Aluminum Cans vs Plastic According to Jason Momoa

So Jason Momoa did a big show today of cutting off his beard and promoting using aluminum cans for drinks instead of plastic bottles.  Aluminum cans are 100% recyclable and don't pollute our oceans according to Aquaman.  Of course, he then turned around and promoted his personally branded "bottled" water to be sold in aluminum cans.

My question to the Permies board people with years of experience with Permaculture is this - is he right?  Buying any type of water in bottles or cans sounds really wasteful to me, but is he correct about aluminum cans being more environmentally sound and ecologically responsible than plastic bottles?

I saw a youtube video that demonstrated that aluminum cans had a plastic liner. They sanded the ink off and set it in acid. When the aluminum dissolved in the acid,  the plastic liner stayed.


I don't know the answer to which is more environmemtally friendly. I would have to say neither. Someone that has a "favorite brand" of water may not be the guy to get environmental advice from. Sorry if that seems rude.

It must take a lot more energy to make and then recycle aluminum, right?  Also, I'm pretty sure the lining on many/most aluminum cans has BPA:  https://www.treehugger.com/plastic/if-bpa-so-terrible-why-everybody-still-drinking-beer-and-pop-out-bpa-lined-cans.html

Also, I'm sure the ink and can liner are not recycled, but rather are burned off during the re-melting process....so not 100% recycled unless you are considering the carbon cycle :)

wayne fajkus wrote:I saw a youtube video that demonstrated that aluminum cans had a plastic liner. They sanded the ink off and set it in acid. When the aluminum dissolved in the acid,  the plastic liner stayed.


I don't know the answer to which is more environmemtally friendly. I would have to say neither. Someone that has a "favorite brand" of water may not be the guy to get environmental advice from. Sorry if that seems rude.

Not rude.  I have the same misgivings about someone with their own line of water touting their preferred packaging as "environmentally friendly" compared to alternatives.  It was a great publicity stunt to get his fans to switch to his brand so he can make more money while they feel good about doing something good for the environment.  There is nothing environmentally friendly about bottling water at a remote location and shipping it all over the country.  If you don't like your tap water, buy a Big Berkey (or equivalent) and put it in your own glass or stainless bottle.  That, to me, is environmentally responsible.

I do know that compared to virgin aluminum, recycling aluminum cans takes considerably less energy and isn't ripping materials from the earth.  Same with recycling steel.  Hardly environmentally friendly though.

Weight? It will be heavier for sure and so will require way more fuel to transport.

On the side note, I think clean water should be free and available for anyone.