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	<title>Green Talk® &#187; plastic</title>
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		<title>Plastic Gift Cards:  Keep the Convenience, Yet Reduce the Enviro Impact</title>
		<link>http://www.green-talk.com/2011/06/02/plastic-gift-cards-keep-the-convenience-yet-reduce-the-enviro-impact/</link>
		<comments>http://www.green-talk.com/2011/06/02/plastic-gift-cards-keep-the-convenience-yet-reduce-the-enviro-impact/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Jun 2011 02:13:03 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anna@Green Talk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[plastic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buy gift cards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[credit card]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[earthworks systems]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gift]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gift card]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gift card sale]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gift cards]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gifts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic gift cards]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.green-talk.com/?p=8775</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I hate plastic gift cards.  They use up precious petroleum resources and clog our landfills.  Why?  People throw them out once they are depleted.  How can we reduce our environmental impact but keep gift giving easy? Why do People Buy Gift Cards? Before I give you some ideas of banishing plastic gift cards, I wanted [...]]]></description>
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<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 500px">
	<a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5146/5792271580_f5bbf26c6e.jpg"><img title="Group of expired credit, gift, and assorted plastic cards." src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5146/5792271580_f5bbf26c6e.jpg" alt="Group of expired credit, gift, and assorted plastic cards." width="500" height="375" /></a>
	<p class="wp-caption-text">Group of expired credit, gift, and assorted plastic cards.</p>
</div>
<p>I hate plastic gift cards.  They<a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2011/04/19/plastic-a-toxic-love-story-investigates-where-plastic-went-wrong/" target="_blank"> use up precious petroleum resources and clog our landfills</a>.  Why?  People throw them out once they are depleted.  How can we reduce our environmental impact but keep gift giving easy?</p>
<h2>Why do People Buy Gift Cards?</h2>
<p>Before I give you some ideas of banishing plastic gift cards, I wanted to highlight why<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/27/AR2010122703438.html" target="_blank"> gift card sales were predicted to reach $91 billion for 2010</a>. Flexibility and convenience. Who wants to run all over town looking for the perfect gift especially when it is so much easier to allow your gift recipient to pick his or her own gift?<span id="more-8775"></span></p>
<p>People even bought those cards that had depleting balance.  Remember them?  Just an FYI, a  <a href="http://www.aba.com/Press+Room/030410GiftCardTips.htm" target="_blank">2009 law required that inactivity fees are prohibited for the first year</a> and within 12 months following activity on the card.</p>
<p>In order to reduce the plastic card environmental impact, the solutions must be convenient and easy.  Here are some of my ideas.</p>
<h2>Earthworks Systems:</h2>
<p><a href="http://www.earthworkssystem.com/Home/" target="_blank">Earthworks takes back your gift and credit cards and recycles them</a> into post consumer PVC sheet material for manufacturers or gift cards for retailers. Although this is not a perfect solution since people are still using the plastic cards, at least, the cards won&#8217;t end up in a landfill.</p>
<p>If you are a consumer, encourage your favorite retailer to contact Earthworks to set up a gift card recycling center.  The cost of sending the cards is borne by the retailer.  Honestly, what could sending back hundreds of gifts cards cost?  Retailers are you listen?  Great PR message here.</p>
<h2>Got expired cards?</h2>
<p>Many of you know I <a href="http://youtu.be/a03dKZsIGnw" target="_blank">collect a ton of recycling for cash for my school</a>.  Someone gave me old credit and gift cards. I didn&#8217;t have the heart to throw them away since I don&#8217;t collect them.  Thanks to this parent, I discovered Earthworks and sent the expired cards to them to receive a second life.</p>
<h2>Text a Gift Certificate:</h2>
<p>Yep. Simply text a gift.   <a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2010/04/01/giiv-texting-for-greener-gift-giving/" target="_blank">Giiv allows you to send a gift to someone&#8217;s phone </a> from such stores as Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and many more.</p>
<h2>Email a Gift Certificate:</h2>
<p>Amazon, iTunes, and many other retailers provide an email gift certificate.  If your retailer doesn&#8217;t offer an email gift card, check out <a href="http://www.icardgiftcard.com/landingpages/emailable/?gclid=CL3jq_j5l6kCFQbc4Aodvl4DtA" target="_blank"> iCARD, which allows you to personalize an email gift certificate</a>.</p>
<h2>Be Crafty:</h2>
<p>Did you know there are at least <a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2008/03/13/18-ideas-to-reuse-expired-credit-cards/" target="_blank">18 ways to reuse your old credit card and gift cards</a>?   Besides using them as markers for your garden or windshield scraper, what crafty ideas can you come up with to re-use them?</p>
<h2>Join the conversation:</h2>
<ul>
<li>What do you do to avoid buying plastic gift cards?</li>
<li>How do you dispose of your gift cards?</li>
<li>What crafty ideas do you have to re-use your gift cards?</li>
</ul>
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<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2008/03/13/18-ideas-to-reuse-expired-credit-cards/" rel="bookmark" title="March 13, 2008">18 Ideas To Reuse Expired Credit Cards</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2010/04/01/giiv-texting-for-greener-gift-giving/" rel="bookmark" title="April 1, 2010">Giiv, Texting for Greener Gift Giving</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2010/01/29/reuse-your-greeting-cards-to-spread-joy-to-others/" rel="bookmark" title="January 29, 2010">Reuse your Greeting Cards to Spread Joy to Others</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2007/12/24/to-wrap-or-not-that-is-the-question/" rel="bookmark" title="December 24, 2007">To Wrap or Not, That is the Eco-Friendly Present Question</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2010/12/07/greener-holiday-greeting-cards-bows-etc-trimmings-without-the-trash/" rel="bookmark" title="December 7, 2010">Greener Holiday Greeting Cards, Bows, Etc.   Trimmings without the Trash.</a></li>
</ul>
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		<title>Plastic:  A Toxic Love Story Investigates Where Plastic Went Wrong</title>
		<link>http://www.green-talk.com/2011/04/19/plastic-a-toxic-love-story-investigates-where-plastic-went-wrong/</link>
		<comments>http://www.green-talk.com/2011/04/19/plastic-a-toxic-love-story-investigates-where-plastic-went-wrong/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 19 Apr 2011 05:45:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anna@Green Talk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[books & magazines]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine debris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marine pollution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic bottles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic recycling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic trash]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Plastic: A Toxic Love Story]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[susan freinkel]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.green-talk.com/?p=8539</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Welcome Guest Poster, Susan Freinkel, author of the book,  Plastic: A Toxic Love Story. A century ago when plastics first began to be used in everyday life, people fell in love with them. And for good reason: plastics made possible many of the benefits of modern life, from wash ‘n’ wear clothing to computers and cell [...]]]></description>
