The bobble contains a built-in filter, that filters contaminants out of  tap water. The actual plastic bottle is made from FDA approved recycled PET that is free of BPA, Phthalates and PVC & is 100% recyclable.

Each bobble filter is intended to filter at least 300 bottles, about 40 gallons or 150 liters. The company estimates that each filter should last approximately two months.

The bobble is going to solve a HUGE personal dilemma that I currently have, pertaining to drinking water away from home. Because at home, I have the option to use a built in reverse-osmosis system at my sink and/or filter the water with my Shaklee Get Clean® Water Dispenser.

I am always leaving the house with a full stainless steel, reusable bottle full of filtered water, but after I’ve drank it all, that’s where the problem starts. Knowing that I don’t like to drink unfiltered tap water due to taste and potential chemical content, I sometimes must concede to buying a bottle of water from a local store, to get me through my day.

Once I purchase that single-use plastic bottle filled with water, I’ve defeated the purpose of bringing pre-filtered water in my own bottle to start with. Then, I’m just adding to my energy carbon footprint, which is a bad thing.

The folks over at Ethical Ocean have a great infographic of the Energy Footprint of Bottled Water. The graphic shows how much energy is used, just for the creation of  one plastic water bottle. It is estimated that bottled water uses 1400 times more energy than tap water.

Where do you get your bobble from? Well, it’s available from their company website and there are also several retailers carrying the bobble. I’ll be purchasing mine this week, so I’ll be able to carry it with me as a back up for routine activity, as well as when traveling.

Be sure to check out the bobble website and also watch the below video about this fantastic environmentally friendly product. I symbolically raise my ‘booble’ to toast this environmentally conscious company. Kudos to bobble’s!

Program Recycles Flip Flops to Build Community Playgrounds

In an effort to further reduce waste, TerraCycle, Inc. and Old Navy are partnering in a month-long drive to collect used flip flops and recycle them into four public playgrounds around the country. The community is encouraged to participate by stopping by an Old Navy store to deposit used flip flops in designated collection bins. This is the first time a nationwide retailer has initiated a large-scale effort to collect and recycle flip flops. All Old Navy stores across the U.S. are participating from April 22, 2011 through May 21, 2011.

This is a great opportunity to clean out tattered and ugly flip flops and repurpose them. You’ll be keeping plastic and rubber out of the landfills and making a good excuse to go and buy some new ones!

The waste is collected through TerraCycle’s Brigade programs, which are free fundraisers that pay schools and non-profits for every piece of waste they collect and return. Check out TerraCycle’s website for a lot more information on what to recycle, where and how.

A large majority of plastic products contain bisphenol A or phthalates that have been proven to be an estrogen disruptor in our bodies. These chemicals are released when the plastics are heated and/or stressed. Numerous studies have shown links between BPA and cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and numerous other illnesses.

The study put even BPA-free plastics through three different types of stress tests. The plastics were filled with food mimicking elements and subjected to microwave heating, UV (Ultra-Violet) lighting and moist heat. The UV lighting was used to recreate the elements of exposure that a plastic container would have while in a hot car or a baby bottle would get from UV sterilization methods. The moist heat was a substitute for dishwasher exposure.

The results were not good at all! They were able to measure some type of estrogenic chemical leaching from approximately 95 percent of all the plastics tested, including 100 percent of the food wraps and 98 percent of plastic bags.

What does that mean to you and me? At this point in time, there are no safe plastics. It is far safer to stick with glass, stainless steel and other organic products. Going plastic-free is the best alternative for now. Not to say that there won’t be advancements in producing safe plastic products in the future, but until that time. plastic-free is the only option.

I shared last month about going plastic-free when the folks over at Rodale were having a Plastic Free February campaign. Please take the time to consider the options that you have and make use of them….every single day!

In doing so, I’ve thought a lot about the existing plastic that I have in my home for storage and cooking use. Actually, I have acquired quite a lot of  Tupperware over the years and can’t see not continuing to use it for cold food storage. It would certainly be wasteful to replace it overnight, when it’s all still in excellent condition.

As far as cooking or reheating in plastic containers or wraps, I’ve known for years that can be unsafe. More than 20 years ago, when it was just a rumor, I stopped microwaving with plastic wrap or plastic containers. The plastics can contain BPA and Phthalates which when heated up, may pass dangerous carcinogens into our foods.

