B.Y.O.B.B. – 2 EASY Ways to Lower Your Waste
4 Minute Read.
[Not so] Fun Fact:
“In 2007, US consumers purchased more than 33 billion liters of bottled water …. The total energy required to produce [such a large amount] is equivalent to 32-54 million barrels of oil.” To break it down further, each bottle of water requires 2,000 times the energy of producing tap water. – Physorg.com
A statistic like this really makes you think. Do I really need bottled water? Is it worth the absurd amount of energy it requires? And what changes can I make on an individual level to encourage change on a global scale? Here’s a good starting point…
BYOB #1: Bring Your Own Bottle
(no, I’m not talking about liquor)
Carrying a reusable water bottle or to-go mug can eliminate the need for buying plastic water bottles and drinking from single-use coffee cups. It reduces your trash footprint and saves you money since you’re not buying drinks with a retail markup. Now even though single-use plastic bottles are recyclable, they require a ton of energy to produce (as mentioned above), and most of the time, do not get recycled.
Despite a common misconception, paper coffee cups are actually not recyclable. Most of them (including those at Starbucks) are “made from cardboard with a thin layer of plastic tightly attached to the cup.” In fact, they can take up to two decades to decompose on their own (CNN).
Here are 2 of my fav’s:
Reusable Coffee Cup by Ecoffee Cup
Made of bamboo fibers • Silicone lid• Great for coffee and tea • Dishwasher safe
Foldable Water Bottle by Vapur
Weighs practically nothing!! • Made of BPA-free plastic • Foldable/Collapsible
Can clip onto your bag • Made in the USA • Dishwasher safe
BYOB #2: Bring Your Own Bag
Did You Know? “160,000 plastic bags are used globally every second.”
I try to always have a reusable bag on me, which comes in handy if I need to make a last minute stop at the grocery. You can keep one in your backpack, leave a bunch by your front door, or stash a few in your car. My personal favorite is Baggu, which is exceptionally lightweight, has a ton of designs, and folds up seamlessly into the square shape you see below.
If you’re not up for buying a reusable bag, lots of retail stores now give out their own instead of plastic or paper bags. You can try those out for a test run and see how you like it.
Reusable produce bags are also especially useful when trying to avoid those plastic bags in the produce section.
Do either of these sound doable to you?
No?!?!
How about a Bonus Round…
BYO…Utensil !!
(I know it doesn’t sound as sexy, but just hear me out)
**the ultimate lightweight utensil**
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