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<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 332px">
	<a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5265/5633358269_5fd31439fe.jpg"><img title="Plastic:  A Toxic Love Story" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5265/5633358269_5fd31439fe.jpg" alt="Plastic:  A Toxic Love Story" width="332" height="500" /></a>
	<p class="wp-caption-text">Plastic:  A Toxic Love Story</p>
</div>
<p>Welcome Guest Poster, Susan Freinkel, author of the book,  <em><a title="Plastic:  A Toxic Love Story" href="http://astore.amazon.com/greentalk-20/detail/054715240X">Plastic: A Toxic Love Story</a>.</em></p>
<p>A century ago when plastics first began to be used in everyday life, people fell in love with them. And for good reason: plastics made possible many of the benefits of modern life, from wash ‘n’ wear clothing to computers and cell phones to the replacement joints and organs that keep many of us going late in life.  Yet that love affair has a darker side, much of it stemming from the careless and shortsighted ways in which plastics are all too often produced and used. Let me share five anecdotes that speak to that:</p>
<p>1. Plastic trash can now be found in <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&amp;_udi=B6V6N-46MD4CM-1&amp;_user=10&amp;_coverDate=09%2F30%2F2002&amp;_alid=1721459763&amp;_rdoc=1&amp;_fmt=high&amp;_orig=search&amp;_origin=search&amp;_zone=rslt_list_item&amp;_cdi=5819&amp;_sort=r&amp;_st=13&amp;_docanchor=&amp;view=c&amp;_ct=1&amp;_acct=C000050221&amp;_version=1&amp;_urlVersion=0&amp;_userid=10&amp;md5=fa326d313de39a3cabd076fec0935de0&amp;searchtype=a">all the world’s oceans</a>, and on even the most remote and pristine beaches, from the Alaskan wilderness to islands bordering Antarctica.<span id="more-8539"></span></p>
<p>During a visit to a beach near the tip of Point Reyes (a big protected national park in northern California) I found dozens of pieces of plastic debris, including shotgun casings, dead disposable lighters, half of a plastic patio chair, hunks of nylon rope and a bunch of pre-production pellets. When I scooped up handfuls of sand and looked at them closely, I realized the sand was suffused with tiny plastic fragments.  Plastic doesn’t break down; it only breaks up into smaller and smaller pieces. That “accumulation and fragmentation of plastics” is “one of the most ubiquitous and long-lasting recent changes to the surface of our planet,” <a href="http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/364/1526/1985.full?sid=c4c74608-ebfb-43f7-b9ca-f90365cbfb5f">says British biologist David Barnes</a>.</p>
<p>2.  Plastic pollution is exacting a heavy toll on wildlife. It’s been documented as the cause of injuries or deaths in <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18949831">267 different species</a>, including seals, seabirds and amphibians like the Leatherback Turtle, a species that survived the extinction of the dinosaurs.</p>
<p>Midway atoll, a tiny speck of land in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, serves as nesting ground for the Laysan albatross, magnificent birds that fly great distances in search of food for their young. Because they scavenge from an area in the ocean where plastic debris accumulates, the birds are now also accumulating plastic. Studies suggest nearly every one of the 1.2 million albatross on Midway has some quantity of <a href="http://seedmagazine.com/content/article/a_battle_at_midway/">plastic in their stomachs</a>. In autopsies of dead birds, biologists have extracted toothbrushes, lighters, toy soldiers, bottle caps, pen caps, plastic fragments, and in one case, a dog tag traced to a U.S. Navy fighter who was shot down in 1944.</p>
<p>3. One of the plastics most widely used in medicine and in consumer goods—vinyl—can leach chemicals that may interfere with hormones. I visited<a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104191628"> a neonatal intensive care nursery</a> where I saw a tiny fragile, premature baby who was hooked up to multiple vinyl IV bags and tubing. The bags and tubes were delivering medicines and nutrients the baby needed, but they were also leaching phthalates into her bloodstream—chemicals that can mimic testosterone and during critical points of development may affect a child’s system in ways that lead to various health problems years from now, including fertility issues, allergies, and liver toxicity.</p>
<p>4. <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2874019/?tool=pubmed">We have produced</a> nearly as much plastic in the first ten years of the 21st century as in the entire preceding 100 years<a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2874019/?tool=pubmed">.</a> In the U.S. alone, consumption of plastic has risen tenfold since 1960. But it’s the undeveloped world where we’ll see the biggest jump in consumption in coming decades—in places like India, China or Africa where people understandably want the same consumer goods and conveniences that the developed world enjoys. Unfortunately these are also places with less developed systems for recycling and disposing of plastics, raising the specter of even worse plastic pollution.</p>
<p>5. Most used plastics are recycled in China. I learned this when I tracked what happened to the plastic soda bottles I put in my recycling bin and discovered they were being shipped from San Francisco to China. There the bottles would turned into polyester fiber, used to make clothing, carpet, pillows among other things. That fact is 40 years after the first recycling programs were established in the U.S., we are still recycling only about <a href="http://www.container-recycling.org/">28 percent of all plastic bottles</a> and less than ten percent of plastics in general.</p>
<h2>What Can We Do About Our Plastic Consumption?</h2>
<p>Plastic is so integral to modern life that we can’t—and probably don’t—want to entirely relinquish it. But there are ways to make for a better, healthier relationship:</p>
<p>1.<a href="http://plasticpollutioncoalition.org/learn/basic-concepts/"> </a><a href="http://plasticpollutioncoalition.org/learn/basic-concepts/">Refuse single-use freebies</a>: Bring your own bag when shopping. Carry a travel mug for your daily caffeine fix.  Tell your waiter you don’t need a straw. Instead of buying bottled water, stay hydrated from reusable bottles made of metal or BPA-free plastic.</p>
<p>2.  Reuse where possible: Give that sandwich baggie a week’s workout; use that empty yogurt tub for leftovers.</p>
<p>3. Use your purchasing power to support companies that are trying to use less packaging and healthier kinds of plastic.</p>
<p>4. Learn what you can recycle. Find out what plastics your community recycler accepts. Explore other recycling resources: UPS stores will take back shipping peanuts; many grocery chains will take used bags and plastic film; many office supply chains will take back used printer cartridges.</p>
<p>5. Don’t cook in plastic<strong>.</strong> Heat can cause hazardous chemicals to leach out of some polymers, so transfer food to glass before microwaving.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 168px">
	<a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5184/5633941392_d7bf5ab01e_m.jpg"><img title="Susan Freinkel" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5184/5633941392_d7bf5ab01e_m.jpg" alt="Susan Freinkel" width="168" height="240" /></a>
	<p class="wp-caption-text">Susan Freinkel</p>
</div>
