The Conscious Shopper: water

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Challengicious Monday: More Outdoor Water Reduction

>> Monday, June 14, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Like last week, this week's water-related challenge is:

Reduce Your Outdoor Water Use

Just a few more random tips for you this week:

Periodically check outdoor faucets, pipes, and hoses for leaks.
Clean your driveway or sidewalk with a broom instead of a hose.
Install water barrels to catch the rain water from your roof.
Weed your lawn and garden regularly so your plants don't have to compete with the weeds for water.
Drive your car through a commercial carwash that recycles water rather than washing by hand. If you do decide to water by hand, wash your car on the grass so you can water the lawn at the same time.
Limit the amount of concrete and wastewater runoff in your yard by using porous materials for walkways, patios, and even driveways.

The main concept with these water-saving tips (and the ones from the past three challenges) is to be mindful of how much water you're using. Every time you turn on the faucet, think to yourself, "How could I reduce the amount of water I need? Is there any way I could reuse this water when I'm done with it?"

In addition to trying to reduce our water usage, we also need to be mindful of what we're putting into our water. Every time you pour something down the drain, it ends up in our water supply.

Are you pouring hazardous materials down the drain? This includes things like paint and motor oil but also cooking oil. Be conscious of how you dispose of materials that could be harmful.
What chemicals are in your personal care products and cleaning supplies? Do your household cleaners contain phosphates, which cause algae blooms that choke out fish and other marine life?
Are you using your toilet as a trash can? If it didn't come out of your own body, it shouldn't be flushed (with toilet paper the exception).
Are you spraying your yard with pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizer? In pursuit of the perfect lawn, many people don't think about the end result of all of those chemicals sprayed in our yards - one good rain, and it runs right off into the gutter, where it ends up in our rivers, lakes, and water sources.

Being mindful of water use is an ongoing process that we're still working on. We bought a water barrel from the Habitat Humanity store a couple months ago that we'll hopefully get set up sometime this week. Maybe...June is a busy month! Stay tuned...

(One more way that we add chemicals to our water supply is through our pharmaceuticals and birth control products. I'd love to have a post about this during our water challenges but don't have time to research right now. If anyone wants to do a guest post on this subject here at The Conscious Shopper, let me know!)

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

You have hereby been challenged to go green in a year without going broke! Check out the last challenge, or view the whole list of Challengicious Mondays. Sign up for my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, and join my "Go Green without Going Broke" group on Facebook!

Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography

Challengicious Monday Reduce Your Outdoor Water Use

>> Monday, June 7, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's this week's water-related challenge

Reduce Your Outdoor Water Use

My out-of-control garden, taller than my five-year-old

Instead of the usual Baby Steps etc., I'm just going to list a bunch of random tips today for watering and landscaping your yard and garden:

The best time to water your lawn or garden is in the early morning.
Make sure your sprinklers are positioned so you're watering the lawn or garden and not the sidewalk.
Check your sprinkler system and outdoor faucets periodically for drips and leaks.
If you have an automatic sprinkler system, install a rain shut-off device so you don't double water. Overwatering can be just as bad for your plants as underwatering (not to mention wasting lots of water).
Set up a drip irrigation system to water near the roots where the plants need it most rather than on the leaves where you could spread disease.
Multi-task by letting your kids run through the sprinkler in a spot of your yard that needs some water, and move the sprinkler throughout the yard rather than always turning it on in the same spot.
Water your plants deeply but less frequently to create healthier and stronger landscapes.
Choose plants that are native to your area and/or require less water.
Plant during the spring or fall rather than midsummer when plants require more water.
Reduce the amount of grass in your yard by adding more trees, shrubs, and ground covers.
Mulch around your plants and garden to keep the soil cooler and avoid evaporation. A good source of mulch is the tree's own leaves - collect them in the fall, shred them, and then spread them around the base of the tree. Or skip the raking and leave them on the ground where they fall.
Keep your lawn mower adjusted to a higher setting - longer grass holds soil moisture better than shorter grass.
Aerate your lawn by poking holes about six inches apart throughout the yard so water will penetrate into the soil and reach the roots rather than running off the surface.

