(formerly)tangentmind.org

The main reason why I really like cans(as in the cans that food and drink comes in) is that they are very recyclable and usually easily compacted to save space, when they are used.

There are however, a couple things that bother me about cans. Particularly drinking out of aluminum cans. There are the sharp edges, the annoying little tabs that touch your nose and, if there was any substance spilled on them, might stick to your nose. Long ago I started to rip the tabs off for the stickiness factor. Even with the tab gone there is still a chane of stickiness though.

More importantly, however, is the taste. I knew that drink out of an aluminum can tasted different than out of bottles. At one point I particularly liked coca cola out of glass bottles. However, not until I started drinking beer did I realise that I can really taste the can. It is this sort of bitter metallic taste. Depending on the kind of drink that's in the can it is usually a bit different. I can also taste the metal of food cans, and it doesn't usually bothere me as much, but ic can.

I really don't like it. Pouring into a cup helps a little but the taste is still there. With cola and many other products it is not a big deal because plastic bottles are available and the drinks from plastic taste better and, if it is a large container, might be less wasteful. Usually I can't taste the plastic in a drink except for bottled water sometimes. However, colored glass, particularly the brown or green glass that beer comes in, is not recyclable where I live. There are also some new brown plastic bottles which, I think, are not recyclable.

So, while I enjoy drinks out of colored glass, I always feel guilty that I'm not drinking out of something recyclable. Especially when I buy 12 packs.