Putting a Price on Pollution: Could a Deposit on Cigarette Filters Help Solve Health and Environmental Issues?

True or False?

Cigarette filters significantly reduce the health risks associated with smoking?

The Shocking Truth

If you're like me, you probably answered "True". Of course cigarette filters significantly reduce health risks! That's why there are filters on cigarettes in the first place, right? And we've all seen the brown stains no the filter end after someone has smoked, right? So the filters must be filtering out some gunk. Right?

Not so much.

Filters do trap the bigger particles of tar but... they also make the smoke "milder". Smokers tend to take bigger puffs on filtered cigarettes, which means that the smoke travels deeper into the lungs. And guess what... the smaller particles of tar are NOT trapped in filters and... they just travel deeper into the lungs. Think about it... if filters were stopping the toxins... wouldn't the end of the filter remain white? The bit that goes in the mouth? Just sayin...

So, the answer is... False... cigarette filters do not signficantly reduce the health risks associated with smoking. In the meantime... the environmental impacts of cigarette filters are HUGE.

Eco-Impacts

Cigarette filter fibres are made of cellulose acetate, a type of plastic that takes years to decompose. In the meantime, toxic substances absorbed from cigarette smoke leach into the environment. Not to mention the ones ingested by wildlife. We all know the impacts are bad... and if you don't, then read this link from the World Health Organization.

Cigarette butts are THE most littered man-made item in the world. Of the 5.6 trillion cigarettes smoked every year (ballpark estimate)... about 80% end up as litter... that is 4.5 trillion cigarette butts.

Oh, and let's not even mention the wildfire risks associated with discarded cigarette butts.

Alternatives

There are different options to today's cigarette filters...

1. No Filters

One option is to produce cigarettes without any filters. Today's cigarette filters are not a necessary component of cigarettes and their removal would eliminate the health and environmental issues associated with them. People could use cigarette holders or simply smoke unfiltered cigarettes. Of course, there would still be health risks associated with smoking.

2. Biodegradable Filters

Developing filters made from biodegradable materials, such as plant-based fibers or paper, could help reduce the environmental impact. These filters would break down more quickly in the environment and reduce plastic pollution.

3. Cigarette Holders

Cigarette holders are reusable devices that can be used to hold a cigarette while smoking. They were widely used in the early 1900s and were stylish fashion accessories. While cigarette holders don't filter the smoke, they do reduce direct contact between the lips and the cigarette, which may help reduce staining of teeth and fingers. Some cigarette holders are even being marketed as having built-in filters.

4. Reduced-Harm Products

Another approach is to promote reduced-harm products like electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or heat-not-burn devices. While these are not without their own health concerns, they are generally considered less harmful than traditional cigarettes and do not use the same types of filters.

5. Filter Disposal Solutions

If traditional filters continue to be used, providing better disposal solutions for filters could help mitigate environmental issues. Encouraging proper disposal and recycling of filters can reduce litter and pollution. If all of the cigarette filters actually ended up in a appropriate disposal stream, the world would be a better place.

But... given that the city of Vancouver has an estimated 450,000 cigarette butts being littered on city streets EVERY DAY... the issue comes back to human actions. And we all know how well humans change their habits.

6. Fines

Some jurisdictions (e.g. the US state of Washington) have significant fines for littering cigarette butts ($1000). But you actually have to catch the offender in the act, and the odds of that are low, unless you had an army of bylaw officers standing around.

7. Deposit System

There is one group in Europe that is suggesting the introduction of a filter deposit system, similar to what some jurisdictions do with drink containers.

They suggest introducing a 20 cent deposit on each cigarette filter (so 4 Euros/package). A pocket ashtray would be issued with every pack of cigarettes. Customers who returned the full pocket ashtray along with the empty cigarette package would get their deposit money back.

The group suggests that all of this could be funded by the tobacco industry and overseen by the state.

It's an intriguing option that might encourage habit change in smokers. There would also be an incentive for people to pick up the butts and cigarette packages that litter city streets, similar to bottles and cans that end up on the street.

Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada suggested a filter deposit system back in 2014... but it would appear that nothing has moved on that.

8. Recycle by Mail

And then we have a final option... where you can recycle your cigarette butts by mail. Yep, you read that right. Unsmoke has partnered with TerraCycle in Canada to sponsor a FREE program whereby you put all of your butts into a container, print out a mail label and ship it off to TerraCycle.

I suppose this might be good for... businesses? Who have a smoking area for staff? Or maybe a really, really conscientious smoker will save all of their butts at home, pack them up and send them off. Maybe. They also take tobacco pouches, rolling papers, the foil thing from inside the cigarette package, and the exterior plastic wrap.

Businesses can also register to become a Drop off Point, where people can bring their smoking materials. I had a look and there aren't a heck of a lot of them in BC yet. Although Tofino and Ucluelet have gone to town with this and have dozens of places that accept these used smoking materials. 

Although... as an Airbnb host, who often hosts guests who smoke outside... we could collect their butts and mail them off to TerraCycle. We already have to pick the butts out of the can-of-wet-sand ashtray soooo... why not just stockpile those and send it off. Might just do that.

Conclusion

The thing with many of these "solutions" is that they rest on the consumer or the smoker. It's up to us to recycle plastic packaging that seems to have proliferated everywhere... even though many admit that the recycling system is broken. It's up to us to figure out what to do with cigarette butts. It's up to the smoker to decide whether or not to toss that butt or save it and then mail a collection back to TerraCycle. Or... in an age where Decision Fatigue is rampant... just toss the thing out the car window and be done with it. Or drop it on the sidewalk and let it be someone else's problem.

Surely some responsibility rests on the corporations that take the easy route, or the profitable route, to deal with the problems that THEY have created. Us collecting cigarette butts from our Airbnb guests might not save the world... but it is a small step.