Pretty simple stuff once you get into the habit!

Will you take the challenge?

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Challengicious Monday: More Indoor Water Reduction

>> Monday, May 31, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Like last week's water-related challenge, this week I'm challenging you to:

Reduce Your Indoor Water Use

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Defrost food in the refrigerator rather than under running water.
Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and shaving.
Don't rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Wipe them off with a dishrag or use the method I describe here.
Reuse your towels multiple times to avoid creating extra laundry. Also wear your clothes more than once (not underwear).
Don't use the toilet as a trash can.
Take baths family style - i.e., Mommy and baby, Mommy and Daddy, small kids together.

JOGGING STRIDE

Compost vegetable scraps instead of using the garbage disposal.
Replace showerheads with low-flow varieties and install aerators in your faucets.
Upgrade your toilet to a more efficient model, put a bottle of water in the tank, or install a dual-flush system.

MARATHON RUNNER

If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.
Consider a compostable toilet.
Pee on your garden.

Since I'm no Crunchy Chicken, I'm not up for peeing on my garden just yet, but I would like to install the dual flush system on my toilets. I may not get to it this month, but I'll let you know as soon as I get to it.

I'm happy to report that after looking back over today's challenge and last week's, I'm doing better on water conservation than I thought. It's nice to sometimes get a pat-yourself-on-the-back week.

____________________

image by Joe Shlabotnik

Challengicious Monday: Reduce Your Indoor Water Use

>> Monday, May 24, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your first water-related challenge:

Reduce Your Indoor Water Use

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Fill up your dishwasher all the way before running it.
Conserve water when washing dishes by filling up both sides of the sink - one with hot water to wash in and one with lukewarm/cool water to rinse.
Only wash full loads of laundry. Also, fill up the washing machine to the appropriate level depending on the size of your load.
Keep a pitcher of water in the fridge for cold drinks rather than running the tap until it's cold.
Wash vegetables, fruits, and herbs in a bowl of water rather than running water. Use the collected water on your garden. You can also use cooled pasta water, potato water, and the water from steaming vegetables.
Plug the tub as soon as you turn the water on, and then adjust the temperature while the tub is filling.

JOGGING STRIDE

Take shorter showers. Shorten your shower time by not shaving in the shower or washing your hair every other day.
Use a refillable water bottle to cut down on the amount of glasses that need to be washed each day. Hopefully, you're already doing this.
Monitor your water bill to be on the watch for water leaks.

MARATHON RUNNER

Turn off the water in the shower while you lather up. Turn it back on to rinse.
Keep a bucket in the shower to catch warming-up water. Use it to flush the toilet.
Check your city codes to find out if you can re-route your plumbing to use grey water in your yard rather than sending it to the sewage plant.
Shower every other day.

If you've been a reader of The Conscious Shopper long enough to remember the post I Need...Water (indoors), you may remember that long showers are one of my eco-sins. I hate baths but have a weakness for very hot, very long showers. Trying to get myself to move faster in the morning was a total failure, but going no poo has helped me reduce my shower time on some days since I have less to do in there without washing my hair.

Another one of the challenges that I mean to work on is washing my fruits and veggies in a bowl of water rather than the sink. I've been concerned about our increased water use with the garden this year, and that would be one way to cut back a tiny bit.

The Marathon Runner challenges are pretty extreme, so don't feel down on yourself if you're just not ready to advance that far. I'll admit upfront that I dream of a grey water system but besides that my green side is a little lighter in this category.

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image by stevendepolo

Water Down

>> Sunday, May 23, 2010

We've Trimmed Our Waste Lines and Energized, and now it's time to...

