Granted, this guest post for Kali from Quench is somewhat self-promotional. However, the issues being discussed – plastic waste and too much sugar  (AKA corn syrup) in soda – are things that we should all understand and share with others. Health of people and health of the planet must always be priorities.Â
New York City’s recently proposed large-soda ban has gotten many to consider their sugar levels and waistlines, when really they should be considering the colossal amount of additional waste the ban would cause.
While limiting the size of sodas to 16 ounces may make a few people stop and consider their health, there are many who love their sugary sodas and will make up for the size difference in quantity, in effect doubling their plastic and packaging waste.
There may not be hard evidence that a large-soda ban will exponentially increase plastic waste—yet—but there is a precedent we can consider: bottled water.
The Beverage Marketing Corporation recently reported that 9.1 billion gallons of bottled water were sold in the U.S. just last year. That’s just over twenty-nine gallons per person.
The new report also shows that people have been moving away from the larger (1 to 2.5 gallon plastic jugs) to the smaller, more convenient PET multipacks of bottled water.
Even though PET plastics are easily recycled into products like luggage, T-shirts, long underwear, even auto parts and fuse boxes, only eight percent of recyclables are actually recycled.
Imagine all the plastic waste that a large-soda ban could produce and then ask if it would just be easier to sometimes say no to a super-sized sugary beverage. Still doubting your self-control capabilities?
Well there is one, last, sure-fire way to cut out plastic waste almost entirely…switch to healthy, natural, filtered drinking water. Better than bottled in more ways than one.
Author bio: Kali is a guest author writing for Quench. She is a Philadelphia resident with a passion for good food, good music and filtered water. Quench is the largest provider of filtration-enabled bottleless water cooler and ice dispensers in the nation, providing a healthier and more cost-effective alternative to traditional water delivery in 5-gallon jugs.
Sources: Beverage Marketing Corp., EPA
