How quitting the soda will be good for the environment

So what is in a can of soda? Lets have a breakdown of it and use my dearest friend, the diet coke, as an example.

These highly addictive drinks are made up of soy and corn which is two of the biggest GM crops so it's likely that the soda companies are using these Genetically Modified crops. The artificial sweeteners used is not only polluting our bodies but may be contaminating our drinking water since sewage treatment plants don't seem to be effective at removing them from waste water. This study was done by German researchers. The bottles are not so innocent as well.

Only 25% is made from recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and the rest of the 75% is made from fossil fuel based plastic and these bottled water industry uses 17 million barrels of oil a year to produce its plastic bottles. Naughty naughty. The more you should carry your own water bottle which you can reuse over and over again. The can is made from half virgin aluminum which is an abundant resource but unfortunately is environmentally destructive to mine. The aluminum industry uses as much electricity as the entire African continent! and a ton of toxic chemicals is left behind for every ton of metal produced, The can lining contains packaging additive bisphenol A (BPA), a toxic chemical that's been linked to cancer, sexual development abnormalities, and heart disease, among other serious health conditions, and is present in most plastic.

A Health Canada study last year found BPA levels in soda to be below what's been deemed a "safe limit," but other studies have found even extremely low doses of the chemical to spur cancer cell growth in test animals. Plus they are planning to ban the use of BPA in baby's bottle and products. Diet coke is made from 99% waterwhich coca cola is proud of, but all the water has to come from somewhere and guess where it all comes from. From areas severely afflicted by water shortages, most notably drought-stricken India, and continuing their bottling operations there. And don't forget the energy cost of manufacturing, distribution and refrigeration. The equipment used in retail outlets just to refrigerate its drinks account for over 70% of the company's carbon emissions!

I'm sure there are other greener ways to curb your soda cravings.. Treat yourself to a fountain-dispensed glass of soda at a restaurant or purchase your own home soda maker (yes there is such an invention, its the Sodastream :) )

Tip of the day: From what I've written, I hope you can cut down on your soda drinks and soon ban it from your life forever :) It will not only help the environment but also your health....