<p><em>Editor&#8217;s Note: For more<a title="Plastic:  A Toxic Love Story" href="http://astore.amazon.com/greentalk-20/detail/054715240X"> information about the book, see here</a>.   I have not read the book yet. However, good friend and fellow Green Mom Carnival member, Beth of  <a href="http://myplasticfreelife.com/2011/04/plastic-a-toxic-love-story-book-review-giveaway/">My Plastic Free Life wrote a terrific review</a> of the book.  If you want more insight into <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/18/opinion/18freinkel.html">Ms. Freinkel&#8217;s plastic investigation, read her New York Times op-ed article</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>Disclaimer: Green Talk will generate a small (very small) percentage of income from the sale of this book. </em></p>
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<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2010/03/01/beth-terry-makes-living-without-plastic-easy/" rel="bookmark" title="March 1, 2010">Beth Terry Makes Living without Plastic Easy.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2009/04/06/how-to-unweave-plastic-from-the-fabric-of-our-lives/" rel="bookmark" title="April 6, 2009">How to Unweave Plastic from the Fabric of our Lives</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2007/08/20/rethinking-the-use-of-plastic/" rel="bookmark" title="August 20, 2007">Rethinking the Use of Plastic</a></li>
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<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2009/04/22/elmers-glue-sticks-and-bottle-recycling-program-giveaway/" rel="bookmark" title="April 22, 2009">Elmer&#8217;s Glue Sticks and Bottle Recycling Program &#038; Giveaway</a></li>
</ul>
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		<title>Green News for 3.7.11:  Cadmium in Rice, Thin Cell PVs, Bottle Water</title>
		<link>http://www.green-talk.com/2011/03/07/green-news-for-3-7-11-cadmium-in-rice-thin-cell-pvs-bottle-water/</link>
		<comments>http://www.green-talk.com/2011/03/07/green-news-for-3-7-11-cadmium-in-rice-thin-cell-pvs-bottle-water/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Mar 2011 05:57:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anna@Green Talk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Build Green]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.green-talk.com/?p=7790</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I haven&#8217;t done a green news round-up for awhile.  In fact, I have been storing some of these news stories to write about in separate posts but have gotten too busy. One thing you will notice is in many of the below green news items is they share a common thread.  Chemicals and Toxicity.   This [...]]]></description>
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<p><a title="kermit and computer by green talk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/8119225@N02/3961706296/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2518/3961706296_344a2c0162_o.jpg" alt="kermit and computer" width="450" height="356" /></a></p>
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<p>I haven&#8217;t done a green news round-up for awhile.  In fact, I have been storing some of these news stories to write about in separate posts but have gotten too busy.</p>
<p>One thing you will notice is in many of the below green news items is they share a common thread.  Chemicals and Toxicity.   This was clearly not my intention.  It seems that chemicals in our water, food, etc. seem to be on every&#8217;s lips.  I always appreciate your comments, so let me know what you think about any of the articles.</p>
<p>Drum roll, please&#8230;This week&#8217;s green news:</p>
<p><a href="http://breakingnews.ewg.org/bottled-water-2011-home?inlist=Y&amp;utm_source=bottledwaterrelease&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=first-link&amp;utm_campaign=water">What’s In Your Bottled Water – Besides Water?</a> Guess who got an A and how many received F&#8217;s?</p>
<p><a href="http://international.pv-tech.org/news/thin-film-pv-conversion-efficiencies-on-the-rise-as-united-solar-avancis">Thin-film PV conversion efficiencies on the rise, as United Solar, Avancis set new records<span id="more-7790"></span></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2007/7/10/Volatile-Organic-Compounds-Definitions-Matter/">Volatile Organic Compounds: Definitions Matter</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.energy-green.net/blog/articles/green-development/heavy-metal-pollution-China-Cadmium-Rice-1.html">heavy-metal pollution: China&#8217;s Cadmium Rice (part 1)</a> and</p>
<p><a href="http://www.energy-green.net/blog/articles/green-development/heavy-metal-pollution-China-Cadmium-Rice-2.html">heavy-metal pollution: China&#8217;s Cadmium Rice (part 2)</a></p>
<p><a href=" http://www.thecro.com/content/corporate-responsibility-magazine%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%9C100-best-corporate-citizens-list%E2%80%9D">Corporate Responsibility Magazine&#8217;s 100 Best Corporate Citizen list</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.monstercommercial.com/tenant-demand-for-green-space-explodes-across-canada/">Tenant Demand for Green Space Explodes Across Canada</a></p>
<p>As always, let me know your green news.  Comment below.  Self-promotion is permitted.</p>
<p>Photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fernando/36759033/">Fernando de Sousa</a>.</p>
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<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2010/04/27/green-sex-toys-making-pleasure-more-sustainable/" rel="bookmark" title="April 27, 2010">Green Sex Toys. Making Pleasure More Sustainable.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2010/06/28/green-news-for-6-27-2010-urine-carbon-nanotubes-and-lcd-waste-uses/" rel="bookmark" title="June 28, 2010">Green News for 6.27.2010:  Urine, Carbon Nanotubes, and LCD Waste Uses</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2010/10/24/green-news-links-10-24-10-obesity-and-pesticides-ges-new-lighting-google-invests-in-wind/" rel="bookmark" title="October 24, 2010">Green News Links 10.24.10:  Obesity and Pesticides, GE&#8217;s New Lighting, Google Invests in Wind</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2010/09/13/green-news-for-09-12-2010-desk-on-demand-college-eco-contest-bpa-in-sealants/" rel="bookmark" title="September 13, 2010">Green News for 09.12.2010.  Desk on Demand, College Eco Contest, BPA in Sealants</a></li>
</ul>
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		<title>Plastic State of Mind Video. A Plastic Parody with Purpose</title>
		<link>http://www.green-talk.com/2010/11/18/plastic-state-of-mind-video-a-plastic-parody-with-purpose/</link>
		<comments>http://www.green-talk.com/2010/11/18/plastic-state-of-mind-video-a-plastic-parody-with-purpose/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Nov 2010 19:13:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anna@Green Talk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[plastic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anti-plastic videos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ben Zolno]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New Message Media and plastic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Plastic state of mind]]></category>

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<p><a href="</a></p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 500px">
	<a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/5186628482_d020446278.jpg"><img title="Watch Plastic State of Mind-A Parody with Purpose" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/5186628482_d020446278.jpg" alt="Watch Plastic State of Mind-A Parody with Purpose" width="500" height="276" /></a>
	<p class="wp-caption-text">Watch Plastic State of Mind-A Parody with Purpose</p>
</div>
