In the last two days, I've heard from parents, teachers, and doctors about the juice pouch controversy. It seems to be one of those topics that you can't stop thinking about once you realize the magnitude of the problem. According to Terracycle, who is working with the manufacturers, over a BILLION juice pouches are used every year! No matter how many purses and pencil cases come out of that through upcycling, that is still a ton of waste. So, what are the alternatives? I'll give you my thoughts, but would love to hear yours...
Green - First of all, when you're home, why use the single-use containers at all? Kids are fine drinking out of cups, right? When you're away from home, use drinks that come in recyclable containers. Treetop apple juice cans are one low-cost alternative. Crayons is a new entry in the kids' beverage market with all-natural drinks in easy-to-recycle cans. They are still a bit on the pricey side, but I have heard the company is working to find a more affordable price point. You can find them in the natural foods aisle of your grocery store.
Greener - Eliminate single-use containers altogether. Use those aluminum water bottles and fill from bigger containers stored in the fridge. Of course, many of those containers are also plastic so make sure you recycle those.
Greenest - Juice machine, anyone? I'm not claiming to be this good, but maybe some of you are. Or, what about the simplest and cheapest option - TAP WATER! Each of my boys has a SIGG water bottle which I would normally show here, but the water bottles are at school right now so I can't snap a quick pic!
How do you eliminate the waste from kids' beverages?
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