点废成绿 Greening the Beige (GtB) is an eco-minded arts collective and not-for-profit community network dedicated to nurturing awareness of environmental issues. 点废成绿 GtB promotes and celebrates earth friendly artists and organizations in Beijing.
"Why are we being forced to choose between the economy and the environment? We tend to forget that without an environment we would not have an economy, as everything we consume and I mean everything comes from our environment."
~ Franke James (contemporary artist, photographer, writer)
Beijing's landfills are getting full fast! Reduce the "trash" you throw away by purchasing products with minimal packaging. Look for reusable, recyclable, and biodegrable items and remember to carry your reusable shopping bags!
Ever wonder what happens to your paper and foam cups after you've thrown them away?
Paper and foam cups used by restaurants and coffee places have a one time use and are then disposed. But what many might be unaware of are the deleterious impacts of using these products.
“Very little recycled paper is used to make paper cups because of contamination concerns and regulations. Because most paper cups are coated with plastic, both composting and recycling of paper cups is uncommon. Although paper cups are made from renewable resources (wood chips 95% by weight), paper products in a landfill may not decompose, or may release methane if decomposed anaerobically.”
Because paper cups are lined with a polyethylene (plastic derived from petroleum) coating for leak resistance and durability, this makes their composting and recycling problematic. Conversely, many would assume paper cups to be a good alternative based on the fact that it's made from a natural source. However, forests need to be harvested in order to produce these cups.
In the US alone, about 16 billion cups are used annually for coffee. This translates to 6.5 million trees. Overall, North Americans use about 58% of all cups(2008 estimate), equaling 130 billion cups. This leaves over 94 billion cups for the rest of the world, with other countries, like China, starting to catch up. One report on ecofx.org estimates in order to make and ship 1 paper cup (16 ounce) with sleeve, .11 kg of C02 is released, .09 m2 of potential natural habitat is lost, .27 kg of potential plant and animal life is lost.
Additionally, 1 potential plant or animal species extinction is triggered for every 1.7 billion coffee cups produced.
Some restaurants and coffee shops favor polystyrene (a petroleum by-product) foam cups, plates, take-out boxes, etc. for its effective insulating properties. However, “acute exposure to styrene in humans results in respiratory effects, such as mucous membrane irritation, eye irritation, and gastrointestinal effects.
Chronic exposure to styrene in humans results in effects on the CNS [Central Nervous System], with symptoms such as headache, fatigue, weakness, depression, CNS dysfunction (reaction time, memory, visuomotor speed and accuracy, intellectual function), and hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy, minor effects on some kidney enzyme functions and on the blood,” as cited by the EPA.
It's important to note that styrene is found naturally in the environment, and no organizations have currently classified Polystyrene as a carcinogen. However, Styrene is recognized as a “possible” carcinogen, and the EPA has conducted human and animal studies to confirm side effects of over exposure. Along with possible detrimental health effects from overexposure, the recycling process of polystyrene proves problematic, as well.
Polystyrene “...can be recycled, and has the number '6' as its recycling symbol. However, polystyrene takes a very long time to biodegrade, and is often abundant as a form of pollution in the outdoor environment, particularly along shores and waterways.
Discarded polystyrene does not biodegrade for hundreds of years and is resistant to photolysis. “ Because polystyrene foam is light weight, it is carried long distances by wind, and often land along shores and in the ocean. After being subjected to natural erosion, Polystyrene forms three new compounds that are not found in nature : Styrene Monomer, Styrene Dimer, Styrene Trimer. SM is a known carcinogen and both SD, and ST are suspected in causing cancer."
In the ever urbanizing society that we live in, more and more of us opt to drink and eat out. While it may seem convenient, or sometimes even cheaper to do so, please keep in mind the cost to our environment; in some cases, even to our own physical well being.
Fortunately for Beijingers, there are some local shops like Element Fresh and Pure Smoothies that use biodegradable PLA cups for their beverages. Both of these shops can be found in The Village at Sanlitun. As a reminder, if your schedule permits, prepare your own reusable cups, chopsticks, napkins, carrying bags, etc. With a conscious effort, we can all make this world a more sustainable place to live.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_cups
http://ecofx.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_cup
"Paper Cups = Unsustainable Consumption". aboutmyplanet.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene
http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/styrene.html
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090819234651.htm
Peter Harris peter@bdpplastics.com
