I tend to wonder where everything comes from. One of my bosses said to me once in regards to recycling "It all came from somewhere- it didn't just appear out of thin air". This really got me thinking, because he's right. At some point, this computer I'm using was just a bunch of stuff lying around the earth. Pretty crazy to think about, right?
I made a list of all the things I came in contact with over a 24 hour time span to see how much stuff I deal with from the Earth that I don't even realize.
1) Foods/ Drinks :
Water
Cranberry Juice
Coffee- Beans, Creamer, Sugar and water
Milk
Oatmeal- Bananas and Cream-
Pasta and Marinara Sauce
Chili- Beans, Tofu, spices, water, oil & cheese
Hot Cheetos- Plastic Bag
Apple Beer- Glass Bottle and Aluminum Cap (?)
2) Housing and other buildings:
Work - Metal Desk- Plastic Phone-
Home - Couch, Brick Fireplace, Wood Shelving, Granite Counter tops, Glass Windows- Carpet- Tile Flooring- Paper Products (Toilet Paper, Paper Towels)- Plastic Cups, Plastic Straws, Paper Pictures,
Target- Metal Shelving- Tile Floors
Now- I would assume that these buildings are all made up of the basic things, like a concrete foundation, fiberglass insulation, wood or metal door frames, dry wall, Lights, Floor Tiles ETC...
3) Transportation/Roads:
My car:
Leather Seats (Cow)
Gas- Gas emissions
Oils
Fluids
Glass Windows
Buses
Other Cars
Trucks
Diesels
Motorcycles
Paint on the roads
The Asphalt
4) Clothing:
Cotton
Polyester
Satin
Microfiber
Sheer Material (Whatever that is, right?!)
5)School Supplies:
Pens - Plastic
Post It Notes- Paper/Trees
Paper- Trees
Books- Trees
Highlighters
White-Out
Binders- plastic
Tape
Computer
6) Personal Care:
Shampoo
Conditioner
Body Soap
Loofah
Toothpaste
Toothbrush
Hair Brush
Foundation- Minerals
Mascara
Eye Liner
Eye Shadow- Minerals
Blush- Minerals
Chap Stick
Makeup Remover- Oils
Face Wash- Oils
Lotion
7) Leisure Activities
Running
Smoking Hookah- Sheesha, Coals, Aluminum Foil
Watching Movies
8) Others:
Car Keys- Metal
Key Fob (Access Key) - Plastic
Key Ring - Plastic
Rubber Seals on things like faucets and door frames.
Diamonds in my ring
So, as you can see - I came in contact with LOTS of things over a 24 hour time frame. I tried to list what earth's resource I KNOW for a fact it came from, however some I really didn't know. Like Highlighters, I know that the outside is plastic, but what about that neon liquid?
I wanted to know more information about where Beer comes from- Specifically the Apple beer that I've really started to enjoy in these fall months. This is what I've found:
It looks like Angry Orchard is made in Cincinnati OH and is then shipped around the US. In reading the facts provided from the web page, it states that since Hard Cider sales have been almost doubled in the last year, that orchards in New York are reaping the benefits for the apple boom. Which is AWESOME!
Ingredients: Not listed: I'm assuming Apples, booze and liquid gold.
It's main purpose is to refresh the taste buds - and to get you slightly boozy.
I'm having extreme trouble in finding where they get their bottles from. It looks like there are a few major retailers in Europe, however there's no way to find out if that's where AO gets their bottles for distribution.
This product is definitely just a Want- as opposed to a Need, but dang is it delicious.
It was not available 100 years ago- at least not this brand. However, Ciders were previously drunk to get drunk.
All I know, is that after I consume this delicious beverage, I toss the top into the blue recycle bin outside my house, and the bottle is recycled at the local recycle plant.
I saw an article not too long ago that stated that recyclable bottles and cans get dumped back into a landfill, even if it's the city picking up the glass products! I'm sorry- WHAT?! I did more digging. Luckily I was much happier to find that there were many more reports of companies receiving the bottles, melting them down and reforming the bottles. Hopefully, it's replaced with the same tasty liquid! :) As long as they really to recycle the bottles (And the caps??) the eco-footprint for the beverage itself shouldn't be too badly. I have no idea how their plant is run, and if it's messing everything up for everyone, but the product itself is pretty Good-To-Go! :)
Happy Halloweentime Everyone!
