Embodied Energy and Stuff

Lately, it's all about the packaging. During these final dreary days of diminishing winter, sourcing local food remains a secondary, and less attainable objective. In the spirit of this weekend's leadership training, I'm trying to live-out the practice of sustainable consumption by getting serious about the paper and plastics that support delivery of nourishment to my body. Often, I do not require the paper or plastic. These materials are immediately expendable. Yesterday evening, having purchased a salad from Cafe Kiraz,  it was the avocado goodness within I coveted, not the packaging.

To increase awareness of the environmental burdens my food decisions impose, I have relied upon embodied energy analysis. I'm using this quick and dirty associative progression:

Paper and Plastic Packaging 

(are)

Manufactured Goods

(which require)

 Heat/Beat/Treat Processes

(which use)

 Energy/Raw Material Extraction/Transportation

(which contribute to)

Embodied Energy

(is proportional to)

Carbon Emissions

While some of the energy may be generated by renewable and/or nuclear tech, I doubt it.

The main idea of this equation is that the Paper and Plastic Packaging are somehow directly proportional to embodied energy which is somehow directly proportional to increased emissions. This interpretation is open to refute. 

My spinach and avacado salad packaging included:

Plastic Fork & Knife (7.50 Watts)*
Plastic Soda Bottle (65.93 Watts)*
Paper Box (147.18 Watts)*
Plastic Salad Container (~100.00 Watts)
Saran Wrap (2.07 Watts)*
Paper Napkins (15.98 Watts)*


Total Emodied Energy of Packaging = ~240 Watts

* Watt calculation derived from WattzOn - Embodied Energy Database. It has been assumed that packaging was used once for the exclusive delivery of one spinach and avacado salad to my mouth.

Today, I aspire to identify food packaging with wasteful energy consumption in order to improve my consumer habits. By focusing on the numbers, consciously and regularly at first, I will make the natural shift from unconsciously unaware to consciously aware to unconsciously aware.