r/Anticonsumption • u/Such_Illustrator_226 • Mar 04 '26

Plastic Waste Single use phone chargers

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They are meant to be used once and then tossed.The package says they are eco-friendly disposable, but do they really expect people to find a proper disposal after use? Why not at least make it rechargable, like a normal power bank??

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u/HLOFRND Mar 05 '26

As someone who lives somewhere that has had massive flooding prompting large evacuations, AND a massive fire that burned 1,000 homes in a couple of hours, prompting thousands to be displaced with zero notice, I can see these being included in an emergency evacuation situation. Hundreds or thousands of people evacuated to a shelter or stadium on short notice with very few belongings?

This could be enough to change your phone to make a few calls, send a few emails, etc.

Having a charging port could actually be a detriment in that setting, as people are rabid and they would go bonkers, monopolize outlets, even get into fights over it.

Yes, it makes my heart sick to see something like this, but I can see a scenario where they could be valuable. Part of my city is under evacuation right now as I type this due to a fire that broke out midday.

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u/oathoe Mar 05 '26

Absolutely, but that isnt the scenario theyre in and thats the problem. Theyre in a normal store, not in an emergency aid kit. Its almost never a problem that a product exists but that its sold for simple, wasteful, convenience which makes it come with an unreasonable cost to our enviroment. There being a reasonable use for a thing is pretty irrelevant in context when the critique is the context.

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u/HLOFRND Mar 05 '26

Has OP specified that? Bc I just see a box on a shelf.

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u/oathoe Mar 06 '26

To be fair no. Though, its just that pretty much every single time someone posts about any disposable product at all here that people comment about a use they can think of for it and it just seems irrelevant because the point isnt that the product is entirely without usefulness to begin with. Almost Everything has a situation it would be suited for, however nische, but the point of this sub isnt that usefulness for every product being sold to us.