water bottle facts

• 63.4 billion plastic bottles end up in landfills or the ocean each year.
• Only about 27% of all water bottles are recycled. 
• Even so, recycling is time consuming and expensive. 

I've said it before, water bottles are like cockroaches. There are better options!

Cleaning the cleaner

The irony of some cleaning appliances like dishwahsers, is that they themselves get bogged down in unpleasant scents over time!

Try this with that round, yellow power house Martha Stewart once told you to use as decoration:  to sanitize your dishwasher and remove mineral deposits and odors, remove all dishes. Place ¼ cup of lemon juice in the soap dispenser and run through the normal cycle. Your dishwasher will be clean and smell wonderful!

Take a Breath . . .

A shout-out to non-believers of Global Warming:

Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof. ~John Kenneth Galbraith

Fuel Your Car Not Your Bottle

Fact: It takes over 1.5 million barrels of oil to manufacture a year’s supply of bottled water. That’s enough oil to fuel 100,000 cars.*

Clearly, there are more efficient ways to supply your body with water.



*from Earth911.com

An Open and Shut Case

You spent hours agonizing over what color, length, and type of curtains to buy. You dropped significant dollars to get custom-made blinds that perfectly accented your room decor. You believed them when decorators talked about the simple facelift window treatments can provide a room, but did you know they can also save you on energy costs?

It doesn't get much simpler than this: in colder temperatures, open your curtains or blinds in the morning to let the sunlight in when you're leaving for work, school, or play. Any warmth you get from the natural rays is warmth you don't have to turn up the thermostat for.

The reverse is true in the summer. I know, the sunlight is beautiful and lights up the room (and opening the blinds or curtains may be habit) but save that for when you'll be home to enjoy it! During the week, if you're going to work for eight hours anyway, leave the blinds closed until you get home. You can keep the room a degree or two cooler and still open the window treatments when you get home to bask in the evening rays.

No, this is not going to eliminate your need for air conditioning or heat. But it can help you use less of both. Just open and shut.

The Dishwasher Did It!

Remember back in the day when you had to wash your dishes twice before putting them in the dishwasher or they wouldn't come out clean? Well dishwasher's have come a long way, baby. It's time for your habits to upgrade too.

Just scrape your scraps into the trash instead of running all that water rinsing your dishes. Put it in the dishwasher and look--it actually washes it for you. Go figure! It's exactly as the inventor intended.

Take a Breath

Author unknown, commonly mis-attributed to Charles Darwin:
It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. 

When Life Gives You Lemons . . .

When life gives you lemons--it's a good thing! This post series will reveal the many ways to turn a lemon (often used to describe a broken, no good car or appliance) into a multi-faceted household product. And did I mention cheap and green? I mean yellow . . .

Lemon as odor remover. Use the invigorating, refreshing smell of lemons to:
Freshen a stinky garbage disposal. Slice the lemon and drop in. Turn on the disposal and wash with just enough water to release the lemon zest. Don't overdo the water, of course!

The Power Triad of Natural Cleaning

Consider vinegar, baking soda, and lemons your power triad of natural cleaning. All three are natural cleaning items that either rival manufactured cleaning solutions, or rival them with a little more elbow grease. In general, they are simple and safe to use, and are generally much cheaper than the products you buy in the store. With the rub against them (pun intended!) being you sometimes have to scrub a little harder, consider it a cleaning workout as well and pat yourself on the back for saving a trip to the gym ;)

Seriously, using these items is often much easier than reputed. I think you'll see that as I share their powers over a series of posts. For today, commit to buying them the next time you go shopping. And, as I share their range of uses, try one or two from the posts.

Ancient Proverb: 
Good habits result from resisting temptation.

Take A Breath

Hope it's been a good week. 
Hope you managed to work some of the suggestions in. 
Hope you're at least thinking about working some of the suggestions in . . .Robert C. Gallagher:
Change is inevitable - except from a vending machine. 

Dude! You Can't Listen To Music On A Water Bottle

Fact:

• In 2007 we spent $16 billion on bottled water. That’s more than we spent on iPods or movie tickets.*

So put down that disposable water bottle and go buy yourself an iPod . . . just kidding . . . buy yourself a recyclable water bottle.

