Have you seen the new bulletin board yet?

Have you looked at the new bulletin board yet? If not, check it out!

It's all about plastic water bottles and disposable coffee cups. Here's some interesting information about PLASTIC BOTTLES...

Only 14-25% of plastic bottles used in the United States are recycled each year.

60 million plastic bottles end up in landfills and incinerators PER DAY.

22 billion bottles are not recycled PER YEAR.

To produce plastic bottles per year for the U.S., 15 millions barrels of oil are used, enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year.

The production of the bottles also releases 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide into the air.

Plastic bottles are extremely unstable. Temperature changes and reuse can leach dangerous chemicals into their contents.

Many people believe that bottled water is a healthier choice than tap water. In reality, however, the standards for municipal tap water are far stricter than those for bottled water. Furthermore, tap water is almost free, while bottled water can cost as much as 10,000 times more than tap water.

The manufacture, transportation and disposal of plastic bottles have staggering environmental consequences. Even recycling requires a tremendous amount of energy and resources. Discarded bottles pollute rivers and endanger wildlife. Bottled water is no healthier than tap water and much more expensive.

So, what is a thirsty, health and environment-conscious person to do when they want the convenience of bottled water?

Reusable bottles offer a healthy, environmentally-friendly and convenient option.

And here are some Facts About Coffee Cups......

1. Did you know that disposable paper coffee cups are NOT recyclable?

Why?

During the manufacturing process, cups are laminated with a plastic resin called polyethylene. This helps keep beverages warm and prevents the paper from absorbing liquids and leaking. The plastic also prevents the cup from being recycled.

Every paper cup that is manufactured and coated with plastic resin ends up in a landfill. Once in a landfill, the paper will begin to decompose. This process releases methane, a greenhouse gas more powerful than carbon dioxide.

2. Did you know that coffee cups are RARELY made from recycled material?

Why?

Most cups are manufactured using 100% bleached virgin paperboard. Why don’t manufacturers use recycled paper? Firstly, FDA regulations are strict when it comes to allowing recycled paper pulp to be in direct contact with food and beverages. Secondly, recycled paper isn’t strong enough to hold a liquid.

3. What does the manufacturing of coffee cups involve?

The process involved with manufacturing paper cups is extremely resource intensive. Manufacturing paper requires harvesting trees and using machines to turn the wood into wood chips. The chips are heavily washed to remove any dirt, and then mixed with more water and processed. The resulting paper pulp is dried and the fibers are pressed together to make paper. The entire process requires a substantial amount of water, energy and trees.

4. What is the impact of all that garbage?

Considering our nation’s love of coffee, the amount of coffee cups used and thrown away is staggering. In 2006, Starbucks reported that their stores had used 2.3 billion cups. It is estimated that Americans consume more than 16 billion cups per year. In 2006, it is estimated that paper cups accounted for 252 million pounds of garbage resting in landfills.

5. Are there any alternatives?

The positive environmental impact of reusable coffee cups can be enormous. In 2003, Starbucks found that coffee drinkers used reusable cups an estimated 13.5 million times, which kept 586,800 pounds of garbage out of landfills. In 2006, this number increased to 17 million and an estimated 674,000 pounds of avoided waste.

Do you use a reusable water bottle? Do either of your parents use a travel mug? Email a picture to elsiesmom@mac.com and we’ll put it up on the board! Let's keep it growing!