<p>Beth, my green buddie <a href="http://www.fakeplasticfish.com">who advocates against the use of plastic over at Fake Plastic Fish</a>, posted the <a href="below video by</a><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"><a href=" filmmaker Ben Zolno</a> of <a href="http://newmessagemedia.com/" target="_">New Message Media</a>.  Sung to the song, Empire State of Mine with lyrics about our obsessive plastic use, it is crazy amazing, creative, and gets the point across.  Thumbs up, Ben!</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="350" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/koETnR0NgLY" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/koETnR0NgLY"></embed></object><span id="more-7360"></span><br />
</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;"><a href="http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/11/la-county-biggest-plastic-bag-ban-us.php">LA County just bannedth single-use plastic in certain counties</a>.  The ban will take affect next year.  Way to go LA.</span></p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;County supervisors approved the measure 3-1 on Tuesday in hopes of preventing billions of bags from polluting neighborhoods and waterways. It bans stores from giving customers single-use plastic bags and would require them to charge 10 cents for each paper bag.&#8221; [<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/16/plastic-bag-ban-enacted-i_n_784433.html?ir=Green">Source</a>.]</p></blockquote>
<p><a href="Listen to the video</a> and tell me that Jenni Perez doesn&#8217;t have some lungs on her.</p>
<p>Everyone, share, chat, tweet this video.  And share your thoughts right here.  Dying to know what you think.</p>
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<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2007/08/20/rethinking-the-use-of-plastic/" rel="bookmark" title="August 20, 2007">Rethinking the Use of Plastic</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2007/11/09/18-easy-green-steps-without-spending-a-dime/" rel="bookmark" title="November 9, 2007">18 Easy Green Steps Without Spending A Dime!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2009/04/06/how-to-unweave-plastic-from-the-fabric-of-our-lives/" rel="bookmark" title="April 6, 2009">How to Unweave Plastic from the Fabric of our Lives</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2010/03/01/beth-terry-makes-living-without-plastic-easy/" rel="bookmark" title="March 1, 2010">Beth Terry Makes Living without Plastic Easy.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2011/04/19/plastic-a-toxic-love-story-investigates-where-plastic-went-wrong/" rel="bookmark" title="April 19, 2011">Plastic:  A Toxic Love Story Investigates Where Plastic Went Wrong</a></li>
</ul>
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		<title>WatchTEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch LIVE on November 6th Here!</title>
		<link>http://www.green-talk.com/2010/11/06/watchtedxgreatpacificgarbagepatch-live-on-november-6th-here/</link>
		<comments>http://www.green-talk.com/2010/11/06/watchtedxgreatpacificgarbagepatch-live-on-november-6th-here/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 06 Nov 2010 13:09:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anna@Green Talk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[plastic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Great Pacific Garbage Patch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic free]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tedx]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.green-talk.com/?p=7230</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Updated: 12/11/201: See the links of the video presentations. Fellow Green Mom, Beth Terry, the editor of My Plastic Free Life (formerly known as Fake Plastic Fish,)  is speaking at TEDx about the Great PacificGarbagePatch along with many other heavy environmental hitters.  I urge you to join me for an event that I hope will [...]]]></description>
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<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 500px">
	<a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1166/5148918614_7926797b92.jpg"><img title="TedX's Great Plastic Garbage Patch" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1166/5148918614_7926797b92.jpg" alt="TedX's Great Plastic Garbage Patch" width="500" height="179" /></a>
	<p class="wp-caption-text">TedX&#39;s Great Plastic Garbage Patch</p>
</div>
<p>Updated: 12/11/201: See the links of the video presentations.</p>
<p>Fellow Green Mom, Beth Terry, the editor of <a href="http://myplasticfreelife.com/" target="_blank">My Plastic Free Life</a> (formerly known as Fake Plastic Fish,)  is speaking at TEDx about the Great PacificGarbagePatch along with many other heavy environmental hitters.  I urge you to join me for an event that I hope will change the way we live today and in the future: <a href="http://www.tedxgreatpacificgarbagepatch.com/" target="_blank">TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch</a>.</p>
<p>It will be streamed LIVE from Green Talk.  So tune in. (Note, you can no longer see the live event.   <a href="http://www.tedxgreatpacificgarbagepatch.com/agenda/" target="_blank">See here for a list of the presenters and their respective presentations.</a>)<span id="more-7230"></span></p>
<p>This one-day event will bring together thought leaders from the fields of technology, science, arts and entertainment, design, activism, and business to discuss the global plastic pollution crisis.  Together, the group will identify the problem and share possible ways to solve it. The conference will culminate with the launch of 4 challenges to humanity – be part of this event and help stop plastic pollution worldwide.</p>
<p>You can watch the event LIVE on <a href="http://www.tedxgreatpacificgarbagepatch.com/" target="_blank">www.TedxGreatPacificGarbagePatch.com</a> or on  Green Talk the day of the event.  Beth, my anti-plastic hero, will be on at 1:30.  <a href=" target="_blank">Her live presentation is on YouTube now</a>.  See it below:</p>
<h2>Who Will be Speaking?</h2>
<p>Confirmed speakers include Dr. Sylvia Earle, Captain Charles Moore, Van Jones, David de Rothschild, Jackson Browne, Jordan Howard, Stacy Malkan, Ken Cook, Bharati Chaturvedi, His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, Vice President of Ghana, Beth Terry, Fabien Cousteau, and Ed Begley Jr. <a href="http://www.tedxgreatpacificgarbagepatch.com/meet-our-speakers/" target="_blank"> More speakers are listed here.</a> .  View<a href="http://www.tedxgreatpacificgarbagepatch.com/agenda/"> the agenda for the day’s events</a>.</p>
<h2>What is TEDx Great PacficGarbage Patch?</h2>
<p>According to the press release about this event,</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;TEDxGreatPacificGarbagePatch (<a href="http://www.tedxgreatpacificgarbagepatch.com/" target="_blank">http://www.tedxgreatpacificgarbagepatch.com</a>) is a forum where issue experts, youth leaders, activists, visual and performing artists, actors, musicians, politicians and many others will share observations on how plastic pollution affects ocean/environmental health and public health; explore solutions for reducing our plastic footprint, and begin to develop ideas about eliminating plastic pollution through individual action as well as public- and private-sector innovation.</p></blockquote>
<p>On Green Talk,<a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2009/07/24/are-recycled-plastic-bottles-products-really-eco-friendly/"> my readers know that I abhor plastic consumption </a>and think that <a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2009/04/06/how-to-unweave-plastic-from-the-fabric-of-our-lives/">plastic is too overwoven into the fabric of our lives</a>.  Sure, it is lightweight and convenient, but how much of it is recycled, how much natural resources are depleted to make it, and how much of it is just discarded in our waterways?  Um, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch should give you a hint.</p>
