Disposable Containers for a Disposable Environment

Disposable Containers for a Disposable Society

As society goes through its day-to-day activities, it consumes an enormous amount of liquids. Of course, those liquids are packaged in various types of apparatuses, many of which are disposable. But disposable to whom? "Out of sight-out of mind," maybe? Granted, disposable and throwaway containers are a convenience for the moment, but they are rapidly becoming a devastating eye sore. Disposable bottles and cans invite enormous hazards to the environment.

Disposable containers create unsightly neighborhoods and countryside. While driving this weekend, I counted 28 Dr. Pepper bottles and 14 Diet Coke cans in a 2½-mile span of roadway. Our neighborhoods and countryside are being plagued daily by enormous amounts of empty bottles and cans. People don't think twice about pitching their empties out of the car window. An uncaring attitude is taking over society. Although Coca-Cola seems to be reaping the benefits of our fast-paced, thirsty society, our beautiful land is not so lucky. On Saturdays, I see Boy Scout Troop 99 picking up trash using separate sacks for the bottles and the cans. By noon, their total bottle and can collection for a one-mile radius generally fills about 17 large garbage bags. Obviously, this is proof that these disposable bottles and cans are destroying the beauty of our neighborhoods. Another example I have encountered is the ugliness presented on Highway 66 between Luther and Wellston. Again, it is common to see paper sacks full of bottles and cans thrown to the side of the road. Subsequently, the bottles break in pieces over the side of the highway, threatening flat tires for the motorists. Playgrounds are demolished by cans left behind after picnics on Sunday afternoons. Parks have been invaded by party groups too lazy to hit the trash cans. Instead, glass is broken and left behind for others to deal with. In addition to blemishing our neighborhoods and countrysides, disposable bottles and cans cause hazards to the wildlife.

Disposable bottles and cans result in tremendous dangers to wildlife in our environment. For the buyer's convenience, throwaway cans are packaged using connected plastic rings to hold the cans in a six-pack. But this packaging method is anything but a convenience to our wildlife. Instead, the plastic rings yield tremendous dangers to our lake and pond wildlife. Ducks, geese and many other types of water birds get tangled up in these plastic rings and struggle for hours to break free.