8 Products You Didn’t Know Were Made From Oil

1. Paper Cups - Paper cups are coated with plastic or wax in order to make them waterproof. We know plastic is derived from oil or natural gas, but did you know most wax is too? The type of wax used to waterproof paper cups is polyolefin wax — which is a polymer derived from oil or natural gas.

2. Candles - Speaking of wax, did you know that candles are also made from polyolefin wax? A natural alternative to burning polyolefin wax candles are beeswax candles.

3. Fruits & Vegetables - That wax coating on your store bought fruits and vegetables is (you guessed it) also made from petroleum. Another good reason to shop at the local farmer’s market!

4. Reusable Shopping Bags - Many reusable shopping bagson the market today are ironically made from the same oil derived materials they are designed to replace. Reusable shopping bags are typically made from non-woven polypropylene — PP or resin ID code 5 for short. While these bags are recyclable, I would recommend purchasing a heavy duty canvas reusable bag instead. Canvas reusable bags are made from cotton, and last longer.

5. Detergent - Most commercially available dish, dishwasher, and laundry detergents contain petroleum based surfactants. Surfactants are the part of the detergent that allows them to pull grease and oil from materials. It also increases water penetration while washing clothing. oil free alternatives are Methodand 7th Generationdetergents.

6. Polyester - You might be wearing oil derived clothing right now! Polyester is derived from PET plastic. The same material as 2 liter soda bottles. As a general rule, most products that start with the prefix “poly” are made of a plastic polymer. If you want to stay away from oil derived fabrics in your clothing, your best choices are hemp or organic cotton clothing.

7. Paint - House paint is made from acrylic latex, yes even the so called eco-friendly brands of paint. Eco-friendly paints are otherwise normal paints that do not produce unpleasant, or harmful odors. Eco-friendly paint is typically marketed as Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) free, but they are still derived from oil.

8. Foil packaging - Vacuum packed coffee, snack, and chip bags that have a thin metal coating on the interior are actually made of Mylar. Mylar is thinly stretched PET plastic, coated with a thin layer of aluminum, and sometimes finished off with a polyethylene laminate. An alternative to purchasing foodstuffs in Mylar packaging is to shop with reusable containers at farmer’s markets, or the bulk section in your grocery store.

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I never realized that so many items contain petroleum. Is it possible to completly eliminate our dependence on oil, when so many products we use in our daily lives are created with oil?

I eat loads of fruit everyday but i feel weird now that i know its got petrol on it tbh.

Good thread

I have been aware of these facts for some time. I do stay away from waxed foods, however everything else in general is not bad. These items do not make us dependent on oil, because there are readily available and abundant alternatives. This cannot be said for oil as a fuel source.

As far as "7.Paint" goes, Sherman Williams actually uses hemp oil in thier paints. They are Americas largest hemp oil importer infact. Hemp is a totaly renewable oil source. I'm not sure about other brands though.

This is the real reason to stop using oil as fuel. We rely on it for so much of our modern comfort, but we decide to burn it. That is part of the reason we are not drilling in Alaska - we freak out about a scarcity of oil now, build up alternative transportation, then our grandchildren will not have to worry about alternatives for more useful oil-based products. They will be driving without gasoline, and domestic oil will be relatively plentiful.

I don't mind that all these products come from oil, but it is a shame that their main ingredient is just burned (though so are candles).