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What's with the bottle?

The good and the confusing

There are some new “plastic” bottles out on the market these days.  The good news is that they are being manufactured with plant-based content - but it’s complicated.

Companies like Coca Cola, Pepsi Co and Heinz have been working to create plant based plastic containers and bottles.   

How plant based “plastics” are made is important because it determines whether the materials are recyclable or compostable.   Coca Cola is using 30% sugar cane and molasses waste to create their PlantBottle™.  Pepsi has recently introduced (but not put on the market) a bottle made from 100% renewable plant materials including switch grass, pine bark and corn husk. These containers are manufactured so that they are essentially made into the Polyethylene Terepthalate - #1 PET.  It is plastic that is meant to last a long time but it is made with natural sources instead of petroleum.

What’s good about that?

• Using plants reduces our dependence upon petroleum products.
• These containers are considered plastic and they CAN/SHOULD be recycled.
• It reduces carbon emissions.

Kudos to these companies working to find alternatives to petroleum based plastic. Even though these are plant based, it is still a plastic that will last a long time, if not forever so its not the end solution.

What you can do:
Bring your own water bottles but if you are buying Drinks on the Go -- Make sure to recycle what you buy.

Recent Events

Thank you to the volunteers from Alive in You.  They joined Revive Atlanta and GreenPlate to do a clean up with the South Fork Conservancy. Over 150 students from churches from Duluth and Orlando came out to  clear out kudzu, clear trails along the South Fork Creek and pick up trash and recycling under I-85 near GA 400. We were able to recycle 81 pounds of glass, aluminum and plastic.

The South Fork Conservancy is working to connect trails along the South Fork creek from Buckhead to Tucker. It will be an amazing asset for Atlanta. Some trails area already in place and ready to be enjoyed. 

Success!

(Although an interesting idea, we didn't recycle or trash the truck!)

Think Globally - Act Locally

Its a familiar phrase these days but it relates to how we live our lives and the impact we can have on the environment.  At the Little 5 Points Community Green-Up, we targeted the clean up around a large storm drain that was surrounded by litter.  By removing all of the waste, we were able to keep the litter from travling into the storm drain and out to local streams.  It may seem far afield but the litter that ends up in our local streams can end up down at the coast and head directly out to the ocean.

BEFORE AND AFTER!!!

A great group of volunteers helped do a major clean up of a this storm drain in Little 5 Points.  When litter like this flows into the storm drains, it ends up in the rivers and then the oceans.  Thanks to Black Box ATL, Sevananda, Aurora Coffee, Charis Books and 7 Stages for their support of the clean up.

Read all about the objects above (they were all found in just one sea turtle's stomach) here

Our Mission:

GreenPlate raises awareness about the negative impact plastics have on our environment, our waters, and our food chain. We offer education and tools for individuals and businesses to actively reduce the consumption of single use plastics and promote a healthier lifestyle.

GreenPlate believes in both educating people as well as providing solutions with measurable results.

Help us turn the tide on plastics…