Chico, Sustainable

As much as we try to buy in bulk, reuse plastic bags and containers, or trade for or borrow goods, my wife and I still end up accumulating a lot of packaging each week.

Luckily most of the packaged goods that I get comes from the market, and most of this packaging is recyclable.

Or so they say.

But there is a hierarchy to recycling, with some types of packaging being more sustainable than others.

Often you have a choice between different types of "recyclable" packaging. For example, condiments can come in either a plastic or glass container, or cereal in a box or a plastic package. Should the recyclability of a product's package be a factor in determining what grocery items to buy?

I think so. It might not necessarily be the only factor, but it is certainly one worth considering.

So, when the final choice does come down to packaging, here is my "Best to Worst," based on the research I have done:

1) BEST: Aluminum--Light, efficient substance, recycling uses 95% less energy needed to produce new can, can be recycled perpetually.

2) Steel/Iron/Tin--Recycling uses 74% less energy as compared to producing cans from raw material. Heavier than aluminum, plastic, or paper, so it requires more energy to transport. Can be recycled perpetually.

3) Glass--Recycling uses 40% less energy as compared to producing bottles/jars from raw material. Heavy, so requires most energy to transport. Can be recycled perpetually.

4) Paper/Cardboard--Recycling uses 40% less energy than make product from virgin trees. Cannot be recycled indefinitely (6-7 times). Trees are a renewable resource. Paper is biodegradable, or can be burned for energy.

5) WORST: Plastics-Highly versatile, light-weight packaging saves energy in transportation, but other than #1 (PETE) and sometimes #2 (HDPE) is not really very recyclable. Comes from non-renewable resource (petroleum), is not recyclable indefinitely (1-2 times). When recycled, uses 70% less energy as compared to producing containers from raw material, though sadly this is not always cost effective (new plastic resin often costs less than recycled plastic). Not biodegradable, but can be burned for energy. Better to reuse or not purchase at all.

Of course as with most eco-issues, the full equation is complicated to grasp, and I was not able to access as much information as I would have liked. For example, I know nothing about how big a role the cost of transporting goods plays (i.e.: a quart of milk shipped in glass weighs more than milk in plastic), as well as the distance goods are transported. Also not included are the environmental and health costs of recycling which still requires varying amounts of chemicals and water depending on the item being recycled. Finally there are the environmental and health costs of manufacturing packaging in the first place, ranging from bauxite mining for aluminum to the chemical requirements of turning wood into cardboard.

The big take-aways:

1) Take an extra moment to ponder the packaging associated with each purchase.
2) Buy in bulk using your own containers.
3) Reuse packaging (glass jars for drinking, cardboard boxes for weed control in the garden, etc.).
4) Avoid purchasing plastic.
5) Recycle aluminum, steel, glass and paper.