Joshua N asked: I have to do a speech on comparing reusable products (Bottles, bags etc) to disposable bottles, plastic bags and other things. Here is what I was able to come up with:
Australia is one of the world’s best sources for tap water in the world, however, despite this; we rely on bottled water companies to keep us hydrated. The following are useful facts on this environmental issue:
•Australian’s spend over half a billion dollars on bottled water per year.
•Bottled water and pre bottled beverages, such as Gatorade, are made out of PETE (Polyethylene teraphthalate) plastic, which takes over 700 years to begin to biodegrade, and thousands of years before it is completely gone, and this plastic has been around for little over 70 years, so no bottles have ever degenerated.
•Producing and delivering a litre of bottled water can produce hundreds of times more greenhouse gases than a liter of tap water, and it is thousands of times more expensive.
•Australia recycles only 36% of PETE plastic drink bottles. This number is 15% in the US.
•In a single 24 hour period 30 million disposable bottles are placed in the dump in the US alone. Luckily, this means that just 10% of America’s population consumes a disposable bottle each day. This is not unrealistic, as this would equate to roughly 2 million people in Australia, buying and disposing of fully recyclable bottles.
•Over 50 million liters of oil is used to make bottled water each year.
•The quality of tap water is greater than that of bottled water.
•PETE bottles should not be reused over long periods of time. Dangerous chemicals may leech into the water, affecting you health.
These few short facts prove the hazard that the environment takes from just one unneeded luxury. Only now, are we beginning to understand its futility. Each year, the amount of bottled water consumed increases by 10%. For how long can this go on for? Are we really going to continue to produce such a hazard for our own benefit?
This being analyzed, it seems almost pointless to continue ‘urging’ consumers to recycle their bottles after their short lived lives. It just is not happening. The three strikes and ‘you’re out!’ rule should be more like ‘one million strikes, and you’re out’. However, the cost of recycling these bottles it very high, and so is the oil it requires.
So, now that many countries and states around the world are placing a ban on the production of bottles water, what do you have to store your water in? The answer is to, as I thought was I great slogan I saw; to ‘Smash the Trash’ and to go reusable. That’s right, reusable bottles and healthier, more durable, eco friendly and makes the water taste better than the regular PETE bottles. So do what I decided to do and ‘go green’, you’ll save yourself, and the environment. And after the very long lives of these bottles, they can just be recycled.
Plastic bags are another major issue for the environment. So far this year, over 400 billion plastic bags have been used by consumers around the globe. These numbers are staggering, and the very fact that these bags are not durable and difficult to recycle, they end up in landfills, harming the environment and water life. Although these CAN be recycled, only 0.6 of these are placed in the recycling bin.
One alternative is the infamous eco bags which I am sure many of you know of. These are durable, reusable and biodegradable bags made of recycled HDPE, Polypropylene or PETE. You can find these at Coles or other supermarkets.
These few short rules apply to all disposable products, even cameras. And in the long run, you will save yourself a lot of money from making the right decisions.
To conclude this I will assure you that because of actions chosen by us people, disposable products have become a bio hazard. And something must be done to stop this from contributing to global warming and other issues.
(Talk about energy drinks)
PERRY
