Plastic free: Pop #2

For years EnviroWoman proudly proclaimed “I belong to the Pepsi Generation”….even after giving up plastic. I just resorted to drinking Pepsi from a can so I could still count myself among the CokeCounterCulture, but still live plastic-free.

But Anonymous has changed all that....He/she left a comment letting me know that aluminum pop cans have a lining of plastic inside, like some evil bogeyman lurking in a deep dark soda well, ready to snatch small children and EnviroWoman when they come for a drink.

‘Tis true! The pic here is proof positive. Freaky isn’t it?

Hop on over to Steven Spangler’s Science for full details. But here is EnviroWoman’s ColesNotes version…(wow…this takes me back to my organic chemistry days).

The ScienceWizards took an empty pop can, sanded the paint off the outside of it, then immersed it in a beaker of corrosive sodium hydroxide. About 2 hours later, the aluminum had been eaten away from the outside of the can….showing the interior plastic liner.

EnviroWoman had two questions when I saw this pic:

1. Why oh why is there a plastic liner? In addition to carbonated water, caffeine, colors, preservatives, and sweeteners, my beloved Pepsi also contains phosphoric and citric acids. This makes it quite acidic (Pepsi has a pH of about 2.5-3.0 compared to the less acidic orange juice at 3.4 to 4.0). Without a plastic lining the Pepsi would gradually corrode/rust the can from the inside-out giving the beverage a metallic taste and shortening its shelf life. To prevent this, the inside of aluminum cans are sprayed with a thin protective layer of plastic. (Let’s hope it’s not a grade 3 or 7 plastic which are nasty suckas)
2. How come there is still metal at the top and bottom of the can? Turns out 2 types of aluminum are used in making the can. The main body is from a Grade 3 alloy, but the tops and bottom use a heavier Grade 5 alloy (with higher levels of magnesium and manganese) making it more resistant to corrosion and damage.

What does this mean for EnviroWoman?

Wahhhh! I can no longer be a member of the Pepsi generation – at least for 2007.

So since April I’ve been hunting for, and taste-testing, plastic-free bevy alternatives and will report my findings in a future post.

But here is a quandry….and perhaps you can help me solve it. Do I count the liners in those 12 cans of Pepsi I let in my life between Jan and March as SINS? I thought I was making a good plastic choice….but alas was not. They’ve long gone to the recycling bin so I can’t include them in my plastic shrine (besides, where am I gonna get my hands on sodium hydroxide to magically isolate the liners…and then again…do I really want to get my hands on corrosive sodium hydroxide…ahhhh….NO!).

Post a comment and let me know.

Lessons learned:

• Ignorance is PepsiBliss. ‘Cuz you can keep on unknowingly committing sins. But once TheTruth is pointed out to you…you have to make a choice. Do you continue to commit sin or change your ways? EnviroWoman has chosen to change her ways. Afterall, this is what this year is all about…giving up plastic and seeing how it transforms my life.
• Plastic really is insidious. (The flip side is plastic is really a versatile wonder substance) Okay, you and I already knew both those points are true. But here’s yet another example of how you think you’re making a better ‘non-plastic’ choice…but until you are fully informed…you don’t know dick. I feel the need for a Part 2 of Plastics 101 coming on....
• That Anonymous person sure is smart…and prolific. (I wonder if he/she is a munchkin?) I tell ya…I see him/her posting all over the Web leaving their wise and profound truisms for the rest of the world to bask in the glory of. EnviroWoman is SuperGlad Anonymous has graced the pages of her own blog. Even though initially it felt like he/she was driving a plastic stake through my Pepsi-lovin' heart. But Anonymous is just helping EnviroWoman stay true to her No-New-Plastic Pledge. Gotta luv 'em for that!