<h2>What is the Garbage Patch?</h2>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;In the past few years, the world has taken notice of the Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean, a gyre of trash estimated to be at<strong> a minimum the size of the state of Texas </strong>and possibly as large as the United States. 90% of this trash patch is comprised of plastic. And there are similar areas of plastic pollution throughout the world – in all the world’s oceans, in seemingly unlikely places like the Arabian Desert, along some of the most pristine beaches of the world, in our cities, in our rivers, and in our bodies. Plastic pollution affects every one of us.&#8221;  (emphasis added.)</p></blockquote>
<p>After the live stream, I will be updating this post to include Beth&#8217;s talk since the now current embedded video will no longer be available.  All talks will be uploaded to Youtube.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Help be part of the Plastic Solution. Watch the livestream Saturday, November 6, 2010.</p>
<p><strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
<ul class="similar-posts">
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2010/03/01/beth-terry-makes-living-without-plastic-easy/" rel="bookmark" title="March 1, 2010">Beth Terry Makes Living without Plastic Easy.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2010/02/19/please-buckle-up-so-you-can-live-to-tell-the-story/" rel="bookmark" title="February 19, 2010">Please Buckle Up so You Can Live to Tell the Story</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2010/05/12/second-life-denim-jean-rugs-from-summer-and-winter-weaving/" rel="bookmark" title="May 12, 2010">Second Life Denim Jean Rugs from Summer and Winter Weaving</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2007/12/24/to-wrap-or-not-that-is-the-question/" rel="bookmark" title="December 24, 2007">To Wrap or Not, That is the Eco-Friendly Present Question</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2008/11/22/nightline-feature-enviromoms-one-trash-can-a-month-challenge/" rel="bookmark" title="November 22, 2008">Nightline Feature EnviroMom&#8217;s One Trash Can A Month Challenge</a></li>
</ul>
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		<title>Life Without Plastic. Products that Inspire a Plastic Free Life.</title>
		<link>http://www.green-talk.com/2010/07/21/life-without-plastic-products-that-inspire-a-plastic-free-life/</link>
		<comments>http://www.green-talk.com/2010/07/21/life-without-plastic-products-that-inspire-a-plastic-free-life/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:25:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anna@Green Talk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[discounts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[giveaways]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[green living]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chemistry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ice cube]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jay sinha]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[less plastic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life without plastic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[manufacturing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[online store]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic disposable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic free]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[podcast]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recyclable materials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stainless steel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[technology]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.green-talk.com/?p=5939</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Readers, see the time sensitive discount code below! Ever since I meet Beth of Fake Plastic Fish, a woman who eschews plastic, who has made it her life mission to reduce her plastic consumption for both environmental and health reasons, I too had to take a hard look at my own plastic consumption. It&#8217;s not been [...]]]></description>
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				<img src="http://api.tweetmeme.com/imagebutton.gif?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.green-talk.com%2F2010%2F07%2F21%2Flife-without-plastic-products-that-inspire-a-plastic-free-life%2F&amp;source=greentalk&amp;style=normal&amp;hashtags=chemistry,ice+cube,jay+sinha,less+plastic,life,life+without+plastic,manufacturing,online+store,plastic,plastic+disposable,plastic+free,podcast,recyclable+materials,stainless+steel,technology&amp;b=2" height="61" width="50" /><br />
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<p><a title="life without plastic by green talk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greentalk/4813968421/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4813968421_d7627cb337.jpg" alt="life without plastic" width="450" height="181" /></a></p>
<p>Readers, see <strong>the time sensitive discount code</strong> below!</p>

<p>Ever since I meet Beth of Fake Plastic Fish,<a href="http://fakeplasticfish.com/"> a woman who eschews plastic</a>, who has made it her life mission to reduce her plastic consumption for both environmental and health reasons, I too had to take<a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2009/07/24/are-recycled-plastic-bottles-products-really-eco-friendly/"> a hard look at my own plastic consumption</a>. It&#8217;s not been pretty. Through her friendship and her blog, she has &#8220;introduced&#8221; me to people who share her same mission.  Two such activists are Jay Sinha and Chantal Plamondon, co-founders of the online store,<a href="http://lifewithoutplastic.com/en/home.html"> Life Without Plastic</a> and <a href="http://www.lifewithoutplasticblog.com/">their blog</a>. (Their products are also sold in their <a href="http://lifewithoutplastic.com/index.php/en/contact-us">Wakefield store in Quebec</a>.)<span id="more-5939"></span></p>
<p>I actually meet them face to face at a green expo and fell in love with their stainless steel tiffins. During my visit with both Chantal and Jay at their booth, I realized that my readers would love to hear their story. So, on a cold winter day, a Skype podcast was born.  Listen to this <a href="http://www.green-talk.com/podcasts/lifewithoutplastic.mp3">interesting podcast</a> as <a href="http://lifewithoutplastic.com/en/home/our-principles-a-vision.html">Jay explains why he sells products that offer a plastic disposable alternative to people</a>.  He is quite passionate and will make a believer out of you.</p>
<p><a title="life without plastic 3 by green talk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greentalk/4813968463/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4813968463_9fc2f7c1d6.jpg" alt="life without plastic Tiffins" width="450" height="255" /></a></p>
<p>As I mentioned above, my favorite products on LWP are the <a href="http://sanctusmundo.com/">Sanctus Mundo</a><a href="http://lifewithoutplastic.com/boutique/food-storage-airtight-containers-c-66_71.html?language=en"> tiffins</a>. They are made of stainless steel.  As Jay explains, they are great for sandwiches, snacks, and soups (provided you keep the tiffins upright.) I have a sandwich tiffin and have used it for salad.  Some of the tiffins are air tight and stackable so you could easily freeze leftovers provided you leave a small air space between the top of the tiffin and the food.</p>
<p>Some of my other favorite products  are as follows:</p>
<p><a title="life with plastic 6 by green talk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greentalk/4814589296/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/4814589296_4b6c01f671.jpg" alt="Plastic Free Toilet Brush" width="427" height="236" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://lifewithoutplastic.com/boutique/plasticfree-wooden-toilet-brush-stand-p-391.html">A plastic free toilet bowl cleaner</a>.  Priced at $29.95.</p>
