Sunday, August 28. 2022
I remember when we got our first recycling bin for curbside pick up. I was so excited to be doing the right thing. I remember when I first got reusable grocery bags, and had to work so hard to remember to take them to the store. Reduce ReUse Recycle is seared somewhere on my brain in heavy, bold print.
So, I do not drink water out of bottles. I get water from the tap, into a cup or water bottle. I gave blood some time in the last year and forgot my water bottle in the car and was (hilariously to me now) trying to escape without drinking bottled water and without telling the people. Why? I have no idea. I thought I would offend them? I guess. I got my raisins and ran away. (literally ran away)
Anyway, I went to the grocery store and noticed, not for the first time, that bottles of soda seem to frequently be on sale. I only buy soda in cans, because I really try to limit single use plastic whenever I can. I have been assuming that aluminum cans are “better” than bottles. And today I realized that I have been assuming. I have not researched.
So, I fell into a deep hole reading about beverage containers. My take – cans are …better…but not all better. Cans have a hugely greater recycled content (68% v plastic’s 3%)(numbers from one thing I read, but it’s a wide spread, so I am going with it), BUT production of cans pumps twice as much carbon into the atmosphere over making plastic bottles.
Augh.
Then there is glass. It seems good. Wash it, reuse it, great. But there are a lot of single use bottles that are not great. And there are transportation costs. Glass is heavy! More trucks, more gas, more emissions.
Companies are trying to do better, and I am so glad because it fills my head. I have been really, really cutting down on my beverage consumption outside of tap water. We should just have had a cow when the kids were teenagers.
I stole this chart from Plastic bottles v aluminum cans: who’ll win the global water fight? by Eric Onstad (10/17/19)
- No container – drink tap water, draught beer, sparkling water from a sodamaker, home made juice or whatever you can pour in a glass or carafe
- Refillable glass bottles or plastic bottles (where available) or Carton Package (in countries with good recycling systems)
- Recycled aluminium cans (depending on country)
- Recycled or non-recycled single-use PET (in countries with good recycling systems)
- Single use glass bottles
Home made juice? Seriously? Oh. Juicers. I get it. Juicers are on TV and sitcom people make fun of them. I literally was imagining squeezing an apple. Anyway, there you go. There isn’t a good answer except drink water.
And remember to take your reusable bags to all the stores.
*****I’m back. I sat down while Keith read this and posted it. Then he walked to the refrigerated, got a soda, and offered me some. He did not see the irony, which really made me laugh.
Very tricky figuring out what’s best for the environment. It’s super easy to find all kinds of information about what some celebrity eats for breakfast or wears to go running or whatever, but not so much about how to make responsible consumer decisions. The only one I’ve had success with is figuring out is how best to dry my hands in a public restroom. I still have no idea if it’s better for the environment to cut down trees to make paper towels or to use nonrenewable power to run a hand dryer, but I’m positive that drying my hands on my jeans beats them both, and works way better than the dryer!
Oh my goodness YES!! I absolutely do the same, because I do figure it’s better than either alternative. I will also admit to wanting to yell at people who pump out 6 feet of paper towel, dab their hands, and stuff it in the garbage. So far, I have never actually said anything.
There is a good TED talk on how to properly use ONE paper towel to dry your hands. All you need do is fold it in half before you begin drying. That’s not as eco friendly as using your jeans, but maybe a six-foot user will make a small change for the better.
I agree with you both. It is so hard NOT to say something at times as well. 🙂