byoc?

Wowzers! I've been mulling over this very idea for quite some time now! In fact, I've had many friends (you all know who you are, too!) make fun of me with lines like "so you did remember to bring your Tupperware to the restaurant, right? No stryofoam for you!" with a wink and a nudge. But honestly, this is one thing I've never really been able to do. Oh oh oh! This could be my 2011 eco-challenge! Oh oh oh! Hmm... and the wheels they start a spinnin'! The idea is taking a reusable container to restaurants with you! - BYOC (bring your own container!) And Takeout Without is leading the way!

Now, I'd see this more so as an "after you've eaten at a restaurant and have leftovers to bring home" kind of thing. I'm not sure how you'd do this with a situation like calling in takeout? "Hold on, I'll stop by and bring you some Glad ware, and then I'll come back to pick up the food a little later!" But for leftovers, this would work great! It's just the same ole' "what will people at the restaurant/the waiter/waitress/friends I'm dining with/chef/my grandmother/God think of me bringing along a container for my leftovers? Will I embarrass myself?!" Well, God would love the idea! He's all for the planet, don't you know!

Wait a minute, though. That's the exact same thought process I once had towards reusable bags! Or telling my friends and family I no longer use paper towels! And I've moved way past any of those uncomfortable feelings. You don't like my reusable bag? Well, suck my five fingered fist of plