Reusable Bags News

There are several eco friendly businesses that can be found online today. One example of a great company dedicated to advancing sound environmental sanitation ideas and products is Envirolet®. They build some of the highest quality composting toilets that are in use in many homes today.

What is a composting toilet?

In contrast to septic systems which use anaerobic decomposition, a compost toilet is aerobic. This means that the system depends on oxygen alone for the decomposition of the waste material. In general, the innovative toilets are low flush if they use water at all. Some are totally waterless which as you can imagine will save a lot of money long term. For the person who is into gardening and has a need for compost or fertilizer, this can be a really reliable and environmentally perfect choice.

There are many benefits to utilizing the Envirolet® waterless toilet or some other brand of composting toilet system.

1. Many towns throughout the U.S. now offer rebates to homes that are using compost toilets for their waste management. It is wonderful to see communities coming together to fight the cause for the things that will ultimately help the environment or at least cause decline in the current trend of harm.

2. As noted above, the use of such a low flush or waterless system can greatly decrease your household utility costs. In today’s economy, every penny in our budget counts, so this savings can be very noticeable especially to bigger households.

3. Using such a system will definitely help to promote a positive impact on the environment. If more people would get on board with this plan, it would greatly reduce water contamination and water usage in general. This is an important thing to consider when we think about how our current actions affect our children and grandchildren for years in the future. We must think about the implications of everything that we do right now that does affect the world of which we live.

4. Many of these toilet systems allow for anything that is alive in nature to be disposed of. This means that you could completely do away with the compost bin that you’ve been using for kitchen waste and put everything into the one solution. If you practice an organic lifestyle that includes your own garden, this would be a great system for you to consider for the household. Your toilet will now be creating the compost that you can use to fertilize your garden, thus saving dollars on gardening costs as well as utility bills.

Recently, I had the awesome opportunity to spend a few months in Dublin, Ireland. I was amazed at the wonderful system that is in place there for making it easy for households to be environmentally conscious. Many households keep a small green bin for organic material in their kitchens. The meal time clean-up includes making use of this bin and almost nothing food related goes into the actual trash can. The town then collects the material from these small bins and households on a regular basis. I loved this and hope that more cities and particularly places in the U.S. would be fast to get on board with this idea.

For the avid composter, the Envirolet® composting toilet is a natural progression in the enironmental friendly lifestyle that you are currently used to. Consider this choice now or in the future as something that can help to align you on your path as you fight for health and a clean environment.

So how’s that 2010 new years resolution going? Well, if you’re like many or even most of us, you may have already given up.  It can be extremely difficult to change one habit.  In fact, we may go year after year making the same promise to ourselves to break a bad habit.  Then we break the promise of breaking that habit (sound familiar smokers, habitual soda drinkers, or fast-food eaters?).  It’s a vicious cycle! How do we break it?

I propose we adopt a strategy of changing a variety of simple and easy things in our lives, right now, instead of having just one goal for change.  What if changing in just one way is not enough? As we make decisions to change, even in small ways, we gain momentum and confidence in our ability to make positive changes regarding some of the more difficult things like working out regularly and finally losing that extra weight.  So let’s start building that confidence!

I see two simple yet significant ways I can change our planet and myself.  First, I’ll use eco friendly reusable or recycled shopping bags instead of plastic and paper bags when I shop.  Secondly, I’ll remember to use stainless steel water bottles. You may be surprised by what a positive influence these two easy habits can have on the world.

These habits are simple, easy and affordable.  Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, plastic containers and bags are not addictive (we promise, no withdrawals or cravings)!  Many aren’t mindful of how our usage of these products affect our planet’s health.  Once upon a time not long ago, we weren’t mindful of the harmful effects of cigarettes.  We accepted cigarette smoke as the status quo.  Some of us still smoke or live in communities where smoking is allowed in public indoor spaces.  Using reusable grocery bags and reusable water bottles can be new healthy habits and so easy compared to something like quitting caffeine, high fructose corn syrup or eliminating fast food from our diets.  Keep a stash of eco friendly recycled bags in your car, backpack, or shoulder bag.  Make a small investment in a stainless steel reusable water bottle and bring it with you everywhere you go.  You will not only reduce the harmful affects of disposable bag and disposable bottle waste in our environment, you will also inspire others to make these simple changes in their lives as well.

The best part is how you will feel about yourself when you realize you’re now part of the solution, rather than the problem.  Check out the stats and facts:

Disposable bag usage:

• Plastic bag waste pollutes our lands, forests, ponds, rivers, lakes, and oceans.
• Just since the year began (as of March 1st, 2010), it is estimated that over 82 Billion plastic bags have been consumed in the USA.
• According to the EPA this contributes to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of marine mammals (who ingest and subsequently choke or die of starvation as a result).
• In California alone, an estimated 19 billion plastic bags end up in landfills each year.
• Although there is debate about which one (plastic vs. paper) is worse for the environment, there is no debate that the widespread adoption of reusable eco bags is by far the best solution for this significant environmental problem.

Plastic bottle usage:

• According to the Container Recycling Institute (CRI), more than 21 billion beverage cans and bottles have been landfilled, littered and incinerated so far this year (yes just since 2010 began).
• CRI also reports that Americans purchase an estimated 34.6 billion single serve plastic bottles every year and hundreds of millions end up in the same places that disposable bags end up.

We all dream of a day when we finally break loose of our bad habits:  quitting smoking, eliminating fast food in our diet, or just getting off the couch and working out!  You know you can do it!  Determine what you can easily change now, and act on it.  So make a simple change in your life today: Adopt a reusable shopping bags and stainless steel water bottle habit and start building momentum for greater changes that are beginning in your life right now!