Small Steps #18: No More Seltzer
I don't drink soda, but I enjoy a little fizz in my water, so I drink seltzer. It's not easy to find in Utah, since most people consider it a mixer. Mormon-influenced Utah's not a hard-drinking state. Only one store in town carries it: Albertson's. And even though it's just water, it costs more than Coke or Pepsi. One day, as I filled my cart with 2-liter bottles, the stocker commented, "You must be having quite a party this weekend!" No, I told him, I like it just the way it is.But what's the environmental impact of my little vice? I made some inquiries and discovered that the Albertson's seltzer water I drink is bottled by Cott Beverages in San Bernardino, California. Cott ships it to the Albertson's warehouse in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Albertson's ships it back down to my store in Cedar City. That's a 900 mile journey from source to retailer.
I typically drink 4 bottles a week. That comes to 917 pounds per year. At 9.7 pounds of CO2 per ton-mile for intercity trucking, that comes to just over 2 tons of CO2 per year, just for transporting my seltzer!
There's also the matter of the added CO2 used for carbonation, which evaporates into the air when the seltzer is opened. The amount appears to be insignificant— I tried to weigh it on my scale— but its source is (you guessed it) hydrocarbon production. Specifically, it's made from methane in a process that creates CO2 without any benefit such as heat or electricity.
Two tons of CO2 per year! I've decided to forego my seltzer water, opting instead for locally-filtered tap water.
If you've ever wondered where your beverage of choice originates and how far it travels, here's a unique idea: call the store and ask them.
Cost: $0
CO2 reduction per year: 4,002 pounds
Cost per annual pound of CO2 reduction: N/A
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