice any difference between when my thermos (carried in backpack side pocket) was empty vs when it was full, and that's 20 floz of liquid which is roughly equivalent in weight to the glass containers I use for food prep.

When people complain about how soft modern society it, it's this crap that they're talking about. "Oh I already carry around 30 lbs of stuff, 31 will break my back!". If you're carrying around so much that 1 lb will literally make the difference between injured and not injured, you need to seriously re-think your system. Possibly save up for a better backpack, possibly learn how to carry weight and do some exercises to strengthen your back, possibly re-arrange your schedule so you aren't carrying as much weight at one time.

And I'm serious about the back strengthening, people (including myself) ruck-march with 20-40 lb packs for exercise, and our backs aren't falling apart. Lifting and carrying weight with good form is great for your back, and strengthens it to the point where you can even use bad form for limited time and avoid injury.

>Possibly save up for a better backpack

TBH this does address a lot of problems, but many people don't like backpacks or whatever packs they use everyday isn't built for ergonmics in mind. A couple extra lbs shifting around can feel pretty annoying. Yes, those are solvable problems, abut I'd rather solve it by using a lighter container.

> Possibly save up for a better backpack, possibly learn how to carry weight and do some exercises to strengthen your back, possibly re-arrange your schedule so you aren't carrying as much weight at one time.

I mean, I brought up high-school kids for a reason. They're carrying a bunch of weight mostly against their will, and they're generally smaller and weaker (incl. less muscle to "pad" parts like shoulders) than adults.

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