Ponderings
Water, water everywhere
So, this whole “turning thirty” thing is apparently having an effect on me. I realize I still have nine months until I turn thirty, but things are starting to look and feel different. I have a savings account now. I have no old debt. (Don’t worry, TLo, this post is not about money!)
I am trying to become more environmentally conscious. After years of throwing any and all plastic in the recycle bin, I took a moment to examine my town’s recycling and garbage notice. You know, the one they send out every year, so you know what to put on the curb and when? Well, it turns out that you’re only supposed to put #1 and #2 plastics in the recycle bin. Which means all the yogurt containers, empty shampoo bottles, and other stuff - basically anything that wasn’t a soda, water, or milk bottle - wasn’t supposed to be in there.
A quick poll of the people I know proved that they had no idea we were supposed to be checking the plastic before throwing it into the bin. My landlords are apparently ignorant to this as well - there was a big ole laundry detergent bottle in the blue bin last week.
When I discovered this fact, I stopped throwing the plastics into the recycle bin. But that means they go in the garbage bin. This inherently bothers me. Why can’t we recycle the other five plastic types?
This week, I started using a Brita filter. I wasn’t a die-hard 16-ouncer when it came to bottled water, but I did buy my gallons. I figured the filter will save me money and save my plastic consumption. I plan on buying a sturdy water bottle. Which brings me to my latest discovery.
Someone at work emailed me a link to an article about #7 plastic and bisphenol A. Toxic chemicals leak into your water. Oh great. Also, you’re not supposed to reuse the #1 bottles we all drink from, because - yep - chemicals leak into your water. What option is there? Stainless steel water bottles are twenty bucks!
I realize that you can’t believe everything you read and that everyone has a reason to scare us into buying something we don’t need, but I have enough hormonal problems without them being leeched into me through a product that’s not good for the environment anyway, you know?
Speaking of fear, I am waiting for my copy of A New Earth to arrive from Amazon. I’ve been reading up on it and listening to the online classes Oprah has been having this week. The people who are scared of what’s being said every week? Amuse me.
I’ll save that for another post, though.
Discussion
9 comments for “Water, water everywhere”
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I have not gotten into proper recycling myself. I am very careful not littering though and my new thing is I no longer throw my cigarette butts wherever. I put them out on the stub plates they have on the public rubbish bins here and then throw them in. Next step will be to get familiar with the recycling policies here and start that too.
I hate buying bottled water though. I won’t buy it unless I’m out and I need to hydrate while I’m walking around or something. I think it’s a huge waste of money.
Rubbermaid ones are #5, which are better than #1 and 7.
Your post made me think of this post:
http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/76-bottles-of-water/
Also. What did you think of The Office this week?
@Colin - Stop smoking! Lung polluter! ;) It’s great that you’re being conscious of where you throw your butts, though. And yes, bottled water can be a huge waste of money. If you tasted the water out of the tap around here though, you’d see why we got suckered into the bottles.
@Laura - I need to find somewhere to recycle all the #’s, dammit.
@PoP - that post? O.M.G. Also, I loved The Office this week. It was incredibly awkward and yet it was hysterical.
Diz :: I’m gradually reducing the number of cigarettes I smoke! I’m actually down to around 10 a day! Woo hoo! Once I get to 2-3 a day I’ll stop smoking completely and then my plan is to join the gym a week or so later. That should keep me off them.
Oh yes, when tap water is horrible you have no other choice but I don’t think reusing bottles is such a big deal unless you re-use them for too long. Try sticking to the expiration date they came with. They should be safe to re-use at least until then. Or at least, that’s what my small logical brain is telling me.
I buy the propel packets and drink out of a glass. ; ) Propel isn’t completely horrible and I don’t throw all the plastic bottles away.
I try to reuse everything but plastic scares me. I don’t even heat things up in plastic. I use my glass bowls.
I’m sure something’s going to kill me one day.
@Colin - Good for you! I’m glad you’re cutting down. My grandmother died of lung cancer so I have this big hatred towards cigs. (Hate the cigs, not the smoker?) The expiration date theory sounds interesting. Have to look into that.
@Jen - Something’s going to kill all of us someday. I don’t want it to be plastic, though. That sounds wussy ;)
bottled water is a sham. not only is not more pure than tap water, but we end up throwing all those bottles away. not to mention all the petrol that goes into making them and shipping them. I’m glad you switched the the brita filter. i’m not doing the whole bottled water thing anymore.