Eco-Friendly Idea: Axing Single-Serve Plastic Waterbottles

The Eco-Runner has waded into the single-serve water bottle debate, and its interesting to note that if you do take a moment to look around, you'll quickly see how much plastic bottle pollution there is in Sydney, or anywhere really. We're drowning in a sea of discarded soda pop & mineral water plastic bottles!

Here's the Eco-Runner's thoughts:
http://eco-runner.blogspot.com/2007/09/eco-friendly-idea-axing-single-serve.html

Single-serve plastic waterbottles. The debate. I've always been a skeptic. Personally, I do not use and/or purchase them...ever. Convienient...maybe. Eco-friendly...not so much. I paid particular attention to how many plastic waterbottles I picked up on my eco-walk this evening. Sick! They are EVERYWHERE!!! So...here's an option:

I recently recieved a comment from an individual with the alias of EcoDisc who plugged their new reuseable water bottle known as the Hydropal. Now, I'm sure this is not the only one of its kind on the market, but the idea is excellent and smart. EcoDisc commented, "it allows people to reduce water bottle pollution, and one of the reasons for this invention is that I was so sick of going for a run, and all I see in my streets and parks is discarded single serve plastic waterbottles." I couldn't agree more, and any possible way to reduce pollution is novel to me! If you are interested, check out their site @ http://www.hydropal.com.au/.

All the best, EcoDisc! And cheers, Eco-Runners! Run 4 more!

Posted by Sam - http://eco-runner.blogspot.com/

When Asked, "Why Do You Run?"

Heres a link to a blog I really like:

Source:
http://eco-runner.blogspot.com/2007/08/when-asked-why-do-you-run.html

I run to celebrate the joy of my being... the ecstasy that I am! I run that I may be alone with myself and together with my universe. I run to find the rhythm of the pounding rush of my own heart which sets its beat to the pulsing of time.

I run in time ever present as it passes through my world garbed in the white robes of winter, the patchwork of fall, stripped to the simplicity of summer or garlanded with the new growing things of spring... I run seeking the feeling of harmony that is mine if I will but open to it.

I run to feel the earth chains break and drop along my path. I run until I am numb to the everyday cares and woes and I flow forward; a part of the air which I suck into thirsty lungs the earth which softens the placement of my feet. The sounds of this space through which I pass are music to my soaring spirit. The sights lure me ever onward. The process carries me ever upward - higher and higher.

So I ask you, "How can you not run?"

A little inspiration goes a long way. The environment around us truly makes running what it is - a passion and feeling unlike any other. Take heart, Eco-Runners. You Run 4 More! Cheers!
Posted by Sam - http://eco-runner.blogspot.com/ at 8:52 PM

My comment
Everywhere I run in Sydney, plastic bottle pollution is just horrendous, everywhere I run, all I see is discarded single-time-use plastic water bottles. I no longer buy bottled water as a personal stand against this trashing of our environment, we invented Hydropal instead. My Hydropal allows me to drink filtered tap water wherever I am. You too can get a Hydropal from http://www.hydropal.com/

If you are in Sydney, and want to catch-up with some serious running types, checkout these links; http://www.sydneystriders.org.au/ http://www.coolrunning.com.au/ http://www.sixfoot.com/

Watermill Express Eco-Friendly Solution

I'm posting a press release today from a US water kiosk company. Its got some amazing numbers on single-use water bottle pollution. Also, I have noticed that there are very few of these types of pure water dispensers in Australia. This doesn't make sense to me when you see big water bottle trucks rolling around the streets of Sydney delivering bottled water. Are people too lazy to take their office water cooler bottles down to the water refilling kiosk at their local servo?

Source: http://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/

Sep 13,2007 - Watermill Express self-serve kiosks dispense pure drinking water into customers' own containers, eliminating the need for disposable packaging, the costs and effects of plastic bottle manufacturing, and product distribution.

Watermill Express, the nation's largest drive-up self-serve vendor of pure drinking water, provides a health-conscious and eco-friendly alternative amid the escalating debate between bottled water and tap water.

While bottled water has many benefits, environmentalists have concerns regarding the vast disposal of single-serve plastic bottles. Watermill Express self-serve kiosks dispense pure drinking water into customers' own containers, eliminating the need for disposable packaging, the costs and effects of plastic bottle manufacturing, and product distribution.

Watermill Express estimates that its product and process have prevented the disposal of more than 500 million disposable water bottles since its inception in 1984. "Given the growing sentiment against the use of disposable bottled water nationwide and various city officials, restaurants and stores discouraging consumption and subsequent waste of single-use water bottles, our product provides a timely alternative that allows consumers to re-use their own water bottles," said Lani Dolifka, CO-CEO for Watermill Express.

