Is there any way I can drink fizzy drinks without adding to the world’s plastic mountain?

[Mumoftwoyoungkids]

I don’t drink tea or coffee and never really drink alcohol, milk or juice at home. So mainly drink water or squash.

I do sometimes drink coke / lemonade but more and more I’m thinking that the amount of drink I get isn’t worth the plastic waste.

(I like my squash really weak so for 2 litres of concentrated squash I get about 40 litres of drink whilst for 2 litres of coke I get only 2 litres of drink.)

So I think I’m going to stop drinking fizzy drinks. But it is as close to a “treat” drink I get so just wanted to check before I pulled the plug so to speak?

Is there any way I can get fizzy drinks without the huge plastic waste? I’m thinking cans are probably worse than bottles with them being so small? Or am I wrong about that? Any other ways?

Cans are better as they can always be recycled where as plastic has a limit to the number of times

Cans or buy a soda stream.

Cans or glass bottles

Soda stream

Soda stream is the best idea.

Only drink it when out and it can be dispensed via tap?

I was thinking about this earlier. Pepsi Max is my vice. I might start buying multipacks of cans and rationing them as it seems like the ‘least bad’ option.

Single cans or multipacks in cardboard not plastic would seem like the obvious way to go, and make sure all the cans and cardboard go in the recycling. If you drink plain water out of the house, make sure you carry your own reusable bottle rather than buy bottled water.

How many cans are we talking about? I don't think standard cans are 'small'. They're still a decent sized drink.

Just buy cans I would say! I like Pepsi max and have been thinking the same and even the cans come wrapped in plastic but was pleasantly surprised when I went to B and M this week and they had a huge pack for not too much money and it was packaged in cardboard instead of plastic!

Glass bottles? Coke comes in them (albeit at an inflamed price), and the Fentimans fizzy drinks are nice and in glass bottles. Appletize is glass.

Alternatively, glass bottles of soda water added to your squash.

Cans- my one can of Diet Coke is my one daily treat as an adult.

Brew your own ginger beer or kombucha

I thought cans are lines with plastic?

I have a soda stream, for those exact reasons. I use concentrates that come in glass bottles as far as I can, but even using concentrates from plastic bottles is reducing the amount of plastic I was using.

Lined

Cans, I drink a lot of cans. We have a can crusher next to the recycle bin. They take a long time to biodegrade but less than plastic. I also have a soda stream but the issue is getting replacement gas.

Typically a polymer plastic lining, this coating shields the aluminium from the soda and prevents them from reacting together. Most fizzy drinks contain phosphoric acid and citric acid, giving them an average pH of 2.5. ... Every soda can has a hidden liner inside to prevent the beverage from reacting with the metal.

Drink cans aren't Soola and they can be recycled for ever as they have good value.

Plastic drink bottles are very recyclable too so you might focus your energy on something else plastic to cut down on if you'd really miss it OP

Sounds like cans is the way to go as I can’t find glass bottles for caffeine free Diet Coke. Tesco order changed.

My concern with cans was that surface area / volume reduces as size increases so the drink : package ratio is less good for 330ml than for 2 litres. I’m not drinking litres and litres of the stuff!

Ooh maybe I'm wrong, they're definitely recyclable though!

No offence intended but what's the point of drinking Coke if it has no caffeine and no sugar??

No offence intended but what's the point of drinking Coke if it has no caffeine and no sugar??

I like the taste! And caffeine makes me super jumpy and unable to sleep and sugar is my “drug of choice” so one taste and I’ll be raiding the house for chocolate biscuits!

My concern with cans was that surface area / volume reduces as size increases so the drink : package ratio is less good for 330ml than for 2 litres

If you're drinking 2 litres of fizz before it goes flat, you definitely need to cut down.

But it's not a straightforward comparison. Obviously aluminium cans and plastic bottles are made from different materials. Aluminium is very recyclable but I think refining it in the first place is very energy intensive and possibly the recycling process too. Aluminium is more dense than plastic, I think, so slightly more energy to transport, but may be negligible compared with weight of drink.

Plastic is made from oil and is the current villain du jour. It is not always easy to recycle, but I don't know how the energy of the manufacturing and recycling processes compares with aluminium.

One thing I do know is that the same amount of plastic goes into different size drinks bottles, they're just blown out to different sizes.

But I still think that the 'best' solution is probably to drink a sensible amount (no more than a can or two a day) and buy it in cardboard wrapped multipacks.

If you're drinking 2 litres of fizz before it goes flat, you definitely need to cut down.

Really??? It keeps for weeks! Although I do have a freaky strong grip so can tighten bottles really really well.

Anyway - 12 pack of cans ordered (in cardboard box) so I guess I’ll be able to track how much I’m actually drinking.

Fentimans do large glass bottles of their fizzy drinks as do lots like Bottlegreen, Belvoir etc of the mord fruity ones. You psy more I think as glass is heavier (transportation costs) and definitely full fat sugar tax but it's worth it.