Wax-coated Cardboard & Aluminum Soapbox

[da]

Walking back from lunch at the University Plaza, elbie_at_trig & I counted about half a dozen Tim Hortons cups and at least that many pop cans.

Now, I know the Tims cups have a wax/plastic lining, so recycling probably isn't cost effective (though I seem to remember that some western municipality, perhaps Vancouver(?) found the political will to recycle them anyhow). But can anybody explain why there isn't an aluminum can deposit in Ontario?

[Concerning Tims cups: I wonder how many people realize that the year-round discount for using one's own mug is considerably higher than the 1:9 odds of winning a free coffee or doughnut during the "Roll Up the Rim" month. That is, my mug rings in at "medium" but it's 20 oz. ...so, something like 2/3 a free medium in each cup. All things considered, I'd prefer they keep their empty cup, and I'll keep my mug.]

Comments

[da-lj.livejournal.com]

Well those are unexpected results, on foam cups.

But at least they're from home boys, U Vic.

...I'm not convinced this is actually the measure kraig was after- the overall environmental cost. It seems that's just manufacturing and reuse cost; w/o disposal cost or cost to the system of using a reusable vs nonreusable resource. I think disposal costs would be low in the case of a disposable, by virtue of how little material is in it, but I don't know how low as compared with the embodied energy; nor do I have figures on "system costs" however the heck that should be measured.

But, I think I know where to look.