A Guide To Bottled Water And The Environment
If you’re trying to be as green as possible, at the same time as protecting your own health, then drinking water is a fantastic place to start. But there are a number of important things to know about bottled water and the environment. Do you really need to be drinking it for your health? Here are the essential facts you need to know.
Bottled Water And The Environment: What You Need To Know About The Plastic
Many of us choose to drink bottled water, thinking it’s healthier and cleaner, despite the fact that this is widely debated by experts. But one thing we all know about bottled water and the environment is the fact that it uses plastic – not to mention all the energy that goes into packaging and transporting it – and isn’t good for our planet.
Not only does the packaging mean that it costs thousands times more than water from the tap, it also means that the plastic could be harming your health. Toxins from the plastic are known to leech into the water we drink, especially if the bottle is left in hot conditions, such as in the car.
Is Tap Water Really A Healthy Alternative?
Despite the fact that many people know the negative points surrounding bottled water and the environment, many people still drink it thinking it’s the healthiest choice. What you might not realize is that a lot of bottled water is simply tap water that’s been ‘treated’ before sale, some more than others. And even genuine mineral water is not necessarily healthier than water from your home!
Tap water is always tested for safety, and is very strictly regulated. The truth is that safety checks are a lot more strict with tap water than they are with bottled water.
Tests have shown that levels of bacteria don’t really differ between water from bottles and water from the tap. The main risks with tap water occur in the plumbing. As long as you keep your plumbing free from materials like lead, your water should be safe.
If you really want to make sure you’re drinking the cleanest water possible, simply install a water filter. You can pick up water filters for relatively low cost nowadays – far lower than buying bottled water every day!
Conclusion
Now you know the facts not only about bottled water and the environment, but also about the impacts on your health, you can stop buying water in bottles and start drinking tap water! You can rest safe in the knowledge that you’re saving millions of plastic bottles (that take thousands of years to biodegrade) from filling our landfills!
Indoor Composting
You may not have realized you could have a composting system indoors. If a lack of outdoor space has been keeping you from making your own compost, then it need not inhibit you any longer. Here are some options for making and maintaining compost in your home.
The Bin
You will need some kind of container or bin in which to keep your compost while it breaks down. Before you decide on what kind of bin to get or make, you need to figure out where you are going to put it. If you ware composting in the garage, for instance, you can easily use a wooden crate or even a child’s plastic swimming pool. Most people who are engaging in indoor composting, though, are working on a small scale and want the container to be in their kitchen.
If you want the bin on your countertop, consider a ceramic or stainless steel one. Just so long as it has a tight-fitting lid or charcoal filter to control odor, you can keep a nice-looking bin on the counter.
If looks are not an issue, you can simply use any plastic or glass container with a lid. Even plastic storage containers and coffee cans can be used. You can keep a less good-looking bin under the sink if you like.
If it’s within your budget, you can also get a specially-made compost container that is made for indoors. Sometimes they are called “kitchen composters” or simply “indoor composters.” Many of them are made to fit inside cabinet doors.
Worm Bin
If you are going to do indoor composting with worms, you will need to make sure you have an opaque container (worms like it dark) in a warm area (worms need warmth) with some holes (worms need air). You can make your own with a plastic storage bin and a drill or other means of making some holes in the bin. Worms will make short work of your kitchen scraps, producing “vermicompost” in no time.
What Goes Into Compost?
Once you have decided on a container, it’s time to begin your indoor compost venture. You will be able to use your kitchen scraps and recyclable newspaper in your compost. Here is a partial list of what to avoid putting into your indoor compost bin:
* Meat scraps and/or bones
* Dairy
* Garlic
* Potato peelings
* Heavily sprayed produce
What you should put in your compost includes:
* Tea bags
* Coffee grounds
* Fruit scraps (such as apple cores and banana peels)
* Grains (rice, bread, pasta)
* Legumes
It is not recommended that you use outdoor organic matter such as grass and leaves in your indoor bin.
You can simply toss these scraps in whole, especially if you have a worm bin, or you can blend them in your blender with some water to make a compost “smoothie.” Add shredded newspaper to your smoothie to keep odor down.
Green Laundry – Soap Nuts, Dryer Balls and Eco Balls
“Green laundry” no longer refers to what happens to your whites when you wash them with colors. Now, green laundry means eco-friendly washing practices that emphasize biodegradability and less waste.
For natural laundry, some popular choices include soap nuts, dryer balls, and eco balls. If you’ve never heard of these things, read on – they are part of all-natural, green laundry. And for those who suffer from chemical allergies or sensitivities, these natural alternatives can be a real boon.
Soap Nuts
Soap nuts are actual nuts or fruits from the Chinese Soapberry Tree (Sapindus mukorossi), which grows in the mountains of India and Nepal. They may be a new idea for westerners, but these soapy nuts have been used to clean fabrics for generations of local people.
After the seeds are removed from their shells and dried in the sun, the soap nuts are ready to use in your laundry. For modern washing machines, soap nuts come packaged in a cloth bag. You put the nuts into this bag, tie it shut, and toss the bag into your washing machine. They can be used for several more loads before you need to replace them with fresh nuts. And the used nuts can be tossed into your compost pile.
These specially-designed, rubber balls have rubber bumps all over them. They are said to take the place of fabric softener and/or dryer sheets, and to reduce drying time. The protrusions on the balls’ surface help to separate fabrics, keeping them from balling up into a wad in the dryer which lengthens drying time. (If you have ever had to unwind a ball of bedding in the dryer only to find it still wet in the center, you know how valuable keeping fabric separate in the dryer can be.)
Many people prefer dryer balls to conventional fabric softeners and dryer sheets because they do not contain fragrances and chemicals. Reduced drying time saves energy, and fewer chemicals in your laundry make dryer balls part of a green laundry. You can also go one step further and invest in Wool Dryer Balls
Eco Balls
Sometimes called laundry balls or wash balls, eco balls make use of the cleaning power of water to wash your clothes. The secret is in the design and materials – the clay-based balls are housed in a permeable plastic cover. The balls react with the motion of the washing machine agitator and the water itself to produce an ionization cleaning process.
Eco balls are used instead of liquid or powder laundry detergent, and are said to last anywhere from 60 to 120 loads. However, the plastic part of the eco balls will need to be recycled once you’re through with them.
