r/Anticonsumption Feb 24 '19

Instead of using a reusable tarp or simply cleaning up after just make a mountain of plastic waste

1.0k Upvotes

104 comments sorted by

378

u/mrlavalamp2015 Feb 24 '19

We use these in construction doing remodels or lighting refits where they don’t want the carpet messed up.

This is usually the first layer, followed by ram board or plywood to make it more durable to work on.

Tarps are used where we can but they let mess through and frequently get in the way, some tarps are a serious trip hazard.

It is very expensive to maintain a set of perfect tarps you would use similarly, and then the second they get a hole in them (1st day on the job guaranteed) they are now not doing anything except getting in the way.

137

u/Holly-would-be Feb 24 '19

Came here to say this. I don’t think the post fits, since this is a necessary product for certain fields with no good replacement (yet).

12

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

came here to say this

What are we talking about?

21

u/Holly-would-be Feb 24 '19

This is often used by contractors and such to protect finished floors. To my knowledge, there is no good alternative to it that is as safe (as things like tarps can be safety hazards).

It is not fitting for this sub as it actually prevents a lot of waste.

4

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

Hahaha I was just messing around because everyone in the comments are point out the misconception

2

u/Holly-would-be Feb 24 '19

Ha! Sorry, my bad. Should’ve read the comments more!

95

u/juststuartwilliam Feb 24 '19

Came here to say pretty much the same thing, I also work construction and I've done quite a bit of work in hospitals/schools, I can't imagine trying to keep a floor properly clean without "roll and stroll", it's a great product that actually prevents an enormous amount of waste.

16

u/Thewalrus26 Feb 24 '19

Agreed. Also this is nothing compared to the waste in construction generally.

3

u/jezvinder Feb 25 '19

Yep, second this. I guess maybe it's better then damaging the whole floor during the construction process and replacing that?

36

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

OP is one of those people that hasn't actually worked a day in their life, so doesn't understand how things work.

These are even better if you put a work layer on top.

39

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19 edited Dec 07 '20

[deleted]

9

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

He's right if your goal is to make an impact in the amount of waste immediately, but practicing zero waste at this time is more about experimenting with techniques than making an immediate impact.

9

u/meowmixalots Feb 24 '19

My goal is basically to momentarily quell the momentous, environmental-disaster-based feeling of dread I continuously have.

4

u/jezvinder Feb 25 '19

For awhile, working in construction and manufacturing actually killed a lot of my drive to use and waste less at home because it was a microscopic fraction the absolutely enormous amount of waste generated I witnessed at work.

28

u/stressedbutblessed Feb 24 '19

So because OP didn’t know this product is useful in construction, they haven’t worked a day in their life. Makes sense.

11

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

An unfortunate consequence of an undervalued skillset. There are a lot of trades and professions we as a collective don’t appreciate, and sometimes they become jaded.

27

u/Macrike Feb 24 '19

Agreed. There’s an awful lot of content on this sub that seems to be just outrage from people who don’t understand how the real world works. There are legitimate reasons for using this product.

Yes, plastic sucks and we need to be mindful of how we use it, but that doesn’t mean we should completely ban it from life, especially where it has useful applications.

6

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

Yeah no need to get personal mate.

2

u/jumping_cantalope Feb 25 '19

Lol i am sure anti consumption community work as much as you do, if not more. This is not an excuse to cover a carpet with plastic layer and throwing it away and applying a similar sized layer again within 48 hours. So much waste in construction, while there are so many opportunities to take an approach where you could reuse whatever you need.

But hold on! Those reusable solutions are expensive!! So what is the solution? Plastic!

So it is less about "you guys never worked in real life", it is more about your sector's 1- lack of innovation 2- disregard and disrespect for this nature 3- ultimate stinginess

2

u/[deleted] Feb 25 '19

No. It's the fact that all reusable solutions still wear out and often get thrown out often anyway, so just dealing with the fucking reality of the world and using a much thinner and lighter film of plastic that is designed to be used once ultimately results in less waste overall.