Further Reading

Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada - A Provincial Deposit – Return Program for Cigarettes

Initiative for the Establishment of a Universal Deposit System for Filter Cigarettes and their Packaging

NIH - The ‘filter fraud’ persists: the tobacco industry is still using filters to suggest lower health risks while destroying the environment

WHO raises alarm on tobacco industry environmental impact

Health without filters: the health and environmental impacts of cigarette filters - PubMed (nih.gov)

The ‘filter fraud’ persists: the tobacco industry is still using filters to suggest lower health risks while destroying the environment - PMC (nih.gov)

The dirty truth about cigarette filters | CNN

Cigarette butts are toxic plastic pollution. Should they be banned? (nationalgeographic.com)

Consumers' knowledge and beliefs about the safety of cigarette filters | Tobacco Control (bmj.com)

Plastic straw ban? Cigarette butts are the single greatest source of ocean trash (nbcnews.com)

Cigarette Butts: Toxic Plastic Pollution | OceanCare

What's In Your Shed: The Surprising Truth About Gas Mowers - They're Worse Than Your Car

It's spring! Which means every weekend, and sometimes on weekdays, we hear the sounds of lawn mowers, weed trimmers, leaf blowers and other yard tools. On top of hearing them... we also smell them.

Oh, I'm not talking about the smell of fresh mown grass which is actually quite pleasant, unless you have allergies, in which case, it might make you a bit twitchy.

No, I'm talking about the smell of gasoline exhaust. Even though we live in a semi-urban area with moderate sized properties (8000 sq ft), an appalling number of people still have gasoline powered lawn mowers. Not only are they stinky, they are also really noisy... and as I listen to the neighbour trying to get theirs working after its winter hiatus... I wonder... why? And what cost?

We sit in the middle of three houses that run the gamut of lawn mowing equipment. From battery to electric to gasoline-powered.

Battery Lawnmower

Downslope from us is Lindy who uses a battery operated lawn mower. State of the art and super quiet. She just plugs it in to a wall outlet to charge. There are no cords, no fuss, no muss. There's also not a lot of oomph. Lindy laments that she can only do about 30 minutes at a time before the battery loses power and she needs to plug it in again. That's usually enough time for her to finish the front lawn, but not the back lawn. That's the thing with battery-powered tools, they often lack oomph and their battery drains leaving you with an anemic lawnmower that can barely do anything.

Corded Electric Lawnmower

We, on the other hand, have an electric lawn mower, a Black & Decker, I think. We got it second-hand for $40 and it's been great. It has a height adjustment lever... one lever raises and lowers all 4 wheels. Nice! It has decent power although if the grass is long and shaggy, I have to raise the mower or risk it choking. You have to coddle electric mowers a bit... they don't have as much oomph as a gas-powered mower. And if you're not paying attention and try to plough through a long, dense patch of grass and don't listen to the mower and adjust accordingly... you will trip the breaker. We had that happen with the guy who does our house cleaning. He does yard work as well but had obviously never used an electric mower and... tried to push through and... tripped the breaker. The other thing you have to watch out for is the power cord... don't mow over that or your lawn mowing adventure will come to an abrupt end.

Gas Lawnmower

Then we have our upslope neighbours who have an old gasoline-powered lawnmower. It is old. It is super noisy. It stinks the whole neighbourhood up with the fumes. And every few times, they have to tinker with it to get it going. I had a friend who had a gas mower... her shed stank of gasoline and the wooden floor was stained with gasoline and oils spills. Yuck.

Obviously, the gas powered mower is not great for the environment... but I had no idea how bad...

Impact of Gas-Powered Lawn Equipment

The problem lies in the type of engine within these devices - two stroke and four stroke engines. Two stroke engines do not have a separate lubrication system so gasoline and oil are mixed. This means that 30% of the fuel does not combust completely, releasing toxic fumes into the air. Four-stroke engines are slightly better but not great.

For example, let's consider a two stroke scooter, which you might think is eco-friendly because it hardly uses an gas. A 2014 study of VOC (harmful gases) found that emissions were 124 times HIGHER with an idling scooter than with a car or truck.

Oh, and a four stroke gasoline powered lawnmower emits the same amount of emissions as a vehicle travelling 800 kilometres. 

A consumer grade gasoline powered leaf blower emits more hydrocarbons than a truck or sedan.

An EPA study in the USA found that gasoline powered lawnmowers produce 5% of total air pollution in the USA.

From APCD of Kentucky (Air Pollution Control District)
based on EPA data

And let's not talk about fuel spills when refilling a gas-powered lawn mower. This can release toxic compounds into the air and seep into the soil and ground water.

Oh, and then there is noise pollution. Most gas lawnmowers, particularly older models run at 95-100 decibels (db). Irreparable hearing damage can start at just 85 db with repeated or prolonged exposure. Electric mowers? They run at 75 db. You can listen to that all day and be fine. Gas powered mower or weed trimmer?

Solutions

 If you want to reduce your carbon footprint... and don't have the budget for an electric vehicle... don't worry... you can get huge bang for your buck by switching from a gas-powered lawnmower to an electric one! If you can't go big... don't go home... go small!

You could also, of course, get a reel lawnmower... one of those push mowers. A neighbour 2 houses up from us had one of those and... used it once and then it sat in the front yard and quietly rusted. I'm going to guess it was not a success. If you have a tiny patch of lawn then a push-reel mower might be the thing for you.

Take a look in your shed... can your gas-powered anything be replaced with an electric version? The electric version might cost more initially but over time... with gasoline costs going up and up... you'll make your money back. Or buy a second-hand electric mower and save even more! Or a weed trimmer... or a leaf blower... or a snow blower... or a chainsaw.

On top of that many municipalities are moving to ban gas-powered lawn equipment... so if you still have a fume-belching, gas-guzzling lawn dinosaur... it's days might be numbered...

Oh... and that cute little Italian Vespa scooter that is going to solve your commuting woes? Remember... two-stroke and four-stroke engines... put out more emissions than a car... The Italian city of Genoa, birthplace of the Vespa moved to ban the little things back in 2019... and other European cities have followed suite... mostly banning older models. But the writing is one the wall.

This is one of those times where you don't want "vintage", no matter how cool and retro it looks. Function (poor emissions quality) trumps Form (cute look).

Making a Difference: UN's 12 Steps for Everyday Environmentalists

I'm always searching for ways that we, the regular folk, can help mitigate climate change. It always seems like the problems are so big, and we are so small, that nothing we do makes a difference.

Which is kind of depressing.

