NOVEMBER 2012 ARTICLE

NOTHING IS SIMPLE! Take for example the paper cup problem. Every month, just in Pan Hall alone, about 5,280 paper cups are used once and then tossed out. The restaurant uses about 1000, the Activity Center, the Auditorium????

Paper cups represent a lot of wasted energy and resources. And for what? Our convenience. Cups are either coated with plastic or don’t degrade in the required number of days. So they are neither recycled nor composted.

As it turns out…if you are just going to throw a cup away, Styrofoam has much lower energy costs than paper! In comparison to Styrofoam, a paper cup requires 12 times the amount of water, 36 times the amount of electricity and costs double the amount of money to produce. And you often need a paper sleeve to keep your hand from burning. But Styrofoam is made from petroleum which has more important uses.

What to do? Please try to remember to bring your own mug or cup or water bottle. Resolve to make it a new habit. The earth will thank you.

From the Green Team, reprinted from the November 2012 Panorama News.