Okay, NOW I’m mad.
Posted by Roberta Lipp on July 12, 2007
Seriously? I’ve been faithfully schlepping around my Nalgene bottles with my special combination of commitment and self-righteousness for years. Now I find out that was all wrong, and I need to pony up another $20?
Read on. Grrr.
-A. said
From what I know the Nalgene bottles are better than using a recycled plastic water bottle you buy in the store. But all plastic seems to have this “leakage” issue. The best thing is glass or metal. Lots of places are now selling these metal bottles to drink out of.
Personally I use glass. I reuse glass bottles from things I buy a big thing of juice from a supermarket or a single serving of ice tea. They are thick and solid. The clean very, very well. I have dropped them without breaking. I don’t spend an extra $20.
(And, I have never liked drinking out of Nalgenes. It is totally uncomfortable for me.)
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If I can add… for over a year now I actively do not buy products in plastic bottles. I end up NOT buying products I LIKE because of the packaging. There is a whole bunch of reasons for this. The glass I can: reuse and know that at worst it will break down and degrade eventually. And plastic is made of… oil. People seem to forget that. Anyway. I try not to buy plastic bottles.
Roberta Lipp said
Plus… fuck! What about my BRITA pitcher??
Fucksake.
-A. said
I think it is cute that the Ideal Bite page has ads for metal bottles on the same page that is discussing how good they are.
See these things
http://www.mannaharvest.net/images/1401/OC10123.jpg
They make GREAT water bottles.
Plus you get a bonus tasty drink.
Roberta Lipp said
Fine fine fine. I will buy some glass bottled drinks. They are just a little heavy for me, and don’t have the nifty strap.
Fuck.
And although I am not doing it with the same fervor as you describe, I am becoming more aware of packaging in all my products and making some choices accordingly. Joe wrecked me.
(How the hell do you find shampoo?)
dereksh said
I’d be heavily suspicious about information gotten from a source that is poised to profit from your acceptance of said information. Where do they get their information? What study are they referring to? How many subjects were involved in the study? 100? 1000? In what geographic locations? How strong is the link? Is it with hot or cold beverages? Did the subjects microwave these containers? I’m talking BIG grain of salt here. They said these plastics “leech toxins.” Our bodies encounter and effectively deal with “toxins” on a daily basis. I say don’t chuck your Nalgene bottle only based on their say-so. Get more info before you start giving them money.
Sure all plastic is made from oil, but it is ridiculously difficult to live in today’s society and have SOME aspect of your life leave a negative effect on the earth. And that’s not a cop-out, that’s the reality of human nature. We can make regular changes toward leaving a “lighter footprint,” and maybe a drastic reduction in plastics is one you want to make right now. But again, don’t do it just on their say-so.
I say pick your battles. First things first, reuse containers, plastic, glass, or otherwise. Those one-use packaging materials are killer. That’s a big environmental bang for your social choice buck there. It sounds like you’re already doing that, and that’s awesome. If you want to make more changes, that’s awesomer.
Roberta Lipp said
I am continually working toward being awesomer. Thanks for your skepticism; it cheered me up! And ‘lighter footprint’ is a nice way of looking at it. But the truth is, those of us that are going greener need to go extra green to compensate then those who ain’t. So, every little bit helps… and then just a little bit more.
-A. said
I pretty much agree with everything being said.
I think simply being alive is changing/damaging the natural way of the earth. If you want some clothes you have to cut/kill/alter something. Shelter, same thing. And so on. It is a matter of degree and where a person feels comfortable.
Although, I guess I think we all could use to be a little bit more uncomfortable then we are. Just a bit.
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As for oil and plastics, I do think it is a big deal.
Because…. the PLASTIC FORK in my take-out meal…
- The oil for the fork was taken out of the ground by machines using gas/oil.
- The oil was shipped to (let’s say America) in a ship burning oil.
- It was then put on a truck, burning oil, to a factory that used oil/coal to make it into a fork.
- Which was then put on a truck, using oil, and sent to the warehouse and later delivered by truck/oil to the place where I ordered a Super Beef Burrito.
- I did NOT use the fork and threw it in the recycling…
- where another truck/oil came and took the fork to a recycling place
- The recycling place used another machine with oil/coal to recycle the fork into something else.
It is the craziest thing in the world if you think about it.
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Which is why, like Debra said, I think re-using things is so important.
-A. said
[I know it will sound crazy... but I haven't bought shampoo for somewhere between 6-12 months.]
