So today was the first day that we did Sustainable September. And it was all about using reusable cups and cutting down on disposable ones. So today I did it.
I took my sister, who is recovering from eye surgery, out for the first time in a few days as she can go into the sunlight today. We had out coffees at the shop so didn't need to have them "take away".
I also used my Keep Cups today, but not to get coffee/chai take away. More to be able to give mum a cup of tea on her way to the doctors. So not only was it handy for mum to use a keep cup as she went out, it also saved money because she didnt need to buy a cup of tea whilst out. Money saving and environmentally friendly = WINNING!!!
Todays idea is along a similar theme.
Sustainable September Day 2: Use (or buy and Use) a Reusable Water bottle.
Plastic water bottles are rather popular here in Australia. I know these single use bottles are popular all around the world. But single use plastic water bottles account for one in ten piece of rubbish collected during "Clean Up Australia Day" (according to the website). Basically they account for an ENORMOUS amount of waste that ends up in our landfil, our environement and on our roadsides.
THe impact of plastic Water Bottles on our environment is huge. For example:
"In production: Most bottled water is packaged in PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles which are derived from crude oil. It can take up to 3L of water to produce 1L of water.
In transportation: Transportation of bottled water around the world requires burning of fossil fuels
In landfill and the litter stream: Although plastic bottles are recyclable, many end up in landfill and take up to 1000 years to break down. When littered they often end up in the sea where they break up in small pieces, killing marine life that mistake them for food...
...By avoiding bottled water and refilling your own bottle you can help conserve virgin resources and protect our pristine nature. Another great side effect is saving money. One bottle of water can cost you around $2.50 versus only a few cents per litre for tap water. So start refilling your water bottle today." (Clean Up Australia Website http://www.cleanup.org.au/au/Whatelsewesupport/avoid-bottled-water.html).
If we can just reduce our need and use of single use plastic water bottles, or avoid them completely, we can make a HUGE difference to our environement.
Kindness idea: Purchase a reusable water bottle for someone in need. Or buy a water refill card for water stations so people can fill up their reusable water bottles.
In and around Perth, Western Australia, there are new water refilling stations that charge about AUD 50c per litre for oprdinary water or about AUD $1.00 per litre of sparkling water. I have used these myself and i think they are a pretty clever idea. Considering if i buy sparkling water it can cost about AUD$4.50 on average. Its a financial saving as well as an environmental saving. One of these prepaid cards could fill several water bottles for several days. For more information about the Perth based water refill stations check out http://www.proacquaaustralia.com.au/shop/
Front Lines: Here are a couple of TED talks to help you get a better idea of the affect plastic is having in our environment.
The first Video is by the discovere of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Cpt. Charles Moore. It is quite a shocking and compelling piece.
This second video is what is being researched to fix the problem of plastic in our ocean. I just dont want you all to think being Sustainable is a hopeless venture.
Hopefully plastic being removed from our oceans can be a huge game changer. However, we need to be concious about NOT making the situation worse. So lets only use reusable water bottles from now on. Maybe even choose something like glass, or aluminium, which are longer lasting, reusable alternatives to plastic.
Let me know what is your favourite reusable water bottle is. I have two metal ones and a reusable plastic one.
I hope you have a wonderful day and I will post a new blog tomorrow.
I am catching a plane tomorrow to see my friend in Canberra, Australia. I will be there for 9 days, so i am hoping to check out what awesome environmental ideas the countries Capital has to offer. :)
I hope this finds you all well.
Love Daena xx
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