Water Down

There are only two categories in this part of The Conscious Shopper Challenge, but there's a lot to do in each challenge, so I'm stretching it out over four weeks instead of two. Over the next four weeks, I'll challenge you with lots of ways to:

Reduce your indoor water use. (Part 1 and Part 2)
Reduce your outdoor water use. (Part 1 and Part 2)

Even if you live in an area where water seems plentiful, it's still important to be conscious of your water consumption. Here in North Carolina, we have a hot humid climate where water seems to flow in abundance. Yet just a few years ago there was a terrible drought, and the greenies around here are in constant discussion about how to protect our polluted and depleting source of water - Falls Lake.

Water is an immensely important resource, both for our own consumption and for the consumption of the plants we depend on for food, and we need to be ever mindful of how we're using it and what we're letting flow into it.

So let's get to it and see if we can water down in 2010. Come back tomorrow for the first water challenge.

**WATER DOWN CHECKLIST** Keep track of your eco-changes by printing this checklist on recycled paper OR be extra green by saving your own editable digital copy.

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Photo by Snap

The Rest of My Loot from Reuseit.com

>> Friday, May 21, 2010

As I wrote a few weeks ago, I recently bought several items from Reuseit.com during their big Earth Month sale. Besides the Goodbyn lunchboxes, I also bought a new water bottle and some stainless steel straws.

I was so so bummed a couple months ago when I left my stainless steel water bottle at the playground. I tried to go back and get it, but some very thirsty stranger must have found it, took it home, now uses it every day, and loves the stainless steel treasure they found in the park. I'm hoping...

I am such a rebel at heart that it pains me to buy products from brands that are really popular. I didn't want a Klean Kanteen because everyone has a Klean Kanteen. Yet here I am with a Klean Kanteen and all I can say is, "It was a really good deal!!!"

I went with the 12 oz.wide-mouth insulated stainless steel bottle and also bought the cafe cup lid. The reasons I went with this particular bottle are many-fold:

My last bottle was ginormous and luggy. This time I wanted something small enough that it could fit in my purse.
I wanted something that could be used for both water and hot chocolate so that I didn't have to remember my thermos. Cuz I never do.
I wanted something that would keep my water cold so I could leave it in the car and still satisfy my kids after an hour on the playground (instead of hearing them complain "this water tastes weird!")

So far I only have one complaint about my new bottle: If I leave the water in the bottle overnight, it tastes very strange the next day - kind of plasticky actually, which makes me wonder what they used to insulate it. I've also wondered if I'm just crazy because surely the stainless steel would keep out whatever they've used to insulate the bottle. Maybe it's really metal I'm tasting and I'm just clueless about what metal tastes like...

I also bought these stainless steel straws. Not because I don't love my Glass Dharma straws, because I really really do. But glass and a two-year-old, not the best plan. These straws now hang out in my To-Go Kit, ready to save hundreds of disposable straws from a sad, sad fate.

I feel a little sheepish about this particular purchase because I didn't research it at all before buying and have no idea if it fits my usual standards. I'm trusting Reuseit.com's standards on this one.

If you're in need of some lunchboxes, water bottles, stainless steel straws, and much much more, Reuseit.com has a special free shipping coupon for this weekend only. Simply type in the coupon code NEWCUST25 during checkout to receive free shipping on orders of $25 or more. The code is for new customers only, cannot be combined with other coupons, and doesn’t apply to volume or wholesale orders. Happy shopping!

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Disclosure: I am an ambassador for Reuseit.com. Check out my About page for more info on what that means and always remember to be a Conscious Shopper.

EcoUsable Product Review and Giveaway

>> Friday, February 12, 2010

After the reusable water bottle challenge, a couple people asked me where I got the bottle my son is drinking out of. Well, here's your answer:

ECOUSABLE REVIEW

EcoUsable carries two types of bottles: standard stainless steel bottles in 10, 16, and 33 oz. sizes, and Ech2o Filtered water bottles in 18 and 25 oz. sizes. They also carry a wide variety of Water Wrapz - a sleeve that fits around the bottles for a comfortable hold and stylish look. Each standard bottle comes with a color coordinated carabiner so you can attach your bottle to your purse, bag, or backpack, and sports caps are also available. The Ech2o bottles contain a filter that will remove a variety of contaminants and can be used to filter up to 100 gallons of water. They come with a flip top.

