Which packs a bigger punch on the environment?

Question

Aluminum can manufacture, or glass bottle manufacture?

That is, when I buy beer, what is the more environmentally-friendly decision?

er...when I buy beer, what is the LESS environmentally-friendly decision?

Answer 1

There can be no straight answer!

Aluminium takes tremendous amounts of energy to refine from ore far, far more than glass. But - once it has been refined it can be recycled easily and cheaply over and over and over again virtually indefinitely.

Glass is relatively cheap to produce but tends to Have a much shorter recycling life. White glass is easily recycled but green glass is a big problem.

So on balance glass may just be the worst at the present time because of the recycling short life and the fact that aluminium can be recycled so easily and so often.

However - Experiments continue and crushed green glass mixed with rubber stripped from recycled tyres is being trialled as a weatherproof road surface that drains quickly, is quieter and gives better grip. So it could become economically viable just from that and there are many other ideas being tried.

Answer 2

Bad news - you will have to start buying kegs or quarter barrels.

* fewer trips by car or truck from factory to mouth
* Reusable container
* smallest amount of packing per unit beer

The sacrifices one must make for the environment . . .