*from Earth911.com

Take a Breath

Dr. Rob Gilbert: 
First we form habits, then they form us. Conquer your bad habits, or they'll eventually conquer you.

A Nudge Here, A Nudge There

When I went to pick up a pizza yesterday, there was a sign on the napkin holder that said, “remember paper comes from trees. Please conserve.” It actually made me take less napkins than I normally would. Sometimes we do things so unconsciously--like my grabbing gobs of napkins when I pick up take-out orders and then stuffing the extras in my glove compartment. A little reminder can go along way to remind people like me that I already have three trees of napkins stuffed in my car!

So, on that note what do you think about us adding this to our emails?

P Save A Tree- Don't print this if you don't have to.

Take a Breath

Harold Wilson:
He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery. 

Unplug. Conserve. Save.

Even when powered off, appliances from air conditioners to DVD players draw power. Called "stand by power," it enables devices to be ready to spring into action when we turn them on. Unfortunately, the most inefficient of these electronics and appliances can draw 15-30 watts of power when off! Stand by power is 5% of the residential energy used in the United States every year. If you multiply even a low estimate of 5 watts by the amount of devices you have in your house by days of the year . . . are we on the same wavelength about this?

And let's keep it real--my Tivo takes about 10 minutes to restart anytime it's unplugged, so I'm not even going to pretend that I'm going to unplug that even when I have nothing scheduled to tape. But, just looking around my home I've already found five things I can easily unplug until I need to use them such as my toaster, coffee maker, printer, desk lamp, blow dryer . . . Look around. How many do you see?

Habit Breaker Check In

It's been a few months. It's a good time to check in and see what habits you're been able to adopt this month, what new information you've learned, and what you're struggling with. Habits are hard to break. So it's really important to pat yourself on the back for any little improvement. Not only is it reinforcement, it begins the domino effect of doing more and making it feel more convenient/easy to do so.

My report card:
I've ramped up my reusable bag usage. I'm great at grocery, pharmacy and farmer's market. For some reason, I still forget when I go clothes and shoes shopping. I'm working on that.

I'm reading labels more, conscious of times my son and I leave the water running, and always have lemons in the house. I've stopped leaving my car idling unnecessarily.

My biggest struggle has been standby power. I plug things out. I plug it in to use it. The next time I go to use it, I realize it's still plugged in. I'm not sure why it's a battle for me to remember this, but at least I'm conscious of it.

So some good, some weak areas, but I'm proud of a lot of new consciousness and new information. Being informed makes me feel good and able to change. I hope you're feeling the same way.

Aggressive Driving = Aggressive Fuel Use

Why's everyone looking at me when I post this? I know, I know, I'm the worst offender here. Yes, I know moderate driving can save me an average of 31% on my fuel consumption (and possibly up to 37%)--at least, I know that now.

I'm taking my pedal off the metal. I promise. Will you?

Take a Breath . . .quotes

Nathaniel Emmons: 
Habit is either the best of servants or the worst of masters.

Still Hitting the bottle?

I know I've been harping on water bottles lately, but maybe this will this help you switch to a recyclable water bottle: Bottled water costs between $1 and $4 per gallon, and 90 percent of the cost is in the bottle, lid and label.*

*from Earth911.com

Nuke it!

I know a few people who don't have a microwave. I am not one of those people. I use mine regularly--reheating leftovers, making popcorn, steaming frozen vegetables, etc. But of course there are certain things that I'm happy to take the longer route of firing up the conventional oven for like pizza. Pizza is just not worth it's weight in dough when heated in a microwave.

For years my microwave been my secret kitchen assistant that I guiltily yet constantly used, but now, I'm feeling green and like gloating! The truth is, microwaves are up to 75% more energy efficient than baking in the oven! Who knew the microwave was such a good alternative. Who knew all those years I thought I was being lazy I was actually really thinking of the environment. . .