<p><a title="life without plastic 5 by green talk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greentalk/4813968437/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4813968437_bfab04975c.jpg" alt="life without plastic stainless steel ice tray" width="325" height="227" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://lifewithoutplastic.com/boutique/stainless-steel-cube-tray-p-409.html">Stainless Steel Ice Trays</a>. Priced at $32.95.  I mistakenly thought my old 1960&#8242;s ice trays that I grew up with were stainless steel.  Jay corrected me.  They were in fact aluminium.  On the website, the Company notes,</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;This ice cube tray is made of high quality food grade stainless steel 18-8. It is dishwasher safe. Please be aware that this ice cube tray has been re-constructed in stainless steel out of an old aluminum model. We suggest not using aluminum ice cube trays available on E-bay or at a garage sale as tiny particles of toxic aluminum could end up in your iced tea.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p><a title="life without plastic 4 by green talk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greentalk/4813968447/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/4813968447_254f0823a8.jpg" alt="life without plastic children dishes" width="450" height="284" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://lifewithoutplastic.com/boutique/child-baby-products-dishes-children-c-65_69.html">Fun Dishes for Children</a>.  The interiors are made of stainless steel.  Prices vary.</p>
<p><a title="life with plastic 7 by green talk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greentalk/4814639064/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4077/4814639064_5b96c115a0.jpg" alt="life without plastic wooden dishes" width="450" height="411" /></a></p>
<p>The four piece children&#8217;s wood lacquer set is absolutely gorgeous.  Priced at $49.95 (on sale)</p>
<p>It was hard to narrow down what I loved most on the Life Without Plastic site. I kept hearing the tune from one of the songs from the Sound of Music&#8230;&#8221;<em>these are my favorite things</em>&#8230;&#8221; as I cruised around the site in my stainless steel car with stainless steel Ken besides me.  <strong>Barbie is just way toooo plastic for my taste now. </strong></p>
<p>Life Without Plastic has wonderful products so not only can you live without plastic but you can do it with style.  Did I mention they have wonderful <a href="http://lifewithoutplastic.com/boutique/nonplastic-toys-c-102.html">non-plastic toys</a> as well?  Or a <a href="http://lifewithoutplastic.com/boutique/water-storage-water-dispensing-c-75_85.html">15 liter stainless steel water dispenser</a>? *Sign.*  I could be singing that song for a long time as I keeping finding more and more products that I like on the LWP site.</p>
<p>Head over and fall in love with their products.  Life Without Plastic has been very generous and offered <strong>a discount of  10 % to all Green Talk readers</strong> <strong>until August 31, 2010</strong> on their products.  Use the code:  <strong>GTHELLO.</strong></p>
<p>Readers, let me know your favorites.</p>
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<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2009/04/06/how-to-unweave-plastic-from-the-fabric-of-our-lives/" rel="bookmark" title="April 6, 2009">How to Unweave Plastic from the Fabric of our Lives</a></li>
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		<title>NJ Gov Offices, Stop Spending Money on Plastic Water Bottles</title>
		<link>http://www.green-talk.com/2010/06/21/nj-gov-offices-stop-spending-money-on-plastic-water-bottles/</link>
		<comments>http://www.green-talk.com/2010/06/21/nj-gov-offices-stop-spending-money-on-plastic-water-bottles/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Jun 2010 02:36:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anna@Green Talk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[NJ Green]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recycling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bottled water]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[environment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Environmental Working Group]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ewg action fund]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EWG petition]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[glass bottles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[government offices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ken cook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NJ and plastic water bottles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nj gov]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[offices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[packaging]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[plastic water bottles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[recyclable materials]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reusable water bottle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sustainability]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water bottles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.green-talk.com/?p=5682</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I received several emails from Ken Cook, of the Environmental Working Group, one of my favorite watchdogs, regarding the State of New Jersey&#8217;s governmental use of plastic water bottles which is paid by taxpayer&#8217;s money. We have a wonderful water system in the state.  So, why the spend? Over the last couple of months, Governor Christie [...]]]></description>
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<p><a title="4102673364_a87d9fdc9f by green talk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greentalk/4721579734/"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1156/4721579734_39b8593cdd.jpg" alt="4102673364_a87d9fdc9f" width="450" height="316" /></a></p>
<p>I received several emails from Ken Cook, of the <a href="http://www.ewg.org/">Environmental Working Group</a>, one of my favorite watchdogs,<a href="http://action.ewg.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1895&amp;utm_source=bwaction2njtaf&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=first-link&amp;utm_campaign=water"> regarding the State of New Jersey&#8217;s governmental use of plastic water bottles </a><strong><a href="http://action.ewg.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1895&amp;utm_source=bwaction2njtaf&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=first-link&amp;utm_campaign=water"></a>which is paid by taxpayer&#8217;s money</strong><strong>.</strong> We have a wonderful water system in the state.  So, why the spend?</p>
<p>Over the last couple of months, Governor Christie has been trying to balance the money and is slashing programs like no tomorrow. So, Gov, here is one more place you can save some money.  Cook sent me an initial email stating:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Using taxpayer dollars to buy bottled water for government offices and other non-emergency purposes squanders much-needed public money on an unnecessary product that harms the environment.<span id="more-5682"></span></p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p>EWG Action Fund, in partnership with Corporate Accountability International, is urging Governor Christie to stop wasting public money on bottled water in New Jersey &#8212; and we need your help!&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>It blows my mind when I attend any function and see the old plastic water bottles on the table.  &#8221;<em>But we recycle</em>,&#8221; is what I hear.  <strong>News Flash</strong>.  It <strong>costs money to buy</strong> the bottles, <a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2009/07/24/are-recycled-plastic-bottles-products-really-eco-friendly/">they contain chemicals which are bad for your health,</a> and PS, it cost money and consumes energy to recycle them.  A little flick of the wrist to fill up a bottle and pitcher doesn&#8217;t hurt anyone.</p>
