People don't usually throw currency in the trash, Homer
Just like in the USA if currency is too old/damaged it is taken out of circulation and destroyed. With paper/fabric money it will biodegrade. Not so much with plastic.
The plastic money is said to be washing-machine safe, and will outlast the old currency by a factor of 3-5. It also cannot be counterfeited
Anything can be counterfeited with enough effort. It can outlast the paper/fabric notes but they too will make it through the wash at least a few times.
Either way. With how things are going it probably wont matter in another generation as they will have transitioned everyone to digital-only or card-only payments. A lot of places stopped accepting "cash" due to the c19 stuff. How much longer until you are just using your phone (In china - at least in the larger cities - nearly no one uses cash and just use their phones).
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