Sent From Your Electronic Heart

There will be a few people/entities that won't agree with me on this one, but I'll still suggest that for the next birthday or event, how about sending and e-card instead of a paper one? I'm talking saving paper, fuel, and the inevitable trash when it gets thrown out two weeks later!

I know the post office will disagree. Hallmark will protest. And my friend in Florida will roll her eyes at because she thinks e-cards are crass. But I don't think any of the sentimentality in the thought is lost if it appears on your screen versus in your mailbox. What else matters? I mean, when was the last time you had the pleasure of opening a card and finding good old cash in it anyway? See? It may as well be electronic! And by the way, those plastic gift cards? They can be sent from the e-heart too . . .

Cruise Into Savings

Speaking of cars . . . You know that set of buttons around your steering wheel you almost never use? Well, you’ve already bought them, so it's time to make them earn their cost. By using cruise control when possible, you can save an average of 7% and potentially up to 14% of the fuel during a trip.

Apparently, cruise control not only eliminates the frequent speeding up and slowing down we do when our foot's on the pedal, but we're less inclined to weave and make unnecessary moves when in cruise mode (guilty as charged!); however, this benefit is only on flat roads and not in mountainous ones where the mechanisms will overwork trying to maintain your set speed.

So the car is driving itself and saving you money -- sounds like a good deal to me.

Take a Breath . . .

Don't be deterred! You can make a change . . . 

"Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of."

-unknown

Hot Enough For You?

Here's an easy energy saver that I hadn't even thought about: ovens only need about five minutes to heat to the temperature you've set. This is the point where I confess I've never paid attention to how long I've left my oven preheating, but I'm sure it's gone even as long as 20 minutes while I got just one more thing done around the house . . .

Now I'm sure many of you have fancy newer ovens that let you know when the oven is ready. That's great if you actually pay attention to it. And for the rest of us, here's what I do now: I always set the timer when I put things in the oven. Now I also use the timer for preheating. Easy enough for me. Easy enough for you.

Make Your Green Powerful

Ever got mad about the poor customer service you received from a company you spent your hard earned dollars with? Think of all the other business practices that upset you: poor green policy implementation, discriminatory employee standards, price gouging . . . the list can unfortunately be long. Now there's something you can do without having to go cold turkey on using retail therapy: The Better World Shopping Guide. Using 75 different categories, this book rates companies on their human rights, environment, animal protection, community involvement and social justice practices! And it's only $10 bucks!

So if you're committed to changing your environmental practices, make the places you endorse financially do the same. To paraphrase from the site: Money is power and corporations are not democratic--unless we use our money to vote!

The Good, the Bad, The Junk Mail

Years ago I read a book on decluttering and it suggested opening junk mail over the trash. That way, it never makes it further into your house and into piles that taunt to organize them when you really just want to catch up on episodes of Grey's Anatomy on your Tivo. Since it's junk any, the idea went, just trash it right away. Like so many other very solid practices we may have made habits, this one is just not good enough anymore. Why wait till trees are cut down, energy resources are put into printing and mailing, and then more landfill material is created?

Do a simple Google search on "junk mail opt out." You'll find a few zillion services that will help you stop junk mail coming to your home. You only need one. Any one. Once your name is off the mailable list in about 2-4 weeks, that's one less mailer/coupon that will get produce and mailed in your name.

There are lots of important statistics about the damage junk mail can cost, but this one you might not have heard before: On average, Americans spend about 8 months opening junk mail in their lifetime. That's two whole seasons of Grey's . . !

Take a Breath

Nelson Mandela:
Where people of goodwill get together and transcend their differences for the common good, peaceful and just solutions can be found even for those problems which seem most intractable.

It’s Always the Little Things

When I came across an article about parallel parking, I really did laugh out loud. And the face of one of my dear friends—who will remain nameless—came to mind. The author's tongue-in-cheek report on the emissions emitted by those who circle around and around looking for parking spots because they don't know how to park is funny. But true. Can we save the earth by taking the first spot we see every time? Should we force friends like mine into parallel parking anonymous therapy groups? No, but what stood out for me is that little things do matter. And we often take a lot of those little things for granted.

