There are so many considerations we must take when becoming more sustainable consumers. We look at the function, convenience, price and how we will use various products, each of these considerations can change the “green value” of our choices. The same item can also behave differently within the hands of varying users.
In hopes to move more of our readers towards mature green consumers, this post will present a few “low-carbon duels” between various products that serve the same function. Let’s have a look and discover which items are truly the more sustainable choice.
Linen Bags Vs. Calico Bags
Linen bags are light in weight, strong and durable, and calico bags are soft, comfort and easy to clean. So which kind is more economical to use – linen bags or cotton bags as shopping bags. From the user’s point of view, linen is “greener”, but it is not the most practical and convenient. Why? Linen industry is a very labor-intensive and high-cost industry, and linen textile applies narrow and scarce varieties in the market. The increase of linen commodity cost due to the scarcity, decrease of commodity variety.
Natural Grass Lawn Vs. Artificial Turf
Advocates for artificial grass claim that the average lawn uses 1 million gallons of water and 10,000 pounds of pesticides each year to maintain the lawn. Compared to these stats, artificial grass requires no water and in certain circumstances, the artificial grass can be recycled from old tires.
The maintenance of a natural grass lawn however, does not come without a benefit. Natural grass, aside from avoiding emissions from production, also sequesters carbon naturally. There are 2 primary downsides to artificial grass: it gets hot and it must be disinfected chemically. So, there are trade-offs for artificial grass, however, as of yet, there has been no scientific or technological breakthrough that allows artificial grass to sequester carbon like natural grass and also stay cool to the touch. Until this dilemma is solved, natural grass lawns will always be the superior “green” option.
Streaming Vs. DVD
Streaming video online is fast becoming the DVDs’ nemesis. But is it more-green to watch movies using streaming technology compared to the optical discs they replace? Researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and the McCormick School of Engineering estimated the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of the two different methods using life cycle analysis tools. They found that for one movie viewing, the streaming method and buying a DVD online have roughly similar impacts – but – if you can’t buy the DVD online and have to drive to a store, then the carbon footprint of the car trip would make streaming the better choice.
In Conclusion
The real message here is that context matters, and we need to think about tradeoffs when deciding what option is most sustainable. A product can be “green” on its own but have significant impacts in context of how it’s used. And as consumers (as well as producers), we’re faced with the challenge of balancing various tradeoffs between environmental impact, functionality, convenience, and cost. That’s how we’ll make truly sustainable choices.
