Have you ever wondered how to make soda at home – or if it’s even possible? DIYs are always fun, but making your own soda at home can actually save you money and save the environment by avoiding all the single use plastic that comes with regular soda! Keep reading to find out how.
What’s wrong with soda?
Soda bottles are one of the worst plastic polluters. Coca-Cola, one of the world’s largest soda manufacturers, has been named the world’s number one plastic polluter for the third year in a row. According to an annual audit from Break Free From Plastic, bottles from Coca-Cola were found in rivers, parks, and on beaches in 51 out of the 55countries included in the survey.
In the audit, 15,000 volunteers found 346,494 separate pieces of plastic waste. Of that, 63% had a consumer brand logo. This means that of the major plastic polluters, soda bottles are one of the worst – and the majority of it is coming from consumer purchases.
How to make soda at home
The beauty of a plastic free lifestyle is that you don’t have to give up your favorite things. There are so many alternative options out there – including tutorials on how to make soda at home! There are two options you might take: making soda at home with a device or from scratch.
1. Soda Stream:
Although the Soda Stream does use some plastic, it’s much less than buying a bottle of soda at the store. Soda Steam’s carbonating bottles are reusable for up to three years, and on average, owners of the device save 550 plastic bottles each year. Even their flavourings now come in glass bottles with metal screw tops.
2. How to make soda at home without any gear:
With sugar, water, flavorings, and yeast, you can make your own soda at home! You’ll need:
- 2 cups of sugar per gallon of soda desired
- A large stockpot
- A large bucket
- 1 packet of brewers yeast
- Sealable bottles
- Soda extract
- Kitchen thermometer
To make the soda, heat the water and sugar in the stockpot over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Then, add the sugar water into your large bucket and mix in the yeast and soda extract (1 packet of yeast per 4 gallons of water.) Once combined, pour the liquid into bottles and seal them tightly. Store them at 70 degrees Fahrenheit – this is key so that the yeast eats the sugar and creates carbonation.
If using reusable plastic bottles, you’ll know the carbonization is complete when the bottles no longer give and are instead firm – this means the empty space has been filled with carbonization. Store them in the fridge and enjoy!
Ready to ditch the fizzy drinks yet? Drop a comment below and let me know if you’ve ever made soda at home! Share this article with a friend so they can learn how to make soda at home, too!