I have however, been using Tupperware’s Vent ‘N Serve containers, that are designed for reheating foods in the microwave. And, when trying to research this particular product on Tupperware’s website and general internet searches, I’m unable to find any data on these products. So, at this point, I am at a loss for an answer and must do more research on the safety of them.

But, in my qwest for finding alternative, plastic-free products to use for heating and storage of food, I just learned today about products made by a company in Canada, called Abeego.  They describe their products on their website as “natural, reusable, eco-conscious food storage created with hemp/cotton fabric infused with a blend of beeswax and plant extracts. The fluid-resistant coating keeps food fresh and is easy to clean.”

I immediately “Liked” them on their Facebook Fan Page and went onto their website and ordered two products to try. One that I ordered is called the Abeego Wrap.

One of it’s recommened uses is for wrapping sandwiches, and that’s probably one of the first things I try with it.

The other Abeego item that I ordered is the Abeego Flats.

I’m excited to try this for covering left-overs and such.

Cleaning instructions on Abeego’s website recommends handwashing in cold water and using a gentle, biodegradable soap. The soap is a no-brainer for me, because I only use natural and biodegradable cleaning products anyways.

I’m looking forward to receiving my Abeego order  and using their products. Once, I’ve had the opportunity to use them a few times, I will  be sharing my thoughts here.

In the meantime, what other alternative products are you using to make your life more plastic-free?

]]> http://asklizfirst.com/nutrition/plastic-free-storage-wrap/feed 0 http://asklizfirst.com/environment/going-plastic-free-with-rodale-in-february http://asklizfirst.com/environment/going-plastic-free-with-rodale-in-february#comments Tue, 01 Feb 2011 21:10:54 +0000 Liz http://asklizfirst.com/?p=1256
The folks over at Rodale.com are going plastic-free for the month of February. I’m planning on following along, because this isn’t going to be an easy journey and I need all the encouragement that I can get.

Here’s what they’re saying over at Rodale.com:

Why go plastic free? There are plenty of reasons to cut down. It’s made from either petroleum or natural gas, two nonrenewable resources extracted in ways that pollute our air and water. Plastic manufacturers add chemicals to certain types of plastics that can be highly toxic, like bisphenol A and phthalates. And very few types of plastic are widely recycled.

Rodale’s plastic-free ground rules:

1. No buying or acquiring new plastic.

2. No cooking with plastic or storing food in plastic.

3. Minimize all other plastic use.

Overall, I feel that I make a very conscious effort to avoid buying or improperly disposing of plastics. But, I know that there’s so much more that I can do, so I’m here for challenge & growth. I hope you’ll join me!

Plastic-Free February….bring it!

Toxic impacts to wildlife, the environment and human health are readily increasing. That’s why there’s a Bill in California to ban plastic bags and single use plastic known as AB 1998.

Please watch the below video and then take the pledge on the Plastic Pollution Coalition’s website:

Ban the Bag AB1998 Plastic Pollution Coalition from Dianna Cohen on Vimeo.

Don’t forget to take the pledge and help Ban the Bag. It’s important EVERYWHERE, not just in California.

Now, just how simple was that to figure out? It just goes to show me, that with a little extra thought into something, there are many alternatives.

But, I guess the jugs will be a little more cumbersome to use, when pouring. Soooo, watch out for spilled milk. We may end up having to transfer the milk into a more “pour friendly” container. Whatever it takes, it’s still a step forward and I love it!!

On the other hand, we have two very smart husbands that are cool-to-warm on the subject of sustainability and especially recycling. I’m sure that if they both sat down and thought about it for any length of time, they would “see the light”. But, in the meantime, she and I will continue to grow and hopefully they will grow with us.

One of the areas that has been a little scary to me, is plastics. Which types are “the good kind”, which ones can be recycled, etc, etc. Basically, probably the best practice is just not to use plastic as much as possible. Obviously, that’s a very hard thing to do these days, but there are many alternatives.

Also, the recycling mantra; Reduce, Reuse & Recycle goes a long way when it comes to plastics. I included a link to Earth 911’s Plastics/Recycling page on their website, to give you some easy ideas.

In addition, here’s a link with the Plastics Pocket Card that I found on the Green Guide’s website. This is handy to carry around in your wallet. That way, when you’re out and about and you’re trying to remember “which is which” before making a plastic purchase, you can refer to this little cheat sheet.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week and enjoying the summertime. Blessings and prayers to everyone dealing with the fires, floods and other “mountains” in their lives.