It is remarkable to think about trash and how it decomposes, or doesn’t. On a recent litter cleanup walk through the hills in Oakland, CA, we came across a Coke can. While this is not unique on its own, as waste from soda cans dot many neighborhoods, this particular can certainly was. Buried underneath some leaves, it had dated features like a pull top and a vintage design uncommon in present-day Coke offerings.
This sent us down a bit of a rabbit hole to trace the history of the discarded can to its roots. Through some research, the best guess we arrived at was the 1966 diamond red and white can design. The 12 oz version had taken only a modest beating from the elements with fading, rust and minimal signs of decay.
If this Coke really is from the 1960s, that brings to mind other thoughts like: are there even more environmentally responsible materials that Coke, Pepsi and smaller beverage manufacturers can bring forth in packaging? This line of thinking has already inspired an abundance of companies to commit to producing and shipping consumer goods with minimal packaging (Amazon, Dell, Colgate-Palmolive, REI).
Maybe there is an alternative path we can take knowing that aluminum and plastics in our natural environment take a significant amount of time to break down? While in an idyllic world we wouldn’t have our streets littered with trash at all, by opting for sustainable materials that break down quicker, we are beginning to do our part.
We’d love to hear what you think. How can we have this conversation in a way that doesn’t point fingers but looks toward innovative and creative solutions?