So whether it's parking further from the mall so you drive less, combine your errands into one trip so you're on the road only once, or yes, increase your parallel parking confidence so you can fit into smaller spots, commit to a couple of these little things and we'll add them all up together.

And if you are like my friend and need a little more than a pat on the back when it comes to parallel parking, there are Smart Parking systems out there obviously just for you!

Neighbor Goodies

I love going to the farmer's market. And it's not just because I can make a meal out of all the great samples they give away. There's just always a great vibe, beautiful displays of produce, and vendors and customers always wear a smile. But apart from the aesthetics and munchies, there are some great reasons to add shopping at the farmer's market to your standard routine.

It sounds simple and it is: food produced locally use less energy from the farm to your table. Think about the transportation and storage costs involved in shipping lettuce from California (where 95% of the US's lettuce is produced) to Connecticut. The benefit for the environment is obvious. And don't forget the benefit to you: fresher and often cheaper products. Also, sold to you by someone with real pride in the item.

And if that hasn’t swayed you, think of this: I know your big chain grocery store manager won't let you try every type of orange before you buy one!

Take a Breath . . .

Desiderius Erasmus: 
A nail is driven out by another nail. Habit is overcome by habit.

They Never Come With Batteries

If you live in a household like mine, a good battery is hard to find. Wii and XBox 360 controllers and wireless computer mouse and keyboard are the main culprits thanks to excessive usage by an 11-year-old and his buddies on their many missions to slay evil creatures set to invade Earth. It's clearly a noble mission they take on, but my wallet struggles to continue funding my household's Earth Defense Battery Budget. And the used batteries are doing no one any good if we throw them in the trash.

Americans purchase nearly 3 billion drycell batteries every year—I think my son purchases 1 billion of them. If you've got kids who get noisy, plastic toys for holiday and birthday gifts, I know your shopping list too often reads: juice, bread, batteries . . . Aside from the cost, the problem is heavy metals from batteries are bad for the environment when they seep into soil, air and groundwater from landfills. Recycling them can prevent that and save resources because the recovered plastic and metals from used batteries can be used to make new ones.

So, here's the first thing I suggest if you're going to try and be a better battery consumer. Definitely don't throw batteries in the trash. I keep a bag of all my Earth Defender's used batteries. Then:
- Some stores with battery recycling drop-off areas have admitted trashing the batteries they collect. Though this is no recycling guarantee, if this is your only option, it's still better odds than throwing them in your trash. In my city I have dropped batteries off at Rite Aid and Staples.
- An actual city/town recycling center will properly dispose of the batteries. Check online for drop off areas in your town.

Your Kid Knows Her Green

Look, they already think they're smarter than us. And in some ways they are. Many schools have recycling education programs. Some of the programs are very involved. Some have recycling events frequently. That means that the little details we try to keep straight in our heads (along with remembering to make car payments, pick up milk, and reschedule doctor's appointments) about recycling basics are already things they know offhand.

Exchanges like this are often heard in my household:
Me: What plastic bottles can be recycled again . . . ?
My son: One and two. Seven's nonrecyclable.

All without him looking up from his video game. So since we've spent most of our brain cells raising them anyway, why not use theirs to help us grow a little greener at home!

Take a Breath

Joan Wallach Scott:
Those who expect moments of change to be comfortable and free of conflict have not learned their history. 

Water Bottles are Like Cockroaches

Does this concern you as much as it concerns me: Plastic bottles take 700 years before they begin to decompose in a landfill*


*from Earth911.com

Water

March's water saver:

Compost food scraps instead of using your garbage disposal.

Java Mug Take 2 . . .

Yesterday I mentioned that I had started using a travel mug daily to reduce my usage of disposable cups. Because coffee if one of my four main food groups (the others being bread, cheese and wine), I took a deeper look at my habit—one part wanting good quality coffee, one part morning laziness—of buying coffee so often.

The first part was simple, mornings and I generally don't get along. But that was exacerbated by my French press, which while it makes amazing coffee, it just takes way too much time and effort to make a cup for the road.

