I like reading your blog posts and I’m glad that you are moving in the right direction. I’m not going to make the claim that I live the most “green” or “sustainable” lifestyle, but I like to think that I’m moving in that direction by educating myself and joining the discussion. The field I work in (Architecture & Design) is one of the leading industries in sustainable lifestyles and design… at least they like to think so. Most of them don’t know their ass from a hot rock. The problem is that people aren’t educated and don’t understand the difference between “green” and “sustainable.”

A great example is in your blog entry and it happens to be in bold and underlined font: “I’ve convinced our office to not buy Styrofoam cups or plates.” I have a problem with this because it’s up the the office manager in a “sustainable” firm to know what is the most “sustainable” option… not “green.” Your office manager here most likely has failed on this one!

Here’s the deal: paper, Styrofoam, or ceramic?

Paper and Styrofoam may be disposable and thus appear to be less green than ceramic mugs, it is unclear that they actually do more harm to the environment. Styrofoam may well be the most “sustainable” option of the three.

Ceramic is an extremely energy intensive product to make. It in fact takes about 614 times more energy to make than polystyrene cups, and almost 300 times more energy than paper cups. The air pollution pollution ratio is even worse… if you use the same ceramic mug (many people use more than one) it takes 1,800 uses, or about 5 years of everyday use, for a ceramic mug to get even with using a new polystyrene cup everyday. When you factor in water usage hot or cold (hot is less sustainable because it takes energy to heat which is created by burning coal) to clean the mug and I assume you you soap or a dishwasher the ceramic becomes even less of a sustainable option.

Now paper, is actually worse than Styrofoam. Paper uses a considerable amount of material to produce it takes , 12 times as much steam, 36 times as much electricity, and twice as much cooling water than Styrofoam. Paper also doesn’t biodegrade and paper also has a plastic lining in the cups to prevent leaking and a bunch of paper cups come with paper sleeves the insulate and keep heat from escaping and burning the consumers hand. Styrofoam doesn’t need the sleeve or the plastic liner…

Ramsey,

If you want to the “sustainable,” think before you act. I bet your office manager would love it if you had to spend your time and energy to convince her to go back to buying Styrofoam cups!

-Russell Walker
Critical Reader