Before I contacted EcoUsable about doing a review, we already had one of each type of bottle, so you can probably already guess that I like them. I especially like the standard bottles. With all of the stainless steel water bottles flooding the market, why do I like these bottles so much?

I think EcoUsable is a perfect stainless steel water bottle for kids. Here's why:

They have a slim, easy to hold design.
The 10 oz. and 16 oz. sizes are perfect for small and medium-sized kids.
The loop caps attach with a "half loop turn," which makes them easy to get on and off.
The sports caps are perfect for small kids that can't handle the loop cap.
The bottles come in fun colors and patterns.
The affordable Water Wrapz make it possible to spice up a bottle your child has fallen out of love with.
The price is not exorbitant.

I'm less enthusiastic about the Ech2o bottles - not because I don't think they're great but because I don't have as much need for that type of bottle in my life, and they are very pricey. But I think you should give the Ech2o a look if you have any of the following needs:

You don't like the taste of your tap water.
You're concerned about the quality of your city's tap water and are often away from home.
You camp/hike/backpack and need to filter water from rivers or lakes.
You want a filtered water bottle for your 72-hour emergency kit.
You want to keep a filtered water bottle in your car for emergencies.

Packaging

The water bottles arrived at my door in a cardboard box stuffed with newspaper. The bottles themselves are encased in a biodegradable baggie. Personally, I'm not a fan of bioplastics and think the bottles would be just fine shipping without the baggies. The sports caps are individually packaged in regular plastic.

Materials

All EcoUsable bottles are made of 304 food grade stainless steel and can be recycled at the end of their lives. Unlike aluminum bottles, stainless steel bottles do not leach and require no inner lining. The caps are made of #5 BPA-free plastic. On the bottom of each bottle is a non-slip pad made of non-toxic ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) - check out Healthy Child Healthy World for more info on EVA. The Water Wrapz are 70% polyester and 30% natural latex rubber.

Manufacturing

EcoUsable bottles are made in China, although the Ech2o filters are produced in the U.S. Regarding manufacturing, EcoUsable says:

To keep prices affordable we responsibly produce our bottles in China. We have an experienced and dependable team in China that visits the manufacturing facility on a regular basis. Our factory staff are all over 19 years of age, paid competitive wages for the area, and have a safe working environment. We hand inspect each shipment to ensure that EcoUsable's high quality standard is maintained. You can rest assured that we work in a socially responsible manner to bring you the highest quality bottle at a reasonable price.

Quality

Stainless steel is a long-lasting, durable material, and both the standard bottles and the Ech2o seem well-constructed. However, unless you are ultra careful, expect that your bottle will get dents and scuffs.

Affordability

The standard bottles range in price from $12.50 to $18.50, a typical price for a good stainless steel water bottle. As I already mentioned, the 25 oz. Ech2o bottles are very pricey at $40 each. (Unfortunately, I don't have the price on the 18 oz. bottles.) I personally think the Ech2o is less of an everyday use bottle and more of a special occasion bottle for situations like camping, hiking, backpacking, and emergencies.

Availability

EcoUsable bottles are available in 1,500 retail stores nationwide and of course online at ecousable.com. You can also purchase bottles branded with your group's logo for fundraising and promotional purposes.

Visit ecousable.com for more information and to purchase your own EcoUsable bottles!

GIVEAWAY

EcoUsable sent me everything but the kitchen sink for this giveaway. I have a 33 oz. standard bottle, two 16 oz. standard bottles, one 10 oz. standard bottle, one 25 oz. Ech2o, two 18 oz. Ech2os, five Water Wrapz, and two sports caps.

