Idea Number One: The New SodaStream

When I was little “fizzy drink” (what we called soft drink) was a real treat. Being a child of a large family we very rarely could afford to have soft drink in our house as a regular beverage. 

As children, if we wanted a drink there was either water from the tap or the garden hose, a cup of tea, milk (sometimes with aktavite), my mother’s homemade ginger beer, freshly squeezed orange juice or cordial.

Fizzy drink was the sort of thing reserved for special occasions only, like birthday parties and Christmas.

At least back then the packaging choices for drinks were, in the main, environmentally friendly.  Milk came in recyclable glass bottles which when empty were left outside for the milkman to collect and replaced with full ones.  Soft drink came in glass bottles too and then in cans. Both soft drink bottles and cans were not just recyclable there were actually financial incentives offered for their return – so everyone did.  Ah the good old days!

Then as a young adult in the late 70s and early 80s I remember being introduced via the magic of TV advertising to a “new” device called the “SodaStream” encouraging us to make our own soft drink at home. Sounded like a good idea but bad timing when you consider that it was in the 70s and 80s when we were also being encouraged to become a very-non-green-give-it-to-me-now-throw-away-society.

We were literally being bombarded with everything disposable, a plastic revolution. It was the time when fast food franchises began popping up all over the suburbs. We were seduced into shopping for milk and bread (milk now in disposable cartons rather than bottles and bread wrapped in plastic bags and full of preservatives) at one-stop-shop supermarkets.  Meat and veggies began appearing in convenient serving sizes on black styrofoam trays covered with plastic. Disposable nappies were invented. Plastic bags replaced paper ones, microwave ovens meant we could cook things in minutes – only you had to do it in plastic.

The majority of western society wanted everything fast and easy and didn’t give two hoots about the environmental consequences as long as we saved time. After all we were not our non-working mothers we were the “supermums” running a household and holding down a full-time job. Who among us had time to make their own anything?

The other problem with the SodaStream as I saw it back then, was that it could only make one small 300ml bottle at a time.  It was simply too time consuming to supply a big family that way. Regardless those people who had invested in a SodaStream machine swore by them saying that it was easier than lugging home bags of PET bottles.

Unfortunately (and I am not saying that supermarkets per se are to blame) but little by little SodaStream was losing the battle for convenience and the flavours, the gas cylinders and the bottles became more and more difficult to find on supermarket shelves until they seemed to disappear completely. Replaced by cheaper options such as generic home brand soft drinks as well as the name brands.  

Today it is a different story again and environmental concerns as well as health issues have made us go full circle in our attitudes and thinking, with many people again preferring the DIY when it comes to supplying our families food and beverages.  Along with growing veggies and fruit in our backyards such things as home brewing beer, making your own bread, ice cream, yoghurt and pasta, are all back in vogue with the sales of associated kitchen appliances going through the roof and manufacturers having a hard time keeping up with the demand.

It’s timely then that the new SodaStream is back and better and greener than ever.

No batteries, no electricity and coming complete with family-size 2 X 1 litre reusable (1000 times) PET bottles, SodaStream saves on greenhouse gases and will help any family lower its household carbon footprint not to mention saving them money. Perfect for those of us keen to be actively green.

Ranging in retail price from $69 - $149 it pays for itself in 3-6 months depending on how often it is used.

Speaking of usage it is safe and easy to use, it takes only 3 seconds to make a litre of your favourite soft drink instantly and comes in a great range of flavours including diet varieties.  A simple 2-3 second spurt of CO2 into one of the supplied bottles filled with tap water is all it takes. Then add the flavouring of your choice.  Your grandkids will think it magic – they just love it!

No longer the treat of birthdays and special occasions I keep my SodaStream on the kitchen bench and a bottle of water in the fridge all ready to go. I no longer have to find space in my bursting at the seams pantry to store my beverages of choice. In fact it would be a perfect kitchen/galley addition for anyone living the nomadic caravanning/boating life style or wherever space is limited.

SodaStream Makes Christmas Greener Too

Make your Christmas more earth-friendly this year with the new generation of SodaStream, home soft drink maker, a cheaper and more environmentally friendly option than store-bought drinks.  What a great idea for a gift!

The more you use the more you save with SodaStream, plus with less bottles to carry home from the supermarket or dispose of, SodaStream is lowering your household’s carbon footprint. With the SodaStream system, PET bottles can be reused up to 1000 times and there is no need for batteries or electricity.

“Householders love being actively green,” says Mr Matt Gabelich, General Manager of SodaStream Australia.   “Over the next 12 months, 20 million litres of SodaStream soft drinks will be made and consumed in Australian homes. This equates to 20 million, litre sized bottles that will be saved from going into landfill or clogging up our waterways,” continues Mr Gabelich.

Over a period of three years, a family of four could slash their home soft drink related packaging by approximately 90%.  While on a broader scale, because SodaStream uses water straight from the tap, store-bought bottles become obsolete – this means, less plastic manufactured, less plastic waste and less transport of bottled beverages.

So with Retro being the new catch word, why don’t you go back to the future, and give the new SodaStream a try.

It certainly is a cool way to keep your cool this summer and you will be helping the planet at the same time.

Buying online is an easy greener alternative too. A 500ml bottle of flavouring will only set you back between $5-$7 dollars and give you 12 litres of soft drink – that’s about 45c - 55c a litre. Pretty amazing value if you ask me.  There are even healthy no-sugar flavour choices too.

Every day can be a party day now!

By Bryony

Available from Woolworths supermarkets, Harvey Norman, Kmart, Big W and www.SodaStream.com.au