Kids get so many mixed messages. Take for instance Capri Sun. You know those truly delicious drinks of about 2 sips for a grown up, but a full drink for a kid.
I can recycle beer cans and soft drink bottles, but I don’t want my kids drinking that stuff. I have no problem with giving my kids Capri Suns. I secretly love to swipe a few from kid’s stash when they aren’t looking. But why do parents put up with buying this unncessary environmental nightmare of product packaging?
Don’t believe me that the Capri Sun packages aren’t recyclable? OK, then believe the Capri Sun site:
What is CAPRI SUN packaging made from? Is it recyclable?
CAPRI SUN pouches are polyester-reverse side printed to aluminum then laminated to polyethylene (a plastic polymer). Unfortunately, this packaging is not recyclable. (here)
I’m guessing Capri Sun’s are stuffed in at least 75% of kid’s lunchboxes across the country. Go to any kid’s outing whether it be a birthday party or a soccer game with snacks after the game and chances are really good the kids are going to get a Capri Sun in one of those sleek squeezable pouches that is totally non-recyclable.
Capri Sun’s have become the universal solvent for children’s events. Capri Suns are like beer in college. No matter where you go, that drink is going to be there.
The positive thinking part of me wonders why the package is like this in the first place? Marketing I suppose, but what’s the deal? I’m not an environmental nut (although it seems a few of my complaints do have to deal with the environment) but how did it happen that the most popular kids drink… maybe ever, doesn’t even come in a recyclable container?
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Well,for one thing , my child’s school does not recycle in the lunchroom. So capri sun pouches are small enough not to take up too much space in waste recepticles . They do flatten out and that is probably better than juice boxes where garbage is concerned. I prefer to give my child milk or 100 percent juice . Usually she gets water in a take home bottle that I refill. But yeah, most lunchrooms can’t have 200 plus kids throwing their waste in 3 or four different bins for recyling. I wish they would,but it wouln’t work out .
Sharon on December 28th, 2007 at 7:06 am | Link
Six of one, half dozen of the other… Capri Sun is NOT recyclable, in my town juice boxes are (I and do) but the school does not. Are the pouches biodegradable? Probably not from what I just read they are made of! 100% juice is a great though, but with more nutrients in a Capri Sun (read the label, sadly it’s true… they have a great marketing company) and the same amount of sugars as juice, without the artificial colors like in other junk-juice, Capri Sun is a great alternative. My son wants soda (NO, he can’t have it!) but he thinks Capri Sun is as good as a soda (but I know better). I give him both juice (100% juice, calcium enriched) and milk (organic chocolate or organic strawberry, no dyes) but when he wants something fun, I reach for the Capri Sun. Again, they have a GREAT marketing team!!
Six of one, half dozen of the other. I wish the pouches were recyclable though. I guess I’ll send the company an email, if it matters to them I doubt it.
Susan on January 9th, 2008 at 7:54 am | Link
I was just looking up information on Capri Sun pouches when I came across this website! While I do have the same qualm, that they are very unfortunately not recyclable, I do know kids enjoy this juice very much. And for the mothers that are concerned about sugars, sodas, juices and have a hard time getting their kids to drink the healthier stuff, I’ve been reading up lately and have found that Capri Sun makes a 100% juice version! I’ve gotten my kids to switch with no problem.
Also, when looking at biodegradeable products, you actually do NOT want them to be biodegradable, they need to be PHOTOdegradeable. This is because is an item is biodegradeable its contents will seep into the enviroment while sitting in a landfill. Also, most items do not sit in landfills long enough to fully biodegrade. Therefore, photodegradation allows for the weakening of the product without seeping into the enviroment.
Maria A. on April 8th, 2008 at 5:25 am | Link
check out the company TERRACYCLE. They have a program where they will recycle the Capri Sun packages (along with others) that you return to them in a prepaid envelope sent to you. The company will then make them into purses, school supples, etc. On top of that they will donate 2 cents for every Capri Sun package you have sent them to your favorite charity!
http://www.terracycle.net/dpb/dpb.htm
Astala Vista on August 4th, 2008 at 2:34 pm | Link