5th November 2024
Food packaging also includes plastic bottles used for water and other liquids. Buying water in single-use bottles can easily be avoided by using a refillable water bottle – it’s also much cheaper! Similarly single-use coffee/ tea cups can be avoided by carrying a keep cup.
NB In the UK we consume more than 2.5 billion litres of bottled water per year and throw away over 7.7 billion plastic water bottles!
And we get through 2.5 billion single use coffee cups each year. Each cup – typically made of paper with a thin plastic layer – has a carbon footprint of 60.9g and that is before it leaves the cafe. Only 1 in 400 will be recycled with the remainder ending up in landfill, further adding to their carbon foot print.
Further reading –
The Green Tau 