So that means, lucky readers, that there will be two winners of this giveaway! The first place winner will get his/her choice of four water bottles, three wrapz, and one sports cap. The second place winner will get what's left (including three water bottles, two wrapz, and one sports cap).

~~To enter:~~

~~Leave a comment on this post stating why you use a reusable water bottle. If you haven't switched to a reusable bottle yet, you can say why you want to switch.~~

You can earn up to two extra entries by sharing this post on Facebook or tweeting it on Twitter and then leaving a comment for each thing that you do. This is completely based on the honor system, and remember that each comment is a separate entry.

~~You have until next Thursday, February 18 to enter. I'll randomly select two winners and announce the results next Friday. Good luck!~~

Comments are closed. The 1st place winner is DownDoggin in MN, who wrote:

I use a reusable water bottle because it's better for the planet, easy, cheap, and I can't see any reason not to. Here's my two cents for the day; you can fill them 3/4 of the way, throw them in the freezer and use them to keep you cooler cold on camping trips, when the ice melts you have extra drinking water...and I fill my bottle up at gas stations using the soda machines, nine out of ten times there's a water tab on them. It's an easy way to continue using your bottle without having to fill it in the gas station bathroom and it's free :)

The 2nd place winner is Wonder-ful, who wrote:

I was just talking to my grandma about trying a reusable water bottle. I have a stainless steel one that when filled with water from the fridge, keeps is very very cold for a long time.

She uses plastic bottles and insists on having them kept in the fridge to ensure that the water is cold at any given point in time.

My arguement is that by getting her a bottle that miraculously keeps water cold for hours at a time we'd be saving a butt-load of money and our sanity (as we're the ones going back and fourth between her and the fridge)

I'm entering for her.

Congratulations to both of you! Please email me with your address to consciousshopperblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

If you don't win this giveaway, don't worry...all is not lost. You can use the coupon code ECO10 to receive 10 percent off of the purchase of your very own EcoUsable water bottle.

____________________

You have hereby been challenged to go green in a year without going broke! Check out the last challenge, or view the whole list of Challengicious Mondays.

Like what you see? Sign up for my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, and join my "Go Green without Going Broke" group on Facebook! You can also find me over at The Green Phone Booth.

Disclosure: EcoUsable sent me several water bottles to be able to write this review but did not compensate me in any other way. Most of the information in this review comes from EcoUsable's website, but the opinions are entirely my own.

Blah Blah Bottled Water

>> Wednesday, January 27, 2010

I'm over at The Green Phone Booth again today with some reasons to give up bottled water:
While ranting to my mom about my personal peeve with the overpackaging of otherwise green products, I mentioned that I had written a letter to Seventh Generation asking why their paper towels are wrapped in plastic although their toilet paper is wrapped in paper. My mom replied, "I don't even know where to find Seventh Generation paper towels."

I thought my mom hit on a major point. Many, many Americans are in the same boat as my parents, who live in a small town in Kentucky. They want to be more environmentally conscious, but the only place to shop is Walmart, and their town doesn't even collect recycling.

Luckily, there are still things they can do, and one of the simplest green steps they can take is to break up with bottled water.

Read more...

____________________

You have hereby been challenged to go green in a year without going broke! Check out the latest challenge, or view the whole list of Challengicious Mondays.

Like what you see? Sign up for my RSS feed, follow me on Twitter, and join my "Go Green without Going Broke" group on Facebook! You can also find me over at The Green Phone Booth.

Challengicious Monday: Start Using a Reusable Water Bottle/Thermos

>> Monday, January 25, 2010

Mondays are challengicious at The Conscious Shopper. Here's your next trash-related challenge:

Start using a reusable water bottle/thermos

To complete this challenge, you can...

BABY STEPS

Use a reusable water bottle/thermos at work. The office is the perfect place to start this challenge because so many offices provide free coffee, filtered water...and styrofoam cups. A nice gesture, but you can do better. Bring your own mug or thermos to work for coffee and a mug or water bottle for water. (This challenge is based on the assumption that you're using reusable glasses at home. If not, start there!)

