Aluminum cans or plastic bottles?

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The bottled water industry is increasing efforts to replace plastic bottles with more easily recycled aluminum containers. The effort follows public anger about reports that plastic water bottles are severely polluting the world's oceans.

However, replacing plastic water bottles that pollute the seas with recyclable aluminum cans may not be an easy way to help the environment. Aluminum cans might result in less ocean waste, but they also come with their own cost to the environment.The production of an aluminum can is estimated to release twice as much carbon dioxide into the air as a plastic bottle.

Actually, aluminum cans have about 68 percent recycled content compared to just 3 percent for plastic bottles in the United States.As a result,aluminum is widely seen as the better choice for the environment. However, aluminum uses huge amounts of electricity and it's also got some chemical releases of greenhouse gas emissions.

Aluminum has a larger carbon footprint in production because of the power needed in the smelting process. But the metal containers also are lighter than glass or plastic bottles. Also, aluminum cans require less electric power to cool the liquid they contain.

It's really a complex picture. We have to think about transport, secondary packaging and time in store, for all those considerations come into play. Bottled water is a $19 billion industry. Although its use of cans is increasing, experts say cans are unlikely to completely replace plastic bottles.

Aluminum is costlier than plastic, so canned drinks mean higher prices for buyers. Another major consideration is user convenience—cans stay open while bottles can be reclosed.

Coca-Cola is still looking at how the buying public reacts to canned water. The company plans to test the market. Later this year, it will carry out a limited launch of its water product, in aluminum cans and aluminum bottles that can be reclosed. Other companies, including Danone and Pepsi, are testing new plastics that are easier to recycle.

There is also another possible barrier to ending the use of plastic water bottles. That is, there may not be enough cans to go around.

閱讀檢測

1. Why does the bottled water industry turn to aluminum cans?

A. To bring down its cost.

B. To create their new images.

C. To satisfy customers' needs.

D. To reduce the ocean pollution.

2. What's the disadvantage of aluminum cans?

A. They are not convenient to carry.

B. They are heavier than plastic bottles.

C. They need more electric power to cool.

D. They can result in more carbon footprint.

3. What does the text mainly tell us?

A. It is the trend to use aluminum cans in the near future.

B. Plastic bottles can never be replaced for the time being.

C. It's hard to decide between aluminum and plastic bottles.

D. It is a must to develop environmentally-friendly material.

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寫作推薦

The production of an aluminum can is estimated to release twice as much carbon dioxide into the air as a plastic bottle. 據(jù)估計， 生產(chǎn)一個鋁罐釋放出的二氧化碳量將是生產(chǎn)一個塑料瓶釋放的二氧化碳量的兩倍。

【信息提取】句中twice as+adj.+n.+as構(gòu)成倍數(shù)的表達。

【句式仿寫】雖然我的奶奶年事已高，但就編織而言，她做的工作量能是我的兩倍。