So I realized I could make another change to save that coffee money everyday, time in the morning to stop for coffee, and the gas I burn when I drive by the cafe instead of going straight to work. I researched and bought a single cup coffee maker. I throw in grounds and tap water and in two minutes it makes one cup of coffee directly into a coffee cup, which I then pour into my travel mug as I head out the door. Not only am I saving energy--no boiling water, exactly one cup of water used--in the 16 days I've been using it, I've already saved more money than I spent on the coffee maker!

Take a Breath

We've been walking this path together for just about a month. I hope you feel good about having tried something . . . anything other than the way we have been using our resources and ignoring our impact on this world we love. Just in case you've been doing more reading than trying, here's some end of the month tough love --

It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory.
~W. Edwards Deming

It's Getting Hot in There

I won't tell you the weather out here in California. It'll accomplish nothing but increase the east/west divide. Instead, to help with the healing, this is especially for those in the East (and North!):

Did you know that driving heats your car faster than idling in the driveway to warm it up? Well now you do. And that's for older vehicles. Modern cars need only about 30 to be at driving temperature.

So by the time you're buckled up, backing out of your driveway, and praying someone will let you merge into traffic . . . your engine is as warm as a California day . . . oops! Didn't mean to go there.

Take a Mug for that Shot

I'm one of those people who believe it is sacrilegious to start a morning without a cup of coffee. Especially a Monday morning. Brrr, I shiver just thinking about it . . . But what I had to admit recently was that all the disposable coffee cups I was using at least five weekdays every week was far more sacrilegious. So now when I get my shot of java each day, I use my travel mug whether I'm making coffee at home or buying at a cafe. And I'm giving myself bonus points for it having bought a mug that raises money to help fight breast cancer.

Take a Breath . . .

Warren Buffet "Bad habits are like chains that are too light to feel until they are too heavy to carry."

Put A Lid On It!

Many of us automatically put a lid on our pots when boiling water--a habit can be such a wonderful thing. But a surprising many don't. And that's the beauty of how numerous the simple things there are that we can do to reduce our carbon footprint. Even if you won't use the lid once you've added the items to be boiled to the water, using the lid while it heats is very much worth it.

A lidded pot of water heats and therefore boils faster. That means it uses less energy. Also, with less water evaporating during the heating, there's no need to add that 1/4 cup or more to ensure you have enough when it boils. My favorite part? A lid that's only been used while water boils doesn't need to be washed. Score two for the environment and one for me.

The Not Always a Star Rating

Fridge on blink? About to upgrade your stove? The word is that Energy Star appliances are the way to go. They are reputed to save energy and therefore costs during use. Now that's good news for homeowners, but apartment dwellers can at least try to make suggestions to a landlord who has agreed to replace a malfunctioning appliance.

The good: The Energy Star rating is a standard established to make one consistent set of rules for companies to meet in order to deem their products energy efficient. It makes it easier for consumers and it has forced improvements in many products.

The bad: Let's say it all together, "corporations are about the bottom line." If there's a rule, corporations will find a way to break it to save a penny. So companies have found ways to eek by and get the designation. For example, Consumer Reports found one dishwasher company ran its tests on dishwashers filled with clean rather than soiled dishes. It passed. Now aren't you excited to buy a dishwasher that conserves energy when it cleans clean dishes?

The reality: even if they are marginally fulfilling the Energy Star ratings, these appliances are likely to be better energy conservers than the products that can't even fake it! I now, I know a hollow victory. But let's chalk it up to a step in the right direction.

February's Water Saver

Don't use running water to thaw food.

The best alternative, both for saving energy, resources and good health, is to thaw in the refrigerator section. That means planning in advance what you're going to cook. That can be tough with my schedule. But wasting all that water is tough on the planet too. I think my schedule is the better place to take the hit.

Take a Breath . . .

Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time. - Mark Twain

Fasten Your Seatbelt!

Welcome to Sprouting 365. Remember the time before you automatically fastened your seatbelt every time you got into your car? Doesn't it seem like so long ago? Soon, I hope that your habits and activities that weren't Green will seem like so long ago. I hope that as you try some of the ideas presented here daily, they'll seem less intimidating and start to become habit-forming. Fasten your seatbelts, and join us on the green express.