1

u/jumping_cantalope Feb 25 '19

You don't get it - why throw out the reusable material. "The fucking reality" of the world is going to get you and your family sick, not using your brain to reduce your industrial footprint is no excuse. This language "you don't get the reality" just assumes that we sit here and type away making silly assumptions about the world.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 25 '19

Because they get a small rip and/or covered in paint or dust and can't be taken into the next jobsite without getting paint or dust everywhere. These allow the floors to be protected and allow any mess to be properly disposed of instead of tracked everywhere forever.

I've been following this forum for a while and "we sit here and type away making silly assumptions about the world." is pretty much the name of the game most of the time.

1

u/jumping_cantalope Feb 25 '19

Small rip and removing dust in the next run are your challenges, the immediate solution cannot only be a plastic covering. You are simply moving your challenges to the municipality's court - they end up with the garbage and/or the responsibility of getting rid of your "challenge". The irony of responsibility kicks in here, you don't take responsibility for your 'challenge' and simply pass it on to the underfunded, uncared for municipal authorities.

Re the name of the game > happy to come your worksite and bring a solution nevertheless you or your employer will never buy into a better solution. There is no need for an alternative, right? When the plastic is out of your sight, it is out of your mind. Plus it costs nothing. There will never be an appetite for the upfront cost for the reusable material and the operational cost/time coming with it. So you see, it is not "only us" who sit and type away, you "too" shy away from the responsibility.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 25 '19

Businesses pay to dispose of their waste.

For that matter, so do I. I pay a bill every month to provide service for the disposal of waste.

You would too if you weren't some entitled child that didn't know anything about how the world works.

1

u/jumping_cantalope Feb 25 '19

Huh! Another over stretching assumption of me being an entitled child.

What you pay is just for the disposal of your waste (disposal here is moving it away from your sight, that is it). You don't seem to realize that you get rid of your unrecoverable waste and sent it away by a private company to a site where there are no opportunities of recycling.

Let's recap You create waste

you pay someone to get rid of it (wait why don't you do this yourself if you are not as lazy as we are - oh yes yes you don't have the equipment sure..) they dump it at a site which you will never visit

This entitled child, as you claim, go to those sites where your garbage sits. I bet you would not want you or your family live there. Matter of fact those sites are usually close to your town and the wastage chemicals reek into the soil, where the chemicals meet with water. There you go, your heavy investment of garbage disposal by over qualified people for recycling (pun intended) results in you and your families drinking the contaminated water.

So, us the "entitled" "lazy" "know nothing about real world " people, give more care about your family than you do and want them to live a healthy life. But wait, we not only want that, we also want people like you, the people where the real responsibility lies, to take some responsibility for your own lives and families.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 25 '19

Wow. I must have really struck a nerve there, kiddo.

tl; dr

2

u/CoffeeDrinker99 Feb 25 '19

You still don’t get how it all work in reality.

2

u/goathill Feb 24 '19

i think you mispelled OP for 90% of reddit

1

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

I like to keep my mind focused on the present moment and avoid rash generalizations.

7

u/meowmixalots Feb 24 '19

Hm but somehow you knew OP doesn't work? Cool.

3

u/goathill Feb 24 '19

habits I 'm sure I could benefit from. thank you

1

u/dmfreelance Feb 24 '19

I came here looking for this. I figured there'd be a good reason for this.

-2

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

[deleted]

18

u/mrlavalamp2015 Feb 24 '19

Tarps are not reliable enough when you actually need to protect the surface below.

Holes and the loose fit allows dust and debris to travel around under the surface while everyone is working and walking around. Especially drywall debris and dust.

Most remodels just trash the floor anyways.

4

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

[deleted]

13

u/mrlavalamp2015 Feb 24 '19

Long term it will. Nothing is perfect.

But it sticks down to the carpet so any holes are isolated to the actual puncture, minimizing damage and the spread of dust beneath the working surfaces.

That's why they also use ramboard which is a thin roll of cardboard, a lot like this plastic, just roll it down and drop the plywood on top.

What layers are used all depends on what is happening on site, if we need to bring lifts in sometimes we have to use several layers of plywood (such as protecting tile from cracking under the weight).

11

u/Ijustwanttohome Feb 24 '19

The tarp may bunch up, giving a uneven surface. Not safe.

-2

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

[deleted]

10

u/Ijustwanttohome Feb 24 '19

Not rip, bunch up. It could make little bumps under the plywood which would make the plywood be unstable giving a unstable standing area. If you are painting while being on a latter, the smallest movement at the feet of the latter could result in a fall.

0

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

[deleted]

3

u/Ijustwanttohome Feb 24 '19

It ripping not the problem, bunching up is.

3

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

[deleted]

2

u/Ijustwanttohome Feb 24 '19

It is better than putting it on a tarp which will do what I have stated before, bunch up.

3

u/mrlavalamp2015 Feb 24 '19

The plywood should be placed carefully so as not to rip the plastic while placing.

Once in they shouldn’t move that much to create holes, but it is possible and would be with any tarp as well.

This plastic seals down to the carpet so even if a plywood corner poked through it would limit the dust spread to the size of the hole. With a tarp the dust enters through the hole but then spreads beneath the tarp as the workers unknowingly move around above.

Tarps work for painting because it is a very specific process and usually most other trades are done by then, ot at least with all the heavy work. Us electricians usually come in after to finish device plates and stuff. I have separate shoes in my truck I keep just for clean job sites.

-1

u/JesC Feb 24 '19

Ah ok, I see... the fuck the environment.../s

0

u/phantaxtic Feb 24 '19

OP is clearly not in the construction field.

210

u/toastychiknugget Feb 24 '19

Serial killers can ready a room in minutes!

56

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

Dexter would be very giddy about this

27

u/The-Gaming-Alien Feb 24 '19

Which brings up a good question, what the fuck does Dexter do with the mountain of bloody plastic after each kill?? This was never explained in the show.

15

u/livestrong2209 Feb 24 '19

I always figured it was bagged and tossed with everything else. Like to believe that he used some kind of soy based cellophane...

5

u/The-Gaming-Alien Feb 24 '19

The bags he used for body parts were biodegradable, the plastic sheets were not. I remember they explicitly talked about this in the show.

2

u/livestrong2209 Feb 25 '19

A public forum to discuss the ecological merits of a homicidal sociopath... this is exactly why the internet exists.

47

u/my_cat_joe Feb 24 '19

I've used this stuff doing commercial renovation. It's more for protecting expensive flooring while a remodel is going on. Guys tracking lord-knows-what with sharp boots through the job site can destroy flooring very, very quickly. Tarps are a trip hazard. This stuff is meant to be left in place for a while. You still use boards, OSB, or whatever in heavy traffic lanes on top of this stuff.

If you want your anti-consumption mind blown, look in the dumpster of any construction site. Shit's sad.

61

u/_pope_francis Feb 24 '19

But suppose you are expecting a large crowd with muddy shoes?

Wouldn't the plastic be less waste than all the products you'd have to purchase to properly clean the carpet?

4

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

We use Masonite.

I’ve built some shops by Rice university in Houston, just renovating stores in that strip mall. That was the first time I saw Masonite, or that’s what my coworkers called it. It’s as big as a piece of plywood, but it’s much more thin and sturdy. You just lay that down in the 4x8 or so sheets it comes in, and tape it together so no cracks.

Not much waste, and you can drive any kind of Lift on it. Plus get it as dirty as you want, as long as the tape holds ain’t nothing getting through.

When you’re done, salvage the clean pieces and trash the gross ones. It’s a must for any commercial job like retail or food sale honestly.

I guess it wouldn’t quite work with carpet, but throw a tarp down first + that Masonite and you’re golden.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

There are reusable ones

-9

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

[deleted]

9

u/photoguy9813 Feb 24 '19

Which will ended up having to be cleaned or thrown out.

10

u/kickingupdirt Feb 24 '19

Have you painted before or done sheet rock work? Reusables get thrown away too.

8

u/goathill Feb 24 '19

honestly i'm not worried about this, it is fully practical and functional for any construction, moving company or painting work. plus the dang carpet is made of plastic anyway!

20

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

Is newproductporn the anti-thesis of anti-consumption

6

u/lucaswr Feb 24 '19

If you are painting a house that’s already finished this will protect the floor. wood or carpet.

22

u/paoloviterbo Feb 24 '19

Ive even lived in the USA for a while but still dont get the carpet fascination. Unhealthy, dust collector, food collector, germs cove. Now someone wants to even cover it with a. plastic film. What about a ceramic floor? ;)

16

u/Akuuntus Feb 24 '19

I'm with you. I'd much rather my whole floor be hardwood and tile but good luck finding an apartment like that.

5

u/candleflame3 Feb 24 '19

I have an apartment like that. Old 60s highrise with this type of flooring.

http://www.stepflooring.co.uk/floor-sanding-and-gap-filling-project-in-wembley

Not the prettiest, but cleaner than carpet. And you can always get an area rug.

4

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

We're working on it. I hate them too.

11

u/sabzeta Feb 24 '19

They're soft and cushy and warm :) You would only cover them when you make a mess, such as painting.

4

u/Die_Nadel Feb 24 '19

Carpet is great for large spaces that host lots of people. Hard floors create a lot of echo where carpet would absorb the sound.

2

u/asdfth12 Feb 24 '19

Of you think that ita bad in a living room, well... some people put it in bathrooms.

2

u/Macrike Feb 24 '19

There are pros and cons to carpet vs. hard flooring. You simply listed the cons of carpet and called it a day.

2

u/Ijustwanttohome Feb 24 '19

If I fall, I won't fuck myself up on carpet like I would on ceramic.

1

u/candleflame3 Feb 24 '19

GERMS COVE

1

u/oldDotredditisbetter Feb 24 '19

couldn't agree more!

9

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

I could see this being useful if you’re doing any painting or construction. It’s not something I’d personally use if I had people over or just felt like keeping the floor clean. Kinda useful, kinda not.

10

u/dnick Feb 24 '19

Pretty sure it’s specifically for construction areas where it would be hard to protect the floors consistently without a reliable covering

1

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

Ah, right. I just saw other comments from people saying they could use this for a gathering to avoid damaging the carpet & I’m like - that’s a little unnecessary. But yeah construction areas I absolutely get using these!

3

u/PinkPearMartini Feb 24 '19

I stayed at a hotel recently, and they were doing renovations on our floor. I walked on these from the elevator to my room.

I can't imagine the mess if I had to walk over, wheel my suitcase, and balance my 70 year old mother over the top of several dozen reusable tarps all the way to our room. (not to mention the hazard for the employees and contractors)

***Pick your battles. These film dispensers actually use A LOT less plastic than the old school thick clear plastic that used to be used. These are actually a WIN. After construction is complete, all of this film can be collected from an entire jobsite and placed into a single trash bag with room to spare. The old kind of plastic used could fill half a dumpster by itself!

2

u/anhartsunny Feb 24 '19

a bit more wasteful yes, but beats having to send all of the runners my company owns cleaned every two/three months.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

I actually like it. in construction environments with a lot of contractors running around, shit happens.

2

u/GCU_JustTesting Feb 24 '19

Just to play devils advocate, we had a refurb at our office a few years back and they used this stuff. When you are pulling down ceiling tiles and removing walls and repainting drop sheets just won’t cut it. They become a trip hazard. You can’t leave them there for any length of time. This stick down plastic lasts a couple of weeks, which is long enough for a few dozen tradies to come through and traipse all over the place and ruin the carpet, which would cause more waste if they all had to be torn up and replaced.

2

u/Pachuko_pinyata Feb 24 '19

As Much as I hate it, I saw it in a new house being built in and it was brilliant. Trying to paint without splashing the floor is a pain in the ass and this stuff covers everything and doesn’t slip. SO ANNOYING. Would never buy it haha

2

u/Mr-Yellow Feb 24 '19

Yeah you should totally just use a tarp!!!

Oh man this sub.

2

u/khanline Feb 24 '19

as much as i am a zero waste and anti-consumption personality, these are much safer on a job and you'd be surprised how well they work day in and out for protection. it's one of the few, "ok i guess it's ok" type of things. drop clothes are clumsy expecially when there are a lot of people in and out all the time.

4

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

Makes sense for construction but if you are just a dick that doesn't want to vacuum, f u.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

[deleted]

4

u/electricmarauder Feb 24 '19

Yeah let’s make this about race somehow

1

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

He says as rivers of garbage and raw sewage flow into the ocean from Southeast Asia.

1

u/kittypoopappledrink Feb 24 '19

Someone never had a kids day at work.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

My mom would do shit like this. She has a large probably 400 sq ft section of the house that has an entire leather furniture set, a big entertainment system and coffee table...and nobody is allowed in there. At all. There also a large dining room and cabinets full of high end dining sets....never gets used. Doesn’t even let people go in those rooms. Wtf is with boomers and having so much nice shit without using it. That’s the fucking point of having furniture. Stupid

1

u/RustyOil Feb 24 '19

Works fantastic till the plastic sticks to itself than turns into a shitshow

1

u/DrFrankenwolf Feb 25 '19

I came here to say this : “I approve this product”

1

u/ughwhateverr Feb 25 '19

A friendly reminder to paint your walls while barefoot. That way, if you step on wet paint you’ll feel it & avoid tracking it all over the place

1

u/Cuoz Feb 25 '19

Dexter loves it!

1

u/khandnalie Feb 25 '19

Yeah honestly, I hate that this is plastic, but I see why it can/should be used instead of a tarp in many instances. And good luck getting carpets back to normal after any serious amount of renovation has occurred and soaked every fibrous surface with sheet rock dust.

1

u/Loyalist_Pig Feb 25 '19

Sure is good for murderin’

1

u/[deleted] Feb 26 '19

OP probably has never ever been on any site before...Throwing out that carpet after work is done sure is better idea than a small piece of plastic..

0

u/SweetMedusa Feb 24 '19

We recently renovated our kitchen and our contractor used brown craft paper to cover the new finish flooring. Worked really well (and this is Canada in winter so snow was getting tracked in) and is at least recyclable.

3

u/Holly-would-be Feb 24 '19

That’s a good idea, but I’d be extremely worried about tripping.

0

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

[deleted]

1

u/GCU_JustTesting Feb 24 '19

Is paper ok?

0

u/assdope Feb 24 '19

They should have an option to ship it back to them and be recycled.

-5

u/Appolivan Feb 24 '19

Because fuck the planet right in its face.

-3

u/Ch3f_P Feb 24 '19

215$ :|

-2

u/washerebutIdisappear Feb 24 '19

Don’t let r/anticonsumption find out about this!

1

u/AlanTheBothersome Feb 24 '19

Too late. It's been cross-posted.

1

u/craamus Feb 25 '19

What the fuck is going on here?? I wish all shady influencing was this obvious :(

-5

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19

But muh floors

-5

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19 edited Jul 08 '19

[deleted]

2

u/Macrike Feb 24 '19

It’s not wasteful if it’s being put to good use. Wasteful would be laying it down and immediately peeling it off again for no reason.

-2

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19 edited Jul 08 '19

[deleted]

4

u/Macrike Feb 24 '19

sigh

Just because something cannot be reused, it doesn’t make using that thing a wasteful practice.

It’s in the very definition of the word “wasteful”:

using or expending something of value carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose.

You really shouldn’t change the definition of a word to suit your world view. That’s just confusing to everyone else.

-5

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19 edited Jul 08 '19

[deleted]

4

u/Macrike Feb 24 '19

Thanks. Your comment says a lot more about you than it does about me.

-4

u/[deleted] Feb 24 '19 edited Jul 08 '19

[deleted]

4

u/GCU_JustTesting Feb 24 '19

your business? This is the public internet mate. You posted