But the United Nations has some very good ideas - their 12 Actions for a Healthy Planet.

It gives me hope that we can turn this Titanic around before we end up sinking ourselves.

1. Save energy at home

Much of our electricity and heat are powered by coal, oil and gas.

We can use less energy by:

• reducing our heating and cooling use,
• switching to LED light bulbs and energy-efficient electric appliances,
• washing our laundry with cold water,
• hanging things to dry instead of using a dryer.

Improving our home’s energy efficiency, through better insulation for instance, or replacing our oil or gas furnace with an electric heat pump can reduce our carbon footprint by up to 900 kilograms of CO2e per year.

This is imminently doable. We love our solar and wind powered dryer (a.k.a. the clothesline and drying rack). And we did make the switch to a heat pump which seriously reduced our electricity consumption compared to the old electric baseboard heaters.

2. Switch Home Energy Source

We could ask our utility company if our home energy comes from oil, coal or gas. If possible, we could see if a switch to renewable sources such as wind or solar is possible. Or we could install solar panels on the roof to generate energy for our home. Switching our home from oil, gas or coal-powered energy to renewable sources of energy, such as wind or solar, can reduce our carbon footprint by up to 1.5 tons of CO2e per year. Here, in British Columbia, the vast majority of our electricity comes from hydro-electric dams. Given the controversy over the Site C dam expansion though, we can see the need for reducing our electricity use. 

3. Walk, bike or take public transport

The world’s roadways are clogged with vehicles, most of them burning diesel or gasoline. Walking or riding a bike instead of driving will reduce greenhouse gas emissions -- and help our health and fitness. For longer distances, we could consider taking a train or bus. And carpool whenever possible. Living car-free can reduce our carbon footprints by up to 2 tons of CO2e per year compared to a lifestyle using a car. 

I'd like to say that I rode my bike around town this summer but... I did not. I'll try again next spring.

4. Switch to an electric vehicle

If you plan to buy a car, consider going electric, with more and cheaper models coming on the market. In many countries, electric cars help reduce air pollution and cause significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions than gas or diesel-powered vehicles. But many electric cars still run on electricity produced from fossil fuels, and the batteries and engines require rare minerals which often come with high environmental and social costs. Switching from a gasoline or diesel-powered car to an electric vehicle can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 2 tons of CO2e per year. A hybrid vehicle can save you up to 700 kilograms of CO2e per year.

Given that our electricity in BC comes from hydro-electric dams, not fossil fuels, switching to an electric car from a gasoline vehicle would make a huge difference. The trick is finding one!

5. Consider your travel

Airplanes burn large amounts of fossil fuels, producing significant greenhouse gas emissions. That makes taking fewer flights one of the fastest ways to reduce your environmental impact. When you can, meet virtually, take a train, or skip that long-distance trip altogether. Taking one less long-haul return flight can reduce your carbon footprint by up to almost 2 tons of CO2e. 

This one makes me want to cry! Our train service in Western Canada is pathetic and ridiculously expensive. Compared to Europe, we live in the Dark Ages. And our huge distances means that driving or flying is the only way to get somewhere in a reasonable amount of time within a reasonable budget. And I don't even want to think about the Mexican vacation...

6. Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle

Electronics, clothes, plastics and other items we buy cause carbon emissions at each point in production, from the extraction of raw materials to manufacturing and transporting goods to market. To protect the climate, buy fewer things, shop second-hand, and repair what you can. Plastics alone generated 1.8 billion metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 – 3.4 per cent of the global total. Less than 10 per cent is recycled, and once plastic is discarded, it can linger for hundreds of years. Buying fewer new clothes – and other consumer goods – can also reduce your carbon footprint. Every kilogram of textiles produced generates about 17 kilograms of CO2e.

We do this!!! I think the only new clothing we buy is underwear, socks and sometimes hiking boots. Everything else we get secondhand. New clothing is soooo expensive and Fast Fashion means the latest trends will be out-of-date within a few months. We don't buy into that cycle. We also try to buy things second-hand. Facebook Marketplace is our friend! And we sell things there too, or give them away. Much better that our things find a second or even third or fourth home.

7. Eat more vegetables

Eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and less meat and dairy, can significantly lower your environmental impact. Producing plant-based foods generally results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions and requires less energy, land, and water. Shifting from a mixed to a vegetarian diet can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 500 kilograms of CO2e per year (or up to 900 kilograms for a vegan diet).

We do this too! We have added a little bit of chicken and fish back into our diet, for health reasons. But we still eat a tonne of legumes and other veg.

8. Throw away less food

When you throw food away, you're also wasting the resources and energy that were used to grow, produce, package, and transport it. And when food rots in a landfill, it produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. So purchase only what you need, use what you buy and compost any leftovers. Cutting your food waste can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 300 kilograms of CO2e per year. 

We try to do this too! Although we're always amazed at how food can get lost in a fridge and then make an appearance when it is ugly and moldy.

9. Plant native species

If you have a garden or even just a plant or two outside your home, check for native species. Use a plant identification app to help. And then think about replacing non-natives, especially any considered invasive. Plants, animals and insects depend on each other. Most insects will not eat non-native plants, which means birds and other species lose a food source. Biodiversity suffers. Even a single tree or shrub can offer a refuge – just remember to skip insecticides and other chemicals.

We do this too!! No insecticides for us. Er... well... maybe some wasp spray into a wasp nest that is proving to be problematic after multiple stings. But other than that, we don't spray pesticides on our garden, or Round-up on our weeds. 

10. Clean up your environment

Humans, animals and plants all suffer from land and water contaminated by improperly discarded garbage. Use what you need, and when you have to throw something out, dispose of it properly. Educate others to do the same, and participate in local clean-ups of parks, rivers, beaches and beyond. Every year, people throw out 2 billion tons of trash. About a third causes environment harms, from choking water supplies to poisoning soil.

I try to bring a plastic bag with me on my hikes and walks. And then pick up garbage as I come across it. Lately, I've been noticing a lot of full dog poop bags discarded in the bush along one of our favourite trails. Seriously... dog owners who do this are only slightly lower on the stupidity totem pole than cigarette smokers who discard their butts.

