Re: Target unit pricing - Here's the real point

Stan Brown wrote:

>Fri, 27 Jun 2008 06:24:58 -0400 from Shawn Hirn <srhi@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>:
>  
>
>>Besides if frugality is your main concern, with water, your best bet is 
>>to drink tap water and filter it if necessary. The cost of Brita water 
>>filter (and a few filters) is a lot cheaper then bottled water on a per 
>>gallon basis.
>>    
>>
>
>Precisely! Get a reusable water bottle (about $1 at Wal-mart) and 
>fill it with tap water or filtered water if necessary. It'a much 
>cheaper, it's better for the environment, and it reduces our 
>dependence on foreign oil as well as our garbage problem.
>
>(I don't remember the figures, but the billions of one-use plastic 
>water bottles take a horrendous amount of oil to manufacture.
>

US production is about 5B lbs/yr for bottles, but the paraxylene used in 
its production is a minor byproduct in the cracking of oil.   If all the 
paraxylene was eliminated, there would be an insignificant reduction in 
the US consumption of oil.


> Sure, 
>they're recyclable in principle, but many people don't bother so they 
>end up in landfills or by the side of the road. And even the recycled 
>ones aren't recycled into plastic water bottles.)
>  
>
Approximately 30% of all plastic bottles are recycled.

Most ends up in carpeting (some 35% of polyester carpeting in US is from 
recycled polyester), some clothing and a few other items. 

Drinking tap water is obviously the frugal approach and failing to 
recycle bottles does lead to trash problems, but boycotting plastic 
bottles would have no significant effect on US oil  usage.