<p><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=747nloUOpdw&amp;subid=&amp;offerid=127265.1&amp;type=10&amp;tmpid=759&amp;RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gaiam.com%2Fproduct%2Feco-home-outdoor%2Fgreen%2Bliving%2Fview%2Ball%2Fgaiam%2Bpeace%2Bstainless%2Bsteel%2Bwater%2Bbottle."></a><a title="water bottle by green talk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greentalk/4721548982/"><img class="alignright" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1341/4721548982_234d185030_t.jpg" alt="water bottle" width="100" height="100" /></a><span style="font-size: 13.3333px;">Lead by example, Governor Christie, buy a reusable water bottle.  (You can buy a  <a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=747nloUOpdw&amp;subid=&amp;offerid=127265.1&amp;type=10&amp;tmpid=759&amp;RD_PARM1=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gaiam.com%2Fproduct%2Feco-home-outdoor%2Fgreen%2Bliving%2Fview%2Ball%2Fgaiam%2Bpeace%2Bstainless%2Bsteel%2Bwater%2Bbottle.">stainless steel reusable water bottle here</a>! By the way, Readers, you can too.)</span></p>
<p>And what about the plastic packaging?  Let&#8217;s not forget about all that non-recyclable, landfill bound garbage.<br />
<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=747nloUOpdw&amp;offerid=127265&amp;subid=0"><img class="alignright" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=747nloUOpdw&amp;bids=127265&amp;gridnum=13&amp;catid=-1&amp;subid=0" border="0" alt="Gaiam.com, Inc" width="300" height="250" /></a><br />
So, join me and supporting the <a href="http://action.ewg.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1895&amp;utm_source=bwaction2njtaf&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=image&amp;utm_campaign=water">Environmental Working Group&#8217;s petition </a>to tell Governor Christie to x-nay the plastic water bottles and delete this line item from the budget.  Here is the email that I received.  Do your part, New Jerseyeans:</p>
<blockquote><p>﻿Your response was amazing! Since last week more than 1,000 people in New Jersey have signed our petition asking Governor Christie to stop spending taxpayers&#8217; money on bottled water for non-emergency purposes &#8212; like meetings in government offices.</p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p>Help us reach 1,500 signatures.</p>
<p>We will deliver your signatures to Governor Christie on July 13. We want him to know that you and many other New Jerseyans do not want their money wasted on an unnecessary product that harms the environment. Help us reach 1,500 signatures today by sharing the petition with your friends in New Jersey.</p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p>It&#8217;s easy to ask your friends to join you:</p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p>Share the petition on <a href="http://action.ewg.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&amp;c=lKNfCR9Iu8Gw1u4UlhA3fHPViIX1JzfW">Twitter</a>: It&#8217;s bad policy to spend scarce taxpayer $ on non-emergency #bottledwater. But NJ does. Thx to @ewgtoxics, I asked Gov Christie to stop. U should 2! http://bit.ly/signpetitionNJ</p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p>Post it on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a>: I just asked Governor Christie to stop spending the state&#8217;s scarce $$ on non-emergency bottled water &#8212; it&#8217;s wasteful and unnecessary, especially in the current economy. Thanks to EWG Action Fund, you can ask him, too. <a href="http://bit.ly/signpetitionNJ"><strong>Sign the petition today.</strong></a></p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p>Forward this email to 10 of your friends and family in New Jersey: <a href="http://action.ewg.org/salsa/track.jsp?v=2&amp;c=a1BMff4Kw63Pz0Ytzk7JCXPViIX1JzfW">They can click here to tell Governor Christie to stop spending taxpayers&#8217; money on bottled water for government offices and other non-emergency purposes.</a></p>
<p>Thank you for sharing this petition with your friends and family in New Jersey. We can&#8217;t make change without you.</p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p>Sincerely,</p></blockquote>
<blockquote><p>Ken Cook<br />
President, EWG Action Fund&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>Heck, while you are at it, just say &#8220;No&#8221; to plastic water bottles all together.   Start by telling the Governor what you think.</p>
<p>Readers, how many meeting do you go to and see it littered with plastic water bottles?  Government meetings, school board meetings, so on and so on?</p>
<p><em>Editor Note: I am affiliate of <a href="http://www.gaiam.com/category/eco-home-outdoor.do">Gaiam </a></em><em>who sells terrific reusable water bottles.  So, I get a teensy amount of money for the purchase of something that is good for your health.</em></p>
<p><em>Photo by </em><em><a href="http://www.zone41.net. ">ricardo / zone41.net</a>.</em></p>
<p><em><br />
</em><strong>Similar Posts:</strong>
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<li><a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2007/07/10/sign-ewgs-petition-for-organic-farmers-to-receive-fair-share-of-federal-funding/" rel="bookmark" title="July 10, 2007">Spread the Word To Help Get Signatures for EWG&#8217;s Petition For Federal Funding For Organic Farmers!</a></li>
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		<title>Re:newal Water, the UnPlastic Disposable Water Bottle</title>
		<link>http://www.green-talk.com/2010/03/18/renewal-water-the-unplastic-disposable-water-bottle/</link>
		<comments>http://www.green-talk.com/2010/03/18/renewal-water-the-unplastic-disposable-water-bottle/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:55:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Anna@Green Talk</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[plastic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[water]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.green-talk.com/?p=4917</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We are obsessed with our disposable plastic water bottles.  In 2006,  Americans purchased 31 billion disposable water bottles, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation .   In order to produce that many bottles, 17 million barrels of oil were consumed which does not take into account the energy used in transportation. In addition, 2.5 million [...]]]></description>
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<p><a title="renewal bottle by green talk, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/greentalk/4444301515/"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2763/4444301515_4d5106e17e.jpg" alt="renewal bottle" width="450" height="439" /></a></p>

<p>We are obsessed with our disposable plastic water bottles.  In 2006,  Americans purchased 31 billion disposable water bottles, according to the Beverage Marketing Corporation .   In order to produce that many bottles,<strong> 17 million barrels of oil </strong>were consumed which does not take into account the energy used in transportation. In addition, 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide was produced to make those bottles. [<a href="http://www.pacinst.org/topics/water_and_sustainability/bottled_water/bottled_water_and_energy.html">Source</a>]</p>
<p>Although I am not advocating the use of disposable water bottles, I realize that many people will continue to use them since they are convenient and easily accessible.  So, how do we get off the oil gravy train and still have our beloved disposable water bottles?</p>
<p>I had the pleasure of interviewing Darren Keller, the CEO of<a href="http://renewal-water.com/" target="_blank"> Re:newal Water</a>, who produces a Florida spring fed bottled water.  The bottle is made out of  Polylactic Acid (PLA.)  The podcast is listed above.  I urge everyone to listen to it since Keller is quite fascinating.  As I approached this interview, the pros and cons of PLA swirled in my head.  Listed below are the key points that Keller and I touched on.  Could Re:newal water be the answer to get us off the oil treadmill?  Readers, you be the judge.<span id="more-4917"></span></p>
