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Life in the Green Lane

Environmental journalist Candice Batista shares video clips and eco-savvy advice from her TV show, A Greener Toronto.

Plastic vs. Aluminum


Submitted by candice on Tue, 01/26/2010 - 10:36
When is comes the stuff we consume, plastic and aluminum seem to be leading the charge. But what's the better option? The answer will surprise you! Please note this tip looks at the production and manufacturing of plastic and aluminum, by far the most sustainable choice is to avoid both of these products, my hope is that you will walk away with a better understanding of what goes into two of the most common products we use.

Comments

It's a ridiculous question. Neither cans nor plastic bottles are better for the environment. Both are heavily polluting and both are toxic for our bodies. Chemicals have been found to leach from both plastic bottles and from the plastic lining inside aluminum cans.

Skipping disposables altogether is the ONLY sustainable choice. Commenter Tracey (above) mentions buying soda in refillable glass bottles. Another option is to purchase a soda maker and make your own, using a refillable CO2 canister.

I wish instead of making false comparisons like this, environmental "journalists: would tell the real story: that until we break out of our culture of convenience and disposability, we and the planet will continue to suffer.

Beth Terry: Learning to live without plastic since 2007 and blogging the heck out of it at http://fakeplasticifsh.com
Submitted by Beth Terry (guest) on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 20:32.
Beth, you seem to have missed the point of this tip! It's a comparison between two of the most used and purchased products in our society. It's naive to hope that people will stop buying plastic and aluminum altogether. Living without both is the most sustainable yes, but its unrealistic, this tip breaks down how each is made and the impact each has on the environment. I am well aware of the issues surrounding not only the manufacturing process of plastic and aluminum but the waste stream they create. This by no means is a false comparison, I can assure you everything stated in this tip has been thoroughly researched and fact checked. And in the comparison between the two products, this is the reality. The point of this tip is show show people that the energy efficiency production and the product to package ratio of the 2 litre plastic bottle make it the better choice. Being an educated shopper and understating how things are made is the first step to living a more sustainable life. If people are mindful of the choices they make they will start to see a "break in our culture of convenience and disposability." We live in a consumer based society, that is not going to change, although I understand your point, the bottom line is this tip provides people with a choice between the two options. You may not like it, but its a fact. Thank you for your comments. Candice.
Submitted by candice on Sat, 01/30/2010 - 11:11.
The real environmental option here is to buy drinks in refillable glass bottles! There is really no excuse - if you live in a major city - to buy pop in cans or plastic bottles! My food coop - Karma coop in Toronto - sells wonderful pop creations in glass bottles, which are at least more recyclable than cans, and sometimes they are even local companies! There are local "pop shops" that deliver cases of glass bottled pop in fully reused bottles just like beer bottles, and they pick up the cases when you are done! And it's inexpensive, too! I primarily package my Anarres Natural Health products in glass, but I do use 99% recycled aluminum bottles - from Quebec - that I sell as permanent containers and that I refill at my clinic for a discount. This should be the wave of the future! All of us producers should take full responsibility for the life cycle of our packaging. I am a small manufacturer and I do. How much easier it is for a fully staffed pop manufacturer, and what a global impact they would have!
Submitted by Tracey TieF (guest) on Fri, 01/29/2010 - 14:35.

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