If you have been following my blogs, you know why I hate Tetrapaks so much. I hope to explain my reasons again in this blog. Food packaging industry has changed so much over the last 10 years. Their motive has been to preserve the freshness of the foods longer and enable longer shelf life. It might sound like a worthy effort but its not since its done with total disregard to the environment.
Recycle industry has made several strides over the last few years. But for every one of their achievement, they are faced with a new challenge from the packaging industry. Years back plastic bags were considered non-recyclable. Now, many grocery stores take them back. Small plastic caps were not recyclable before but now they are. Only type 1 and 2 plastics used to get recycled before. Now, my city accepts any plastic type with a logo on it. All of this varies with the recycle collection program that is available in the area where you live.
In the last couple of years, I have been learning what is truly recyclable and what is not. Then, I choose items that come in recyclable packs. This might sound like a lot of work but I have benefitted a much from it. I look and feel great! As a rule, junk food comes in bad packaging. Cutting them out completely has transformed me over time. In fact, you can start noticing tangible results in as little as one month. In two months, people close to you will see it. After three months, everybody will be noticing it.
Back to Tetrapak. Why is it bad? It looks like an good old milk carton but its not. Its a sandwich of paper, metal, plastic layers. The metal in the pack increases the shelf life somehow. The food packaging industry is so proud of this invention that they put all forms of food in these (chips packets, coffee sachets, TETRAPAKs, etc). While individually these materials are completely recyclable, when they are made into such packages, its impossible to separate out the individual resources.
The company wants you to think that you are drinking out of a cardboard box, thats why the outside is paper. The innermost layer making contact with the food is plastic and we don't know what grade plastic it is. You are better of drinking from type 1 plastic can and recycle it responsibly. Have you ever wondered why Tetrapak hides its logo under the folds of the carton?
I have been trying to adopt a vegan diet. Vegans usually substitute milk with Soy milk, coconut milk or almond milk. All these speciality milks come in Tetrapaks. Thats why they come with long shelf lives and they can stay out of the fridge in the grocery store. We live off of nutrients that the earth provides; if we are not KIND to our earth, the nutrients will not nourish us. We will realize this sooner or later.
There are good options out there. Just find them and demand them. Please start caring about this issue. I can point you to one great product that I found at Green Grocers in Dallas. Its organic soy milk in plastic milk jar! Hurray for women! Men might want to enjoy soy in moderation. Here's a photo of the product.
Thanks for reading. I got a little engrossed in this topic. Hope you enjoyed it!
Recycle industry has made several strides over the last few years. But for every one of their achievement, they are faced with a new challenge from the packaging industry. Years back plastic bags were considered non-recyclable. Now, many grocery stores take them back. Small plastic caps were not recyclable before but now they are. Only type 1 and 2 plastics used to get recycled before. Now, my city accepts any plastic type with a logo on it. All of this varies with the recycle collection program that is available in the area where you live.
In the last couple of years, I have been learning what is truly recyclable and what is not. Then, I choose items that come in recyclable packs. This might sound like a lot of work but I have benefitted a much from it. I look and feel great! As a rule, junk food comes in bad packaging. Cutting them out completely has transformed me over time. In fact, you can start noticing tangible results in as little as one month. In two months, people close to you will see it. After three months, everybody will be noticing it.
Back to Tetrapak. Why is it bad? It looks like an good old milk carton but its not. Its a sandwich of paper, metal, plastic layers. The metal in the pack increases the shelf life somehow. The food packaging industry is so proud of this invention that they put all forms of food in these (chips packets, coffee sachets, TETRAPAKs, etc). While individually these materials are completely recyclable, when they are made into such packages, its impossible to separate out the individual resources.
The company wants you to think that you are drinking out of a cardboard box, thats why the outside is paper. The innermost layer making contact with the food is plastic and we don't know what grade plastic it is. You are better of drinking from type 1 plastic can and recycle it responsibly. Have you ever wondered why Tetrapak hides its logo under the folds of the carton?
I have been trying to adopt a vegan diet. Vegans usually substitute milk with Soy milk, coconut milk or almond milk. All these speciality milks come in Tetrapaks. Thats why they come with long shelf lives and they can stay out of the fridge in the grocery store. We live off of nutrients that the earth provides; if we are not KIND to our earth, the nutrients will not nourish us. We will realize this sooner or later.
There are good options out there. Just find them and demand them. Please start caring about this issue. I can point you to one great product that I found at Green Grocers in Dallas. Its organic soy milk in plastic milk jar! Hurray for women! Men might want to enjoy soy in moderation. Here's a photo of the product.
Thanks for reading. I got a little engrossed in this topic. Hope you enjoyed it!
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