<p><strong>What is the re:newal bottle made of?</strong></p>
<p>Polylactic Acid (PLA) is a bio-based polymer made of renewable sources.  Ingeo™made by <a href="http://www.natureworksllc.com/">NatureWorks LLC</a>, an independent company wholly owned by Cargill,  is the trade name of the PLA in Re:newal Water&#8217;s bottles.  Nature Works LLC touts their product as being the  first polymer showing a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. (See <a href="http://www.natureworksllc.com/the-ingeo-journey/eco-profile-and-lca/eco-profile.aspx#2007">here</a> for NatureWorks&#8217; ecoprofile.)  Re:newal  Water states in regards to the renewable source of their products,</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;Today,NatureWorks LLC uses dextrose, a natural sugar derived from the starch in kernels of corn (maize), as the primary raw material for Ingeo biopolymer used to make re:newal<sup>TM</sup> bottles. Other agricultural raw materials such as rice, sugar beets, sugar cane, wheat and sweet potatoes can also serve as sugar sources to make Ingeo biopolymer used to make re:newal<sup>TM</sup> bottles.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>The bottle does not contain any petroleum by-products.  However, Keller aptly stated there may be petroleum used in the processing or shipping.</p>
<h2>How do you Recycle the Product?</h2>
<p>Additionally, PLA is biodegradable or perhaps compostable in certain conditions. Elizabeth Royte states in her article, &#8220;<a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/plastic.html?c=y&amp;page=2">Corn Plastic to the Rescue</a>,&#8221;</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;PLA is said to decompose into carbon dioxide and water in a “controlled composting environment” in fewer than 90 days. What’s a controlled composting environment? Not your backyard bin, pit or tumbling barrel. It’s a large facility where compost—essentially, plant scraps being digested by microbes into fertilizer—reaches 140 degrees for ten consecutive days. So, yes, as PLA advocates say, corn plastic is “biodegradable.” But in reality very few consumers have access to the sort of composting facilities that can make that happen.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>So, how good is a product that can&#8217;t be recycled because it is ahead of its time?  During our interview, Keller indicated a new company, <a href="http://biocor.org/">Biocor</a>, buys PLA from recycling companies, and returns the same to its original form of lactic acid.   The lactic acid could either be sold to make other products or make the same product again.  (See my upcoming interview podcast with Mike Center, Executive Director of Biocor.)</p>
<p>What about the cap?  Unfortunately, PLA does not have the characteristics to make a good cap. In addition, may areas of the country only take #1 and #2 plastic water bottles for recycling.  Caps are made of polypropylene (#5.) However, <a href="http://www.aveda.com/aboutaveda/caps.tmpl?ngextredir=1">Aveda  takes back the caps to use with their products</a>.  Please remember this when you recycle any PET or PLA bottle.</p>
<h2>Shelf Life?</h2>
<p>When you think of a plant based product, I worry about shelf life.  Keller assured me that the shelf life is the same as a PET bottle.   His bottles have a shelf life of  two years from the date of bottling.  In the past. PLA bottles suffered from water vapor loss, but this new generation of PLA does not have the same problems.</p>
<p>I also wondered about PLA bottle<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/04/29/2555698.htm"> leaching since PET bottle are notorious</a> leachers.  (See <a href="http://www.green-talk.com/2009/07/24/are-recycled-plastic-bottles-products-really-eco-friendly/">here</a> for more health issues with PET water bottles.)   Ever since I read <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17707454"> an Arizona study</a> which  revealed antimony leaching at high temperatures from PET bottles, I never permit a plastic water bottle in my car. (My kids sneak them in.  Not me.)</p>
<p>Keller explained that the only danger of high temperatures is water loss.  The bottle contains  a warning that bottles should not be exposed to temperatures that exceed  105 degrees.  He further explained that 105 degrees is a conservative number since the water is bottled at much higher ambient temperatures in Florida.</p>
<h2>Is their Water just like Tap water?</h2>
<p>Bottle water  has gotten the reputation that it is<a href="http://www.ewg.org/health/report/bottledwater-scorecard/bottle-vs-tap"> no better or perhaps worse than tap water</a>.  Keller stated that their water comes from a spring in Florida, and  they consider the bottle water to be premium quality.   They could use reverse osmosis or distill the water but  chose to keep the spring water in its natural state.  They do use micron filters, and UV lights as well as  ozonating the water to remove impurities.</p>
<p>The water is tested every year and the results can be found<a href="http://renewal-water.com/our-spring-water/" target="_blank">here on the Company&#8217;s website.</a>  Keller noted their last test revealed that their water contained  46 TDS. (total dissolved solids)  According to Keller,  there is a small amount of fluoride naturally occurring in the water.  It is not removed from the water since the Company&#8217;s stance is it is not harmful. No additional fluoride is added.   (Note, the addition of fluoride to public water sources has been quite controversial.  See<a href="http://www.fluoridealert.org/"> here about the fluoride debate.</a>)</p>
<h2>Corn and the GMO debate</h2>
<p>Anytime I think of corn based products, the question that comes to mind is the product genetically modified.  Keller explained NatureWorks  can not promise that the product is GMO-free, but if a Company desires a GMO free batch, NatureWorks can provide such a batch at a much higher price.  Right now, the Company is trying to obtain a market share of the disposable water industry.    At that time, the Company&#8217;s intention is to provide a non-GMO product.</p>
<p>In addition to the GMO argument, PLA opponents cite that farm land is being used for raising corn and not for needed food crops. Keller indicated that all the corn comes from the US and only a portion of the kernel is used which ordinarily would be wasted.</p>
<h2>So would you be paying more green for the product?</h2>
<p>Keller stated their price point was in the middle of the pack, being more expensive than the generic brands but less than those which are produced  half way around the world. <strong>(Update: 12/29/2011)</strong>  For distributors,  <a href="http://renewal-water.com/products-page/" target="_blank">see here on Re:newal&#8217;s website</a>.  You can no longer buy their product form their website.</p>
<h2>What About the Packaging?</h2>
<p>When you walk into a supermarket or wholesale buying store, the bottle water is wrapped in plastic.  Keller indicated that the Company is trying to get away from PET packaging and veer towards recycled paper. They are working towards 6 to 12 bottle packs in recycled cardboard.</p>
<p>At the end of the interview, Keller indicated that the name, Re:newal,  was picked  as the Company&#8217;s name, as corny as it may seems, because they wants consumers to look at buying water in a new way.</p>
<p>Although the concept of any bottle water seems odd to me since today there are so many options to use a reusable container, I am not the norm.    People will still carry bottled water regardless of the environmental or health reasons.  Renewal offers a non-plastic alternative which could one day be non-GMO as well.  The Company truly is trying to re-define our plastic obsession with their &#8220;unplastic water bottle.&#8221;</p>
<h2>So, Readers, what&#8217;s the jury say about this product?</h2>
<ul>
<li>would you buy this product?</li>
<li>what are your thoughts about Re:newal&#8217;s concept?</li>
<li>what are your thoughts about PLA?</li>
</ul>
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