The best food holder of all
By Owen Morris in On the Web
Wednesday, May. 6 2009 @ 12:45PM
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Chow has an informative article rating 10 takeaway carriers solely on their green impact. The scale is from one to five, so a bunch of the choices start to get jumbled. But several points are clear.
First, styrofoam is horrible for the environment. When you burn styrofoam, it releases enough toxins to kill you. Even if you just use it at room temperature it contains styrene, which can cause "gastrointestinal effects" in the short term and damage to the central nervous system in the long term. Regular use should never cause damage but between the chemicals and the fact that it does not break-down, it's got enough problems to be the obvious loser of all food carriers.
Styrofoam's sister on the bottom of the chart is plastic.
Even when it's recycled, plastic still produces pollution. Plus, to
create it in the first place takes petrol, something environmentalists
are not big on. It has nearly as many harmful chemicals as
styrofoam and many versions also have styrene.
The article doesn't mention that plastic containers aren't good for storing foods long-term or drinking out of. It can add a funky flavor to that's probably not healthy considering the above chemicals.
Topping the green list are tote bags and other reusables like mugs at coffee houses or Tupperware at salad bars. Regarding totes, the article says, "many grocery stores offer discounts for bringing your own bag. There's no waste. You feel good about yourself. It's fun."
They're also en vogue. I have a friend with multiple totes which seems to contradict the green message they're supposed to be carrying. Design Observer sums it up: "Judging by the cost, producing one tote is roughly equivalent to producing 400 plastic bags. That's fine if you actually use the tote 400 times, but what if you just end up with 40 totes in your closet? Once the emphasis shifts from reusing a bag to having a bag that reflects your status or personality, the environmental goal starts drifting out of sight."
Reuse your totes, or you're not doing any better than someone using plastic bags.
(Image via Flickr: Idiolector)
The article doesn't mention that plastic containers aren't good for storing foods long-term or drinking out of. It can add a funky flavor to that's probably not healthy considering the above chemicals.
Topping the green list are tote bags and other reusables like mugs at coffee houses or Tupperware at salad bars. Regarding totes, the article says, "many grocery stores offer discounts for bringing your own bag. There's no waste. You feel good about yourself. It's fun."
They're also en vogue. I have a friend with multiple totes which seems to contradict the green message they're supposed to be carrying. Design Observer sums it up: "Judging by the cost, producing one tote is roughly equivalent to producing 400 plastic bags. That's fine if you actually use the tote 400 times, but what if you just end up with 40 totes in your closet? Once the emphasis shifts from reusing a bag to having a bag that reflects your status or personality, the environmental goal starts drifting out of sight."
Reuse your totes, or you're not doing any better than someone using plastic bags.
(Image via Flickr: Idiolector)
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