Does Diet Coke Harm the Environment?

According to a 2017 survey, an estimated 24% of American adults drink diet soda. Though the beverage has been scrutinized for its adverse health effects, many wonder what impact its packaging leaves on the environment. Diet Coke, for example, comes in various containers — glass bottles, plastic bottles, cans — so, which one is the most eco-friendly?  

Cans are deemed the “best” choice for Diet Coke packaging as long as the aluminum is recycled, leaving the fewest greenhouse gas emissions. Plastic is lightweight and easy to transport, unlike glass, but it’s not-so-carbon-neutral manufacturing makes the product less enticing if you want to save the planet.  

Diet drinkers can also celebrate this fun fact: Diet Coke only emits roughly 85 grams of carbon compared to regular Coke (105 grams) because sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup in regular Coke has a higher GCG impact.  

However, you may want to keep the celebration to a minimum, as aspartame — the sweetener used in most diet sodas — passes through the body and into waste-water systems without being broken down — similar to drugs such as Zoloft, amphetamine, or psychedelic mushrooms. This means they flow freely into our rivers, streams, and lakes, then come into direct contact with marine life. Although we do not know the long-term effects of this, it certainly is something to think about. [Text Wrapping Break]Back to those 85 grams: If you were to drink one can of Diet Coke every day for one year — recycling every can, then roughly 68 pounds of carbon dioxide ( CO2) will be added to the environment. This may sound sobering, but here is the kicker: 68 pounds of CO2 is the same amount created by driving an average vehicle 75 miles once in one year. That being said, skipping a single road trip to Florence from Corvallis does more for the environment than giving up Diet Coke for a year.  

The truth is, each year in America we create 19 tons of carbon per capita. Therefore, until we stop blaming each other for our contributions and start working together to end global warming, we are just running around making noise instead of making an impact. 

By: Rebekah Harcrow