Waste Watchers Deutschland eV, Grosse Elbstrsse 160, D-2000 Hamburg 50, Germany (tel 49 40 3891 400; fax 49 40 385089).

Polysterene cups are Greener than paper cups

Polystyrene is better than paper for food packaging, says Matt Hocking, Canadian Professor of Chemistry. A paper cup, said Professor Hocking, requires two and a half times its finished weight in raw wood. Processing the raw material needs six times more steam, 13 times more electricity and twice as much cooling water, as the equivalent polystyrene cup. In addition, paper does not keep 'fast food' as hot and so could result in the wastage of food. While polystyrene does not readily degrade in landfills, paper in wet conditions degrades to produce a significant greehouse gas - methane. However, poly foam is a product of fossil fuels, and the environmental impact of oil and gas exploration should be taken into account.

Disposable nappies can be Greener

If parents live in an area where water shortages are common or where their electricity is produced by polluting fossil fuels, washing cotton nappies at home (or through a nappy service) may in total environmental and resource terms be negative. If their area has a landfill shortage, then reducing waste may be a prime consideration in which case washable nappies are unquestionably better. If their coal waste management policy is to incinerate non-recyclable waste and recover energy, disposable nappies may have a slight advantage, again in overall resource terms.

Plastic yoghurt pots Greener than glass ones

Recent surveys in Germany show that over 80% of people believe that glass is better for the environment than plastic. Several companies have therefore switched their packaging from plastic to glass. But consider the consumption of yoghurt. If the pots are made from plastic, 1000 empty jars would weigh 6 kilograms. By comparison 1000 empty glass jars weigh 70 kilograms. If 90% (because no recycling scheme is 100% efficient) of the glass is recycled, there is a residual waste of 7kg. If none of the plastic is recycled, the original 6kg remains as waste.

In addition, the energy required to manufacture 70kg of glass is more than 10 times that required to manufacture 6kg of plastic. The greater weight of glass jars requires up to 30% more fuel during transportation and produces more exhaust gases.

True or false?

Is it true or false that:

(1) We are running out of landfill space?

(2) Recyclable materials are always better for the environment?

(3) Recycling paper saves tropical rain forests?

(4) Reducing the amount of waste we generate is more important than reducing the amount of energy we use?

(5) Paper carrier bags are better - environmentally - than plastics?

(6) We throw away more packaging today than we did twenty years ago?

(7) Packaging is half the weight of the average dustbin?

(8) We need to make plastics biodegradable?

(9) Many products are over-packaged?

The correct answer to every question is False, according to consultant Jane Bickerstaffe. For full answers and justicfication contact her at INCPEN, Permier House, 10 Greycoat Place, London SW1P 1SB.