JOGGING STRIDE

Break up with bottled water. Bottled water is expensive and comes in disposable plastic packaging that could be leaching into your water. Plus, filtered tap water is just as clean as bottled water (in many cases, bottled water is just tap water with fancy packaging). Save money, save resources, avoid toxins...Avoiding bottled water is a Conscious Shopper no-brainer.

MARATHON RUNNER

Use your own water bottle/thermos at restaurants. Once you've got the hang of reusing at home and work, it's time to take your new habit out into the world. When you go to a restaurant that uses disposable cups, ask them to put your beverage in your own water bottle or thermos.

I say water bottle or thermos throughout this post, but really the focus is on switching from a single-use product (such as a styrofoam cup) or single-use packaging (such as a water or soda bottle) to a product that is reusable and long-lasting, whether that's a stainless steel water bottle, a thermos, a mug, a glass jar, or even just a glass from your kitchen cupboard.

I debated over which challenge to make the Jogging Stride and which to make the Marathon Runner, and ultimately I think it depends on what's hardest for you. I never got into a bottled water habit, so it wasn't hard for me to give up, though it might be for some people. On the other hand, I'm still working on being brave enough for "public displays of eco-affection," so asking the Starbucks barista to put my hot chocolate in the thermos I brought is a challenge for me. What do you think?

Will you take the challenge?

____________________

I Need...Water (indoors)

>> Monday, August 10, 2009

I'm working on being more conscious of my water use this month. Water conservation is one of those great ways I can save money so I can shift my savings to my grocery bill, and as we're still adjusting to this house (been here a month), it's a good opportunity to start off right with our water use. And besides, water is really, really important (duh).

(And by the way, am I the only one who was freaked out by the last James Bond movie?)

I've put together this list of all the tips I could find on ways to conserve water, ordered as usual from easy to hard. My focus here is on indoor water use - I'll talk about outdoor use in another post.

BABY STEPS

Fill up your dishwasher all the way before running it.
Conserve water when washing dishes by filling up both sides of the sink - one with hot water to wash in and one with lukewarm/cool water to rinse.
Only wash full loads of laundry. Also, fill up the washing machine to the appropriate level depending on the size of your load.
Keep a pitcher of water in the fridge for cold drinks rather than running the tap until it's cold.
Wash vegetables, fruits, and herbs in a bowl of water rather than running water. Use the collected water on your garden. You can also use cooled pasta water, potato water, and the water from steaming vegetables.
Plug the tub as soon as you turn the water on, and then adjust the temperature while the tub is filling.
Defrost food in the refrigerator rather than under running water.
Turn off the water while brushing your teeth and shaving.
Don't rinse your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. Wipe them off with a dishrag or use the method I describe here.
Reuse your towels multiple times to avoid creating extra laundry. Also wear your clothes more than once (not underwear).
Don't use the toilet as a trash can.
Take baths family style - i.e., Mommy and baby, Mommy and Daddy, small kids together.

JOGGING STRIDE

Take shorter showers. Shorten your shower time by not shaving in the shower or washing your hair every other day. (My husband says this is a Baby Step. See the below section on "Where I'm At" to see why I say it's a Jogging Stride step.)
Use a refillable water bottle to cut down on the amount of glasses that need to be washed each day.
Monitor your water bill to be on the watch for water leaks.
Compost vegetable scraps instead of using the garbage disposal.
Replace showerheads with low-flow varieties and install aerators in your faucets.
Upgrade your toilet to a more efficient model or put a bottle of water in the tank.

MARATHON RUNNER

Turn off the water in the shower while you lather up. Turn it back on to rinse.
Keep a bucket in the shower to catch warming-up water. Use it to flush the toilet.
Check your city codes to find out if you can re-route your plumbing to use grey water in your yard rather than sending it to the sewage plant.
Shower every other day.
If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.
Consider a compostable toilet.
Pee on your garden.

