It seems like the number of problems we are confronted with is insurmountable. But, as Lao-tzu said, "the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step." In other words, concentrate on one small issue until it is resolved, then move onto another concern. Today, I would like to write about recycling, more specifically, the use of millions of water bottles consumed every day, not all of which are recycled. Many of us involved in "green" effort believe there is a much better approach.
Everyone agrees that drinking a sensible amount of water daily is a healthy habit. And many of us go to the store and buy cases of bottled water every month. The bottles are not reusable because the plastic they are made of will either decompose and contaminate the water or bacteria will build in the bottle and make it unusable. Even if we recycle all our plastic bottles, the resources used to create them are huge! So the "green" community recommends that we install a water purifier on our tap (because many cities have problems cleaning the water supply) and refilling our own reusable bottles. Not only will we save money, but we will also help save the environment. OK, so far nothing new that you probably have not read before.
The kids and I adopted this strategy. The water filter was a minor adventure, and we settled on a Brita unit for the tap. We have been very happy and the taste of our water is considerably better when is filtered than not. The second part was to get a reusable bottle we could use. After much searching, I bought us several bottle brands, with prices ranging from $6 to $9 each bottle. None of them were worth the price we paid. They either leaked, or were hard to handle, were not safe in the dishwasher, etc. I finally found one that I am happy with and would like to recommend to everyone: the Rubbermaid "RefillReuse" line of bottles rocks! But, there is a catch -- they are not easy to find! I located them by "accident" at a CVS store. The 32 Oz bottle (model 3163, which I prefer) is $2.99, while the 20 Oz unit (model 3161, which is better for the kids) is $3.29. Of course, prices may vary. If you have a CVS near you, I recommend that you get these bottles now! Search the Internet for the same bottles and you will find that they are priced much higher even when bought in case quantities!
I hope this will help you all be healthy and keep our planet a little greener!
Everyone agrees that drinking a sensible amount of water daily is a healthy habit. And many of us go to the store and buy cases of bottled water every month. The bottles are not reusable because the plastic they are made of will either decompose and contaminate the water or bacteria will build in the bottle and make it unusable. Even if we recycle all our plastic bottles, the resources used to create them are huge! So the "green" community recommends that we install a water purifier on our tap (because many cities have problems cleaning the water supply) and refilling our own reusable bottles. Not only will we save money, but we will also help save the environment. OK, so far nothing new that you probably have not read before.
The kids and I adopted this strategy. The water filter was a minor adventure, and we settled on a Brita unit for the tap. We have been very happy and the taste of our water is considerably better when is filtered than not. The second part was to get a reusable bottle we could use. After much searching, I bought us several bottle brands, with prices ranging from $6 to $9 each bottle. None of them were worth the price we paid. They either leaked, or were hard to handle, were not safe in the dishwasher, etc. I finally found one that I am happy with and would like to recommend to everyone: the Rubbermaid "RefillReuse" line of bottles rocks! But, there is a catch -- they are not easy to find! I located them by "accident" at a CVS store. The 32 Oz bottle (model 3163, which I prefer) is $2.99, while the 20 Oz unit (model 3161, which is better for the kids) is $3.29. Of course, prices may vary. If you have a CVS near you, I recommend that you get these bottles now! Search the Internet for the same bottles and you will find that they are priced much higher even when bought in case quantities!
I hope this will help you all be healthy and keep our planet a little greener!
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