According to the Container Recycling Institute (CRI), a Washington-based nonprofit, eight out of 10 plastic water bottles used in the United States become garbage and that more than 75 billion beverage cans and bottles have been disposed in 2007.

The Earth Policy Institute reports that 1.5 million oil barrels are utilized to manufacture these containers. This is enough to fuel 100,000 cars for one year. Additional burdening factors to the environment include distribution costs especially for those varieties that originate abroad.

Watermill Express not only has an environmental and price advantage over bottled water but through its exclusive Water Perfection eight stage purification system it never exceeds 50ppm in total dissolved solids, meaning that safety and excellent taste can always be expected.

While bottled water advocates address Americans' concerns about the health of their beverages and the safety of their drinking water and tap water advocates address their concerns about environmentally damaging waste, Watermill Express gives consumers the best of both worlds, including convenience and affordability.

EcoDisc CD Recycling program launched

Your unwanted discs can now be recycled instead of thrown away, saving energy and valuable resources. Discstation has created EcoDisc to stop unwanted discs from ending up in our landfills around Australia. CDs and DVDs are extremely durable and non-biodegradeable, and also contain toxic chemicals and metals, so don't throw them away, send them to EcoDisc, PO Box 590 Lindfield NSW 2070.

EcoDisc CD & DVD Recycling is a new service from Discstation which allows you to dispose of CDs in an environmentally responsible way. Suitable for all types of CDs & DVDs and their plastic cases, including music CDs, writeable CDs and CD ROMs, DVDs, and Game discs which can be recycled extracting the polycarbonate and aluminium content for use in the manufacture of new components using hard plastics and metals.

Don't throw unwanted discs away, send them to EcoDisc, PO Box 590 Lindfield NSW 2070.

ecodisc

Bottle Pollution is a massive worldwide issue

Dawn (6 am) at the Jumeirah Open Beach finds the area still packed with people and littered with rubbish.



This article and photo is courtesy of the Gulf News in Dubai. http://www.gulfnews.com/

I have highlighted this paragraph from the article for the imagery it evokes for me;

`The fine white sand is polka-dotted with water bottles while empty drinks cartons bob around in the shallow surf, food wrappers of all kinds have been chucked aside and chip packets roll like tumbleweed along the shoreline which is covered in a confetti of cigarette butts.'




How could we let this happen?
By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter Published: August 20, 2007, 23:37


Dubai: It might be 6am on a Friday morning on the Open Beach in Jumeirah but it looks more like the aftermath of a 48-hour music festival with people camped out on beach towels stirring themselves awake, groups of friends having a morning dip, while others gaze together as dawn breaks.


But how do you enjoy the sunrise when all around you is wasteland? Five tonnes of rubbish is collected on average everyday from Jumeirah's beaches.

The full article is here;

http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Environment/10148051.html

plastic bottle pollution

EcoDisc CD & DVD Recycling explained: FAQs

We are getting a number of emails requesting information about the details of how our CD Recycling program operates, this section of FAQs is a summary of the more common enquiries we are receiving.

How do you recycle the discs and jewel cases that I send to you?
We accept any scratched, damaged, or unwanted music Cds, movie DVDs, Cdroms, Playstation and Xbox discs for recycling (and their cases). The discs are either re-surfaced and renewed through our own disc scratch removal and scanning processes (and then re-sold), or they are sent (incl cases) to a plastics reprocessing facility here in NSW. Incidently, if you are interested in purchasing a recycled DVD please visit our Ebay store, http://stores.ebay.com.au/EcoDisc-Australia/

Can you tell me more about the CD recycling process?
Any discs we receive (that we are unable to resurface and resell) are bundled together and sent to a specialist plastics recycling company. This is a description of the patented process used;
The compact machinery separates the various plastic components of the optical media using a granulation technique as a first step, then isolates any paper and plastic coverings and metal staples. Friction washing is used to remove the metal layer of the CDs and DVDs, and finally, a patented process recovers primary materials such as polystyrene, polycarbonate and polypropylene.

What are the recycled plastics used for?
The recovered plastics are currently being used in Australia for manufacturing a wide variety of plastic products and are also exported to overseas clients. The small footprint, improved energy efficiency and reduced water consumption, together with the need for fewer workers, minimise operating costs of this technology, making it ideal for CD recycling. The efficiency of the technology produces quality recycled plastics at a cost that competes favourably with virgin raw materials.



ecodisc