How to Stop Using Plastic Bottles

The constant use of plastic bottles is really harmful to the environment and can be pretty easily reduced. here are some ways to stop using plastic bottles so much.

E-Waste

Needing to chuck your old electronics? The Basel Action Network, who contributed documentary footage to this video, compiled a list of Responsible Recyclers that will not export your old computer. Check out their list here: www.ban.org/pledge1.html

Animation by Ian Lynam
Music by E*Rock

Plastic bags and the environment

CNN's Amber Lyon examines the effect plastic bags have on the ocean.

The Story of Bottled Water

The Story of Bottled Water employs the Story of Stuff style to tell the story of manufactured demand—how you get Americans to buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week when it already flows from the tap. Over five minutes, the film explores the bottled water industry's attacks on tap water and its use of seductive, environmental-themed advertising to cover up the mountains of plastic waste it produces. The film concludes with a call to take back the tap, not only by making a personal commitment to avoid bottled water, but by supporting investments in clean, available tap water for all.

Our production partners on the bottled water film include five leading sustainability groups: Corporate Accountability International, Environmental Working Group, Food & Water Watch, Pacific Institute, and Polaris Institute.

And, for all you fact checkers out there, http://storyofstuff.org/pdfs/StoryOfBottledWater_pdfs.zip

What Happens to Plastic Water Bottles?

What happens after you put a plastic bottle into the recycling bin?

Check out the tour of Marglen Industries in Rome, Ga., one of the largest and most sophisticated PET recycling facilities in the United States, using solar energy to help convert 2.5 billion empty bottles each year into many useful products. This video demonstrates the value, importance and practicality of recycling.

“In the video a Marglen spokesman says one of the biggest issues his recycling businesses faces is not having enough empty bottles to feed their facility,” says Tom Lauria, Vice President of Communication for the IBWA, in a press release. “U.S. recycling rates are still too low. This video is a clear message to consumers and municipalities that more needs to be done to capture this valuable material to feed recycled material processing centers rather than feeding landfills…”



Use Less Plastic

Every piece of plastic ever made still exists today, and much of this plastic has traveled from our hands to our oceans. This problem of plastic in our oceans is pretty serious. Here's one way to help, and it's pretty straightforward: Use less plastic. Join the Blue movement and sign the plastic pledge at SaveMyOceans.com.

Director: Mariana Blanco
Animator: Sol Linero
Production Co: Hoodablah - hoodablah.com

Song: Pot Kettle Black
Written by Kianna Alarid, Neely Jenkins, Derek Pressnall, Jamie Lynn Pressnall & Nicholas White
Performed By Tilly and the Wall
Courtesy Of Team Love Records By Arrangement With Bank Robber Music

Top 5 Green Houses of Worship

Though the Muslim community center planned for New York City has created controversy because of its proximity to Ground Zero, the original goal of the LEED certified building is to express the deep connections between Islam and environmentalism. It's only one of the top 5 green houses of worship in today's countdown.

How To Precycle

Recycling’s great, but go even greener by precycling as well, and create less waste to recycle in the first place.

You Will Need

• Reusable bags and containers
• A thermos
• Cloth towels and napkins
• A computer with internet access
• Houseplants or potpourri
• Cloth wrap and bags
• Vinegar and baking soda

Step 1: Think ahead

Bring reusable sacks and containers to the supermarket to carry your items in the cart, rather than using the clear plastic bags that stores provide. When checking out, place all your purchases into reusable bags.

Step 2: Eat, drink, and be practical

Take a thermos to the cafe, or fill it at home; pack a lunch in a box or insulated sack instead of a paper or plastic bag; drink tap water instead of bottled; and buy fresh foods rather than prepackaged. Carry cloth handkerchiefs, and ask take-out joints to hold the plastic cutlery, individual condiment servings, and paper napkins.

Step 3: Go digital

Set up your bills for auto pay. You’ll cut out excess mail and avoid late fees. Read online editions of newspapers and magazines, which are often free and feature additional multimedia content. To prevent unwanted catalogs or junk mail, request to be removed from the company’s mailing list.

For a $1 fee, the Direct Marketing Association’s mail preference service will take you off the mailing lists of many large companies for five years.

Step 4: Cut out single-use products

Avoid buying single- or limited-use products, such as disposable diapers, cleansing face wipes, and razors.

Step 5: Precycle on the job

At work, think twice before printing out emails or documents. Double-sided copies also reduce paper consumption. Posting employee manuals and memos online creates less paper waste and makes the documents easier to update.

Step 6: Clean more with less

Use concentrated dish and laundry detergents, which pack more cleaning power into less packaging.

Step 7: Scent your home naturally

Fill your home with the natural scent of houseplants or potpourri instead of using store-bought air fresheners, especially ones with disposable cartridges.

You can use white vinegar and baking soda – which come with less packaging than conventional cleaning products – to clean just about anything. Use undiluted white household vinegar or a paste of baking soda mixed with water.

Step 8: Don't trash gift wrap

Avoid excess garbage when gift-giving by wrapping presents in reusable cloth or cloth bags. Often, the best gifts need no wrapping at all.

It takes nearly 1.5 million barrels of oil to produce the 30 million water bottles Americans use annually.

Recycling by numbers: what you can and can't toss in the bin

Today we're talking all about recycling.  A lot of us make an effort to recycle, but many of us could be doing it wrong.  We'll review items that you should be recycling, as well as soda lids, paper towels and the other things you shouldn't be recycling.

No More Plastic Bags

Say good bye to petroleum based plastic bags from the grocery store. Melissa McGinnis from greenopolis TV suggests the paper bag option (if you forget your reusable totes) since most bags now are made from 100% recycled content.



The Future of... Packaging

Packing material is no friend to the environment. It takes significant energy to produce and often ends up in the landfill after a single use. BNET correspondent Sumi Das looks at some greener options.