It is bad enough that the letters are so small you need a microscope to read them, but the grey answers are impossible tp see or read.Why can't you use print like that being used to POST  A COMMENT.

What a great opportunity to educate your fellow association members of alternative and more environmentally friendly ways to socialize! If you
know that you are going to have several parties-- what about purchasing nice reusable coolers and make the punch yourself? MJ

I love Umbra.  It's the first thing I read when I get Grist in my inbox.  But can't we assume that all Grist readers are, in their humble way, actually working to make the planet a cleaner, safer, place?  That perhaps the writer from Lilburn, GA, is bicycling to Costco from her environmentally-planned community? Alright, maybe that's a little far-fetched, but let's quit with the attitude, OK?

For future party reference, the Costco on Steve Reynolds Boulevard has organic apple juice in gallon jugs.

many of the supermarkets in holland and germany I used to shop in when living in those countries offered a table, positioned after the checkout counters, for removal of surplus packaging. customers put the packaging in a box and left it behind - it was disposed of properly by the store. better yet, research companies came to see what was left and I assume they made recommendations to suppliers based on their findings. what I remember were particularly trashed were breakfast cereal boxes (the inner bags are less bulky to carry home) and many other extraneous outer wrappers. I bet by now the cereal companies have come up w/ packaging that leaves their name on the inner wrapper!, at least in places were this program is common.
greening, mihal

I understand that glass glasses are a bad idea around a pool, but what is wrong with real plastic glasses that can be washed and reused - with no waste?  If there are to be several such pool parties, the task of washing and bringing to the next event could be shared, along with the table cloth, the utensils, etc.