[I just use the bar of soap.]
-A. said
I know it might sound like I am this super hardcore earth guy.
But I am totally not. Like Deb said you have to pick your battles. I choose the clothing detergent in the box. I choose the peanut butter in the glass jar.
I like to use listerine and their is no way around that. So I buy the listerine. (Although… I have wondered about making it myself, can’t be that hard.)
I think it has to grow naturally. I didn’t start at the point I am at now. I started this recent spike in caring by deciding never to buy another thing of bottled water. And little by little it has spread to other areas.
Roberta Lipp said
Hey, Al, it’s not Deborah. It’s Derek. Who you remember… he lived in that cool communey house on Stevens, right here in Little Falls.
Oprah did a wonderful show several months back about going green. She had people representing different areas to make changes in. I learned a lot from it. And you know, that could make a difference, because her viewership is as big as they come, and they like, listen to her. At one point someone talked to her about changing to a lower pressure showerhead, and she was all, No way am I giving up my water pressure. And I thought that was as important as anything else she said. Because people could watch a show like that and think, I’m not going to do this all, so why bother, and Oprah made it okay and human to do some.
Going green « Math Rocks! said
[...] July 13, 2007 at 2:28 pm | In life | I was just talking with Roberta about going green, and today I opened my electric bill. I can choose who supplies my energy. I can [...]
-A. said
[opps.]
dereksh said
I beg your pardon, it was not a “communey” house, it was a “community” house. Get with it, girl! Sheesh!
Speaking of which (being green) I’ll be getting green elecricity soon!
Roberta Lipp said
Derek, you read my blog. I have the ‘Whedonesque’ tendency to adjective language by adding the letter y to words unlikely to otherwise receive such attention. I spent plenty of time in that house. The vibe was entirely communey. Sheesh!
-A. said
[oppsy.]
Darok said
Hey Roberta – I’m your fellow ‘Little House’ fan – remember? (waves!)
Your blog is very interesting and very funny!
Green – yeh – I try as well. I TRY to remember to use my shoprite reusable cloth bags whenever I shop (yes I fail sometimes). I DO use a plate whilst cooking to hold the cooking fork/spoon instead of a paper towel. I DO recycle (but do THEY really recycle the shite we put into the recycle bin … ??? HMMMMMM????). I ALWAYS turn off the tap whilst brushing my teeth so as to not waste water but find I cannot be so fanatical as to turn off the shower whilst lathering up – ah well …
But yes – we have to TRY – we have to make the attempt dammit!
As to leaching toxins – my Dad – a physicist – told me years ago that the water table was ’severely compromised’ – his polite southern gentleman way of saying ‘we’re fucked’. Yet we still live on. I agree – go with the metal container – but don’t flip out over “oh my god I’ve been drinking from leaking toxic plastic!” It ain’t worth it. And honey – if you don’t have the dough now – relax – and get the metal/glass container when you have the ducats.
AND – I personally think bottled water – at least in this area – is bollocks – our tap water is very good (better if you live in NYC or upstate NY) – this bottled water is another money scam by ‘them’, IMO.
As to the Listerine fan out there – if you buy TRADITIONAL Listerine – no flavour – it’s in a glass bottle.
As to shampoo – I can’t find anyone who makes it in glass bottles anymore – Kloraine used to but no more – even in the health food shop it’s all plastic – even Dr. Bronner’ super-hippie-fab-fantastic soap is in a plastic bottle.
If you want to make your own soap – contact Red Devil – they make lye (major ingredient in soap) and will happily tell you how to make soap. Honest. (You need to have a cauldron or BIG stock pot and LOTS of air – outdoors is best for soap making). It’s a tad dangerous.
You could also buy – in bar form – castille soap – melt it down into liquid form – strain it – add some olive oil – and voila ! You have a VERY nice shampoo. The bar castille soap comes in a paper wrapper so it’s only ’semi-evil’.
Sorry if this was a swottish post but it got me going …
Cheers!
Roberta Lipp said
Glad to have you in here; thanks for all the kind words (and the so-cool Little House trivia… I am still reeling from that talk!)
Darok said
Want to really throw up? I have The Little House Cookbook – honest!
dereksh said
Hey, my wife owns that book, too!
Darok said
Some of the recipies are quite “doable” – did your wife ever try the ’salt pork’ one?
(I also have the White Trash Cookbook but that’s another kettle of fish altogether)
Seymour, MSW said
Albert…
You’re my hero.