If these tips have only wet your appetite for more, the best resource I found on water use is at Water Use It Wisely.

Tips for the Budget Conscious
All of these water saving tips can also save you money, but several of the Jogging Stride tips involve a small initial investment. Here are my suggestions for those:

I did a quick search on prices for compost bins, compost tumblers, and vermiculture stations, and they seem to run about $100 and up. I'm putting together a homemade worm bin that shouldn't cost me more than $40 total, including the worms. I'll provide more details soon, but you can easily find instructions for making your own compost bin (with or without worms) on the Internet.
I've been staring at my showerheads since we moved in wondering how I can tell if they're low-flow or not. Here's a tip from the aforementioned Water Use It Wisely site: "If your shower fills a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, replace the showerhead with a water-efficient model." Don't waste money replacing a showerhead that's already efficient!
Unless you already have plans to upgrade your toilets, it's much cheaper just to put a bottle in the tank. Just don't use a brick - it could break the toilet!

Where I'm At
Good on the Baby Steps. Working on the Jogging Stride. Do one of the Marathon Runners (and I'll let you guess which one).

My biggest downfall with water use is long showers. It is one of my eco-sins. The thing is, I don't feel like I'm dawdling in the shower. It really takes me that long! But I do keep my showers far hotter than I should (and I crank up the heat throughout the shower to get that good "frog in a pot of boiling water" effect).

Photo by Snap

This post was included in the Carnival of the Green #193 at EcoChic.

Related Posts:

Break Your Bottled Water Habit

>> Wednesday, October 22, 2008

While ranting to my mom yesterday about my personal peeve with the overpackaging of otherwise good products, I mentioned that I had written a letter to Seventh Generation asking why their paper towels are wrapped in plastic while their toilet paper is wrapped in paper. My mom replied, "I don't even know where to find Seventh Generation paper towels."

I thought my mom hit on a major point. Many, many Americans are in the same boat as my parents, who live in a small town in Kentucky. They want to be more environmentally conscious, but the only place to shop is Walmart (which I've already noted is lacking in the "green" department) and their town doesn't even collect recycling.

Luckily, there are still things they can do, and here's one from the super awesome folks at New American Dream:

Break the Bottled Water Habit, Win a Prize and Cut Your Carbon

When you want pure, healthy drinking water, you should reach for bottled water, right? Surprisingly, on neither a personal nor a global level are you making a healthy choice.

For each gallon of water bottled, two gallons are wasted; producing the plastic wastes the energy equivalent of a quarter-bottle’s worth of oil. And what’s in the bottle could just be tap water.

New American Dream and Corporate Accountability International is asking you to think about where the water in that bottle came from, where the plastic is going, and take the Break the Bottled Water Habit pledge(water.newdream.org) and drink to a healthy ecosystem.

During October, make a conscious choice to slake your thirst without drying up our planet’s resources. In addition to benefiting the environment, participants will have a chance to win a free condo for a week at a ski resort in Idaho. Visit the website (water.newdream.org) now to get started.

I can already hear the protests:

"But my tap water isn't clean!"

The truth is, at least 40 percent of bottled water is tap water anyway, and most tap water meets the EPA's standards for water quality. But if you're still concerned about the cleanliness of your tap water, you can always buy a filter.

"But bottled water is more convenient!"

Buy a reusable water bottle. Get a nice stainless steel model, or go the No Impact Man route: recycle a glass jar. Seriously, if my four-year-old and three-year-old can learn to carry a water bottle with them when they leave the house, you can do it too.

"I already reuse my water bottle. And then I recycle it."

Kudos on the reusing and recycling. The problem here is that the plastic used to make water bottles (PET) is not meant for multiple use and can lead to nasty stuff like bacteria and chemical-leaching.

"But bottled water tastes better!"

Okay, if you really like the taste of plastic, you've got me there, but at least consider that tap water costs on average .2 cents per gallon. That's 750-2700 times cheaper than bottled water.

Be a Conscious Shopper, and break your bottled water habit!