11. Make your money count

Everything we spend money on affects the planet. You have the power to choose which goods and services you support. To reduce your environmental impact, choose products from companies who use resources responsibly and are committed to cutting their gas emissions and waste. If you have money that is being invested for you, through a pension fund for instance, it may be supporting fossil fuels or deforestation. Making sure your savings are invested in environmentally sustainable businesses can greatly reduce your carbon footprint.

This one is a bit of a hard one. I know many of our Canadian banks are heavily invested in fossil fuels and other industries that are not friendly to the environment.  Will have to research this in more detail.

12. Speak up

Speak up and get others to join in taking action. It's one of the quickest and most effective ways to make a difference. Talk to your neighbors, colleagues, friends, and family. Let business owners know you support bold changes – from plastics-free products and packaging to zero-emissions vehicles. Appeal to local and world leaders to act now. Climate action is a task for all of us. And it concerns all of us. No one can do it all alone – but we can do it together.

This is true. If we all complained about plastic labels on craft beer cans... maybe the industry would change.

Conclusion

There are things we can do that do make a difference. And if more of us... or most of us... or all of us... started to make the same changes, or demand the same changes... then we would be a powerful force for change in the world. Look at Greta Thunberg! One person... and the movement that she inspired.

You can read more about the 12 Actions via the link below. There are other resources as well.

12 Actions for a healthy planet | United Nations

The Unseen Threat: Nanoparticles Lurking in Your Bottled Water

Plastic water bottles. They are everywhere. What would we do without them? From sporting events where cases of them are handed out to athletes... to emergency situations where we see truckloads of water bottles being delivered to victims of disaster (natural or man-made). But what if those bottles of crystal clear water are actually harming the people who ingest them? What then?

Let's back that up a bit and take a look at plastic to start with. It's sooo handy... cheap, lightweight, easy to transport, malleable, not breakable (generally). It can made into so many handy things. And let's remember where it comes from. All plastic originates with crude oil or natural gas. Plastic water bottles, for example are made from PET plastic (that's short for polyethylene terephthalate). PET plastic is made from petrochemical sources, the first step of which involves the polymerization of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid or dimethyl terephthalate to produce PET resin.

Let's be really clear here... if you have trouble pronouncing those things... odds are they are not good for you. And ingesting crude oil is definitely not on anyone's diet.

But surely those plastics are... you know... inert? The plastic is made and then it just sits there, like glass... and does nothing? Nope. Not so fast. But let's get back to our plastic water bottles...

Benefits of Plastic Bottles

Cost: Plastic is generally less expensive than aluminum and glass, so manufacturers and distributors obviously like cheaper. And so do consumers. 

Weight: Plastic water bottles weigh less than aluminum cans and glass bottles, which also means cheaper transportation costs

Durability: Plastic is flexible and less prone to denting or puncturing, and definitely less likely to break. This means less product loss during transportation, handling and storage and less likelihood that the product will be damaged. Less waste is good, right? Certainly for the bottom line.

Convenience: Plastic bottles are resealable, which allows us to drink some now and save some for later. The bottles are also easy to squeeze and crush, making them less bulky afterwards.

Consumer preferences: This is us. We apparently like hte convenience of plastic water bottles...

The Problem of Plastic Bottles

Now the problem(s)... because while they may cost less in terms of manufacturing and transportation, there are other costs.

Recycling: While many plastics can now be recycled... that doesn't mean that they actually are. Many plastic bottles do not find their way to a recycling centre and get lost in forests, streams, ditches and waterways. Even if they are recycling, contamination of the recycling stream can limit the use and energy efficiency of the process. Many plastics can only be recycled a certain number of times before they need to be downgraded. So food or drink plastics eventually end up as lower-grade products.

Microplastics: The recycling process generates microplastics, teeny, tiny bits of plastic that contaminate the environment. But they are not the worst ones... these ones you can see with a microscope... but there are even smaller ones.

Nanoplastics: These are the teensiest, tiniest bits of polymer plastic, 1000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. Even a regular microscope can't see these ones. It used to be thought that a 500 ml bottle of water might contain 325 bits of plastic (micro or nano). But a recent study has shown that the actual amount is orders of magnitude higher...

Terrifyingly Tiny Plastics

Somewhere in the world, pristine water from aquifers or reservoirs or even just plain old tap water is poured into plastic bottles. That $0.01 of water in a $0.05 bottle then gets boxed up and shipped and sold to us. Costing us anywhere from $0.50 (if we buy a flat from Costco) or $2.50 if we get one at a convenience store. (Side Bar: Did you know Convenience = Expensive?)

Pure, clear water, right? We can see it through the plastic. It looks sooo good and clean. Not.

You see... plastic water bottles are NOT inert. They do not just sit there quietly and do nothing. Plastic water bottles begin shedding teeny tiny bits of plastic as soon as they are made - nanoplastics.

Now researchers have known this but they thought there might be 325 or so pieces of microplastics floating around in the water bottles. But a recent study took it a step farther. Because... remember... nanoplastics can't be seen under a regular microscope. You need a super-duper microscope to see nanoparticles. And what did they find... brace yourself....

The average bottle of water contains anywhere from 110,000 to over 370,000 pieces of nanoplastics.

And these bits of polymer plastics are soooo small that they can migrate into your body's tissue... into your muscles, your organs, your blood, your brain and your unborn child's organs.

And those nanoplastics carry all sorts of toxic things with them... endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as bisphenols, phthalates, flame retardants, per- and polyfluorinated substances, or PFAS, and heavy metals. All of which are used in the manufacture of plastics.

Response from International Bottled Water Association

And what do the bottled water folks say to this new research?

“This new method [of testing water] needs to be fully reviewed by the scientific community and more research needs to be done to develop standardized methods for measuring and quantifying nanoplastics in our environment. There currently is both a lack of standardized methods and no scientific consensus on the potential health impacts of nano- and microplastic particles. Therefore, media reports about these particles in drinking water do nothing more than unnecessarily scare consumers.” (quoted in CNN article)

Ummm... that sounds suspiciously like the response of tobacco companies in the 40s, 50s and 60s... downplaying the dangers of smoking... Class action lawsuits tell a different tale.

Also sounds a bit like pesticide companies saying that their pesticides are so safe, you could drink them (pesticide lobbyist Dr. Patrick Moore in an interview)... right... we know how that's playing out. (Class-action lawsuit against Monsanto & Bayer for the pesticide Roundup)

I foresee a class action lawsuit against plastic bottle manufacturers and bottled water companies... don't have a crystal ball... not a psychic... but anyone can see the writing on the wall.

What Can We Do?

Stop buying plastic water bottles.

Ugh.

We have a bunch as part of our emergency kit. They are so convenient for that. But plastic water bottles do have an expiry date so what do we do with the expired ones now? We used to drink them but... not sure I want to do that anymore.

But in all other ways... we avoid plastic water bottles like the plague. We have excellent tap water and fill up our stainless steel water bottles with water when we head out the door. There is no reason for us to have plastic water bottles in our day-to-day life.

But this also got me thinking... what about plastic pop bottles?? You don't think they are immune from nanoplastics do you? Or plastic liquor bottles. Or plastic ketchup bottles.

It is tempting to just throw-up our hands in despair and go "Ah, we're going to die someday anyhow from something..." Or we could start somewhere. Start small. Ditch the bottled water. Drink pop out of cans, not bottles.

And read the news. Now that researchers can identify and categorize the nanoplastics, we can expect a LOT more studies on their impact on our health.

PS - We Are Hooped - my Starbucks tea bag is plastic and studies reveal that a plastic tea bag can release BILLIONS OF nanoplastics into one cup of tea.

PPS - We are Seriously Hooped - Studies have also shown that a single tampon can release billions of nanoplastics into a female body

Further Reading

CNN article on nanoplastics in bottled water (there are a tonne of other news articles out there - early January 2024)

Recycling Odds and Sods

There are some recycling things that continually perplex me. Do they belong in the recycle bin or not? I've got the main ones down pat but there are always some odds and sods that I dither over. So, I decided to buckle down and figure it out!

Plastic Bottle Caps

When I return by beverage containers to the depot for the deposit money... I always wonder what do with the bottle caps. Leave them on the bottle? Take them off and then what? Garbage? I seem to recall, years ago, that we needed to take the caps. But that's old news. Today, in BC, we can leave the bottle caps on!

Tetra-pak Straws

Same with these - dispose of them, or recycle them? Answer is... recycle them but pushing them down into the container once you're done drinking out of them. Amazing! I would love to see how these all get recycled.

Glass Jar Lids

These have always perplexed me. Again, I seem to recall that they were not recyclable, but that was years ago. I look at them, and I can see that they are a "mixed material" - some metal, some rubber bits. How is that recyclable? Turns out the rubber/plastic bits just get burnt off when the metal is melted down. I hope they have a scrubber that doesn't spew those fumes out into the atmosphere. So... short answer is... yes, you can recycle glass jar lids, at least here in BC, but tossing them into the blue bin.

Glass Mason/Canning Jars

A jar is a jar is a jar, right? Wrong. Apparently canning jars are different from regular jars (pickle, jam, etc). Commercial jars used for packaging are made from a different type of glass than mason or canning jars. So if you have a canning jar with a crack or a nick, and you want to recycle it, you are out of luck. Adding it to the glass recycling stream can contaminate it. A damaged mason jar can just be tossed into the garbage. Unless they are still usable in which case you can take them to thrift stores.

Plastic Cutlery & Other Oddities

In BC, we can now recycle plastic cutlery! I always thought they were too small for the conveyor belt systems, but I guess they've upgraded that. This also includes empty dental floss containers, empty plastic tape dispensers, the pump/spray thingie from spray bottles or pump-action lotion/shampoo bottles.

Aerosol Spray Cans

Spray paint cans (at least in BC) go to the paint section of the depot. But other spray cans (bug dope, hair spray, oven cleaner, etc) can all go in the blue bin AS LONG as they are completely empty. Metal is one of the most valuable materials to recycle so any bit of metal is probably recyclable.

I've said for a few years now that you practically need a PhD to figure out what can be recycled and what goes in the garbage. There are sooooo many things that can be recycled now. The Recycling Council of BC has a Recyclopedia site where you can start typing in the item (e.g. plastic... or glass...) and it will then suggest a list of plastic or glass items. Choose your item, enter your location and it will tell you where you can recycle it.

What's Hanging Around in Your Closet?

What do you do with the plastic hangers when you go clothes shopping? Do you smuggle them home? Leave them in the store?

We used to have some of them in our closets but, honestly, they aren't the best hangers. Flimsy, weird sizes that don't look neat and tidy. Not a great deal. Although... some of them do have that flocking on them that prevents your clothes from slipping off. And the ones with the clips are kind of cool for skirts and stuff.

I think these were more popular for pilfering back in the day when wire hangers ruled. Single wire hangers are NOT good for clothes long-term so... back in the day... if we could smuggle one of these plastic store hangers home... that was a bonus!

But apparently over 100,000,000 of these flimsy plastic hangers get tossed away every year, in the UK. If we look at the USA... that number balloons to over 8 BILLION hangers (wood, plastic, metal) that are tossed every single year. That's a lot of hangers. And a LOT of plastic.

While these hangers aren't "single-use" plastic... they still aren't built to last. Although... I have to say... I am impressed with thrift stores that manage to get a LOT of mileage out of these hangers!

Mismatched Thrift Hangers

Then you have the plastic hangers that you can buy in a store. You know the ones... they come in an array of fetching colours and shapes.

They are OK. I just wish all of the manufacturers could stick with one shape and style! Our clothes closet has a lot of these and they are a real mish-mash. And somehow... I have this idea that matching hangers are better. But are they?

Because I can't remember the last time we bought new plastic hangers. If ours break or we need more... we just go down to the local thrift store and get a 8 or 10 for $1. Why would we ever buy new!?? And so... we live with mismatched hangers.

Innovative?

Now... we get to the crux of this... I was in Superstore the other day and I saw this sign at the check-out.

Whoooooaaaa... switching from plastic hangers to wooden hangers! Now that is cool! And apparently... the customers think so too! They are asking if they can take the wooden hangers home because they look so cool. And honestly... that is what Superstore thinks too. This is what their press release said in 2021 when they introduced this out east...

"Overall, we feel the look is more elegant and classy,” says Joe Fresh manager Gina Singh. “I believe it makes the product look a lot more appealing.”

So it's really a marketing ploy... but it makes them look good too because it has an environmental aspect. I am going to guess that the environmental impact of plastic hangers vs. wooden hangers hinges on one key factor... how long do they last.  It's the same with grocery bags... we think paper bags are better than plastic bags and that canvas reusable grocery bags are better than the ones made out of tarp-like material. But it all boils down to... how many uses do you get out of them??

Recyclable Hangers?

Another question is... are plastic hangers actually recyclable? They short answer is not easily and it depends. Many hangers are made out of multiple materials - different types of plastic, maybe a bit of metal for the hanger bit and... that flocking! So whether or not hangers are recyclable depends on the type of hanger and the jurisdiction. Our city just recently started accepting hangers in curbside recycling, so that's a definite bonus but... I wonder what happens to them.

In many jurisdictions, however, hangers end up in the trash unless you reuse them. Soooo... it really makes one think about pilfering those store hangers! Are they really going to work in your closet?

Wooden Hangers

Now, when I think of wooden hangers... I think of those sturdy ones that have been around for every it seems. Before thin wire hangers... there were wooden hangers. 

But they weren't cheap... and in our family, growing up, my Mom would use them for coats and maybe for her fancy dresses. But for us kids... we had thin metal hangers.

In terms of length of use... wooden hangers win, hands down. I read one Reddit comment where someone had had their wooden hangers for 65 years. I doubt that can be said about any plastic hangers!

Sooo... wooden hangers are better, yes? Well... yes and no. I don't think Superstore is using vintage hangers from the 1950s. They are getting new wooden hangers... which means somewhere, some tree was cut down to make a hanger. And, although it's hard to see on the Superstore photograph... they look kind of thin and... I just wonder how long they will last. Probably not 65 years.

I was reading another blog that mentioned some companies are making hangers out of recycled paperboard. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Which is good... but it does take energy to turn paper into a hanger.

Gramma's Hangers

I should mention at this point that... we didn't keep using metal hangers. Somewhere in the 1970s, my Mom discovered braided macramé hangers.

You know... you take too balls of wool, two identical metal hangers from the dry cleaners and... you make a sturdy, eco-friendly hanger that clothes won't slide off of. Win-win-win. Even more of a win when you could get the hangers for FREE from the local dry cleaners. 

My Mom was nothing if not frugal and thrifty. And so, of a winter's evening, my Mom, my sister and I would sit and weave macramé clothes hangers. Tidy ones... not the ones with yarn pom-poms and bits of yarn dangling artfully. These are basic, unfrilly hangers. And they work the best. Free. Clothes don't slide off, they last forever, or close to it. Some of mine are pushing 50 years old. And if you take care of them... there is no rust from the metal inside.

My sister gifted me a bunch of these for Christmas a few years ago. Eco-conscious and we'll get lots of use out of them!

Conclusion

Sooo... kudos to Superstore for switching away from plastic hangers but I'm not sure that their motives are purely environmental and altruistic. Hangers made from new wood... nope. Not buying it. They might have done better in saying... "we will be reusing plastic hangers for as long as they last... and we don't care about mismatched hangers". But... that's not very fashionable.

It's the same with some fashion, design and minimalism blogs. Buy cool new wooden hangers that all look the same and... ooohhhh... so pretty... so chic... so... yeah, no.

We'll keep using Gramma's hangers... we'll keep using our mismatched thrift store hangers. We aren't fashionistas... and we will try and get as much mileage out of the hangers as we possibly can. It's not much... but it makes a small difference.

How to Make Extra Work for Myself through Procrastination

There are some days where I could just kick myself. I see something that I need to do but I don't "feel" like it right now... so I don't do it and then... I end up making a tonne more work for myself. I don't know why I continue to do this... but I do. So I must a little mole hill ahead of me and at some point, it hits a magic threshold and POOF!... it turns into a mountain.

Here's the most recent example... We have an Airbnb in our basement and we ask all of the guests to please put their recycling into the blue box in the carport.

We don't want them to put it in the big blue curbside bin in the driveway because... our recycling system is complicated and most guests have absolutely no idea as to what can be recycled or not. They go by what works in their city or town. And even though we have diagrams on the fridge outlining what can and can not be recycled, inevitably, they make mistakes.

You see, our recycle (and garbage and green) bins get picked up by a huge truck with a big mechanical arm, that picks it up and then empties it into the top of the truck. And as it gets dumped out, a camera scans the items to see if there are "non-recyclable" items - like glass jars and styrofoam and filmy plastic. These are all huge no-no's as they can contaminate an entire load of recycling which then ups the rejection rate at the recycling plant for our city trucks which means that the city gets charged more and... our property taxes go up.

On top of that... you might get an emailed notice from the city saying that you had rejected items in your blue bin and to please do better. So far, we have been clean but... I don't want to start getting notices!

And so... we ask the guests to put their recyclables into the blue box in the carport. I then sort through that and place items in the appropriate bins. Some people are very optimistic as to what can get recycled... like price tags made out of cardstock. No... really too small. Anyhow, the system works for us. And for things like glass, styrofoam and filmy plastic, I bundle that up with ours and then take it to the local recycling depot. Because while they can't go into the truck... they can go into designated bins at the depot. Like I said... complicated.

Anyhow... there I am last week, and I see that the blue box in the carport is getting full and I think... I really need to sort through that... but I didn't "feel" like it. I'll do it "tomorrow". Yeah. Right. And that evening, I'm sitting in my office, with it's window overlooking the driveway and I hear cans and glass bottles hitting the bottom of a plastic bin. Noooooo.....!!!! Yesssssss... I see our current guest standing by the blue bin dumping the indoor recycling bin AND the blue box into the curbside blue bin. Nooooo... 

I guess they had more recycling in the suite and the blue box was too full for them and they... decided to just dump it all. I utter several suitable swear words. Now... I've got a bigger problem on my hands. The curbside blue bin is deep, like 3.5 feet deep and getting stuff out of there is a hassle. and it's all in a big schmoz and... bummer.

So... on a Sunday afternoon, when the guests were out... I spent a good 20 minutes rummaging through the bin, dumping stuff out on the driveway and pulling out all sorts of non-recyclables... glass jars, filmy and crispy plastic overwrap, styrofoam trays and an inordinate amount of Tim Horton's cups. While the cups are recyclable in the curbside bin, they need to be washed otherwise they contaminate the paper stuff in the bin. Same with the little yogurt containers and the margarine container and... on it goes.

Now, I would have had to pull all of those things out of the carport blue box when I sorted that... which is maybe why I procrastinated on sorting it then. Because we took all that stuff inside and ended up washing it. A lot of people would have just tossed it into the garbage bin but... we are somehow eco-nerds and sooo... we washed a good 2 dozen Timmies cups and various other plastics.

And then my partner came up with a bright idea... we have now put a large, clear, plastic garbage bag into the blue carport box as a liner. If ever the box is close to full but I don't feel like sorting it... I can just yank the bag out, toss it in the backyard and put a new bag into the box.

Hopefully one small step now avoids a much larger step later!

And perhaps I will learn the life lesson that... procrastination does NOT make the task easier or less onerous. In most cases it makes it harder and bigger and more icky! Lesson learned??? Only time will tell!

PS - We came out one morning after the recycling bin had been cleared out on collection day. There were several more unsorted, unwashed items in the bin. I pulled them out and decided to temporarily put them in the carport blue box. We then happily placed all sorts of recycling into the blue bin. And then... yesterday, a Saturday... I found that they had dumped their blue box into the blue bin AGAIN! Even though the blue box wasn't even close to being full. So... all those items that I took out... are back in there again. So much for solving procrastination!

PPS - The latest iteration of my procrastination habit saw me watching weeds grow in the front yard, thinking... "I need to go and stab those out". We are in the thick of summer, so the lawn really doesn't need mowing, the weeds needs removal. I procrastinated for a couple of weeks and when I finally did it... half of the weeds had gone to seed puffs and the job was so much harder and took much longer than if I had done it when they were small! Ugh!

A Dream Cruise is a Carbon Nightmare

Well... there goes that little dream. Sigh. It's always sad when you come up with a bright light bulb idea and it burns out so fast.

My partner and I had come up with this brilliant idea of taking a cruise vacation. It seemed to tick a lot of boxes... affordable, easy travel out of Vancouver, see new places, all inclusive and easy for partner who has trouble on long-haul flights. What's not to love!

Just pop over to Vancouver, board a cruise ship and see the world! Enjoy the delicious food, check out the entertainment and soak up some sun around the pool. No flight. No airports. Just kick back and relax.

Sounds dreamy, yes?

Well... no.

I discovered, much to my chagrin, that cruise ships are essentially massive carbon producing monsters. They have these massive engines that run 24/7, even when the ship is in port. These engines use heavy fuel oil, a tar-like substance which is incredibly toxic and a residual of the petroleum industry. Basically it's the crud nobody else wants and is incredibly dirty.

Even though a new cruise ship costs $1,000,000,000 (that's a billion)... they can't afford to spend a piddly $1,000,000 (that's a million) to install emission abatement systems.

They've done tests on cruise ships and the emissions that the passengers breathe are 20 times worse than the pollution on a main road... in Beijing.

Soooo... what is the carbon footprint of a cruise ship? Well... brace yourself. They produce the same particulate emissions as 1,000,000 (a million) cars. Every. Single. Day.

Some cruise ships emit up to 150 tonnes of carbon. Every. Single. Day.

And no... even though the cruise ship companies claim they are clean & green... it's not true. At least not for the majority of them. Check out the Cruise Ship Report card by Friends of the Earth.

Oh... and if that's not enough... some cruise ship companies have been caught dumping dumping trash, raw sewage, and fuel into the ocean. Looking at your Carnival and Royal Caribbean. 

Cruise Ship Rankings for
Environmental Protection Measures
by NABU

My head is hurting. I did find a carbon footprint calculator for a cruise and... for a 5 day cruise with 2 days in port... it was 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per person. That's a lot of carbon... for 5 days. Our little car uses emits just under 5 tonnes of CO2 per year.

And then that got me thinking... what about our ferries??? They run off of diesel... I think. Well... ferries generally aren't as bad, mostly because of the short distances... and they're not dumping sewage and stuff into the ocean... And they are waaaaayyyy better than short haul flight! Here's a breakdown of CO2 emissions per km.

In case you're squinting... top of the list is Cruise, then short haul flights (less than 600 km), then flights more than 3700 km, car, flight (600-3700 km), ferry by car, motorbike, Ferry with car (4p), Car with 4 people, Train local, Touring car, Ferry (foot passenger), International Eurostar Train.

Right then... may have to rethink the cruise vacation idea. At least for a while. Some cruise companies are starting to make changes. And Hurtigruten, a Norwegian line, is miles ahead of the others. But we'd need to fly to Norway to take a cruise from them... which spews CO2 hither and yon.

Hydrogen fuel seems to be the wave of the future... maybe. Although, right now... hydrogen fuel cells in a cruise ship are used for in-port power and slow steaming. Other than that, they're still running off petroleum sludge.

I'm hoping that there will be some major progress by 2030 but... in the meantime... should we avoid cruise ships? I'm not here to say yay or nay. But if we do take a cruise... don't bring disposable garbage onboard, turn off your lights when you leave the cabin and limit the amount of grey water you produce (short or less frequent showers).

On a happier note... the Vancouver cruise ship terminal does have shore power so cruise ships can plug in and turn off their diesel power. That's 50 less tonnes of CO2 emissions per port call. Yay. Small steps...

More Reading

CBC - As it Happens - Cruise Ship Emissions are the Same as 1 Million Cars

Popular Science - Care about the Planet? Skip the Cruise, for Now.

Friends of the Earth - Cruise Ships' Environmental Impact

Friends of the Earth - Cruise Ship Report Card

My Climate - Carbon Footprint Calculator for a Cruise Ship

NABU - German Research Group - 2022 Cruise Ship Rankings

BC Ferries - Clean Futures Plan 2022

Ferry GoGo - Ferry Emissions - is UK site but probably ballpark for our ferries

Our Carbon Footprint Could be Worse

I got sucked down the carbon footprint site the other day and it was a fascinating journey!

I had been taking an Instagram course for our short-term rental, and the instructor had a post about how to calculate your carbon footprint. He was in the UK... so the site he used wasn't ideal for us.

 But no worries... I found a Canadian one - Carbonzero Calculator

Carbon Categories

There are all sorts of categories...

• Utilities
• Vehicles
• Flights
• Transit
• Fuel
• Shipping
• Waste

There is a whole section on calculator methodology and I leave that to you to read... As a caveat, I'm not sure how to calculate Shipping so that category is going to be empty for us. I presume that would be for people who do a LOT of shopping on Amazon and Wayfair... which is not us... so going to leave that for now...

We also don't use Transit so that is going to be blank for us...

Carbon Footprint - Utilities

The first step is to calculate Utilities - which includes Heating and Electricity. Given that we have electric heating with the heat pump - we only had one category here... 

The calculator asked us for total kwh and I got that off of our BC Hydro Account - May 1 to May 1. It also asked what province we are in... which is British Columbia.

So, 0.14 tonnes... that seems ridiculously low? Is it because of our hydro-electric power gird?? Let's check Alberta with it's coal-powered electricity generators...

Oookaaayyyy... well... that answered that question. Don't move back to Alberta. Ever. 

Carbon Footprint - Vehicles & Fuel

Let's go through Vehicles. We have a little 2011 Kia Soul that we drive about 10,000 km a year - mix of highway and city driving. And... we get 0 tonnes? That's weird... but I did a little test and chose a 2022 Ford F-150 pick-up truck... same distance, same type of driving and it's pushing 3 tonnes... so this must have to do with the age and type of vehicle...

I chose a 2022 Toyota 4 Runner and a 2010 Toyota 4 Runner as well - the 2010 had 0 emissions and the 2022 had over 3 tonnes.... so it must be an age thing.

As for fuel... this is where it gets scarier! I calculated that I generally put 40 litres of fuel into our little Soul once a week, so 2000 litres of fuel a year, give or take...

Yikes!!! That's almost 5 tonnes of carbon emissions... this is where the rubber hits the road. Drive less... better fuel efficiency... hybrid... electric vehicles... bike more... all definitely options.

Carbon Footprint - Waste & Recycling

This section wanted to know the weight of our waste and recycling... I went to our city's website and pulled up the average weights for a household in our city. I tend to think we throw out less garbage than the average household but... let's run with that... So 200 kg of garbage per year and 150 kg of recyclables (mixed).

Well, that's not too bad either.

Basic Carbon Footprint - no Flights

Right then... so our total greenhouse gas emissions for the year are pushing 5 tonnes. Which isn't bad. You can see that gasoline is the biggest generator of CO2. If we had an electric car... we'd be smiling... although then our vehicle emissions (probably from making it) would be higher than 0.

Carbon Offsets

After calculating your carbon footprint... you can then choose to purchase carbon offsets. On this site, they run about $30 per tonne... so we would be spending $150/year on offsets. There are other sites which have cheaper offsets. And since all of the projects on CarbonZero seem to be "completed"... I'm not sure of the benefits of purchasing an offset here. The Gold Standards website on the other hand is highly recommended by the Suzuki Foundation... and there are tonne of offset projects here - some at $15/tonne, and some higher. The Gold Standards site recommends that, if you don't know your carbon footprint, you choose an average for your country. For Canada, this would be 2 tonnes/month. Ergh...

But then... I haven't added flights into the mix... so let's do that!

Carbon Footprint - Flights

This is the scary part I think... so let's just bite the bullet and do it. The site makes it easy... all you need to enter is your starting airport, destination airport, class and whether it's round trip or economy... Here we go...

Now... here's the weird thing... distance wise, Cancun is 4500 km while Mom is 700 km (one way). So it's a bit odd that Mom's flights are more tonnes than Cancun... but maybe it has to do with the size of the planes... bigger planes mean the carbon footprint is spread out over more people. Maybe...

But... these flights have turned into scarey-ville!

Carbon Footprint - with Flights

It's the gasoline. It's the flights. If we didn't drive or fly, our carbon footprint would be miniscule. But we do... so it's not.

Now... divide this by two as well... some for me... some for my partner. And still... 12 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year... that's a bit dismaying. And yes... we could just buy some carbon offsets but... ideally... we would move in the direction of less gasoline and less flights. It's those vacation and family flights that are the kicker.

Oh, and this calculator doesn't even include diet in there! A meat-eater diet has twice as much carbon footprint as a vegan... 

Another Carbon Footprint Site

That's where the Carbon Footprint Calculator comes in handy - it has a bunch of different secondary categories that can make a difference. Although it doesn't include the Waste/Recycling category. But then... when I do that one... I get this. 

I'm not sure about all of this... The car bit includes gas and yet... it is way less than the CarbonZero calculation. And the flights are much less as well. The Mom flight is 0.21 tonnes!  Although, it does add the secondary bits - things like food (makes a difference if you are vegetarian or a heavy/medium meat eater), also pharmacy and clothes and furniture. 

Ugh... I can see why some people just go with the average for their country! But let's just say our household is running at 24 tonnes/year (added in those secondary bits to our CarbonZero total). So that means each of us is about 12 tonnes/year or 1 tonne/month. That is in line with most European countries. The average for Canada is 2 tonnes/month/individual. But as we saw above... Alberta is VERY different from BC in terms of electricity footprints. Soooo... I'm going to run with 1 tonne/month and leave Albertans to fend for themselves.

Carbon Offsets

There are a LOT of places out there that sell carbon offsets. Some are legit... some less so. The David Suzuki Foundation has a pdf that can help you navigate where to purchase your offsets (https://davidsuzuki.org/science-learning-centre-article/purchasing-carbon-offsets-a-guide-for-canadian-consumers-businesses-and-organizations/). The other site is the Gold Standards site mentioned already above... (https://marketplace.goldstandard.org/collections/projects).

I'm going to have to look through everything and choose one to use as my offset. And look at ways that we can reduce our carbon footprint. It's the hydrocarbons (gas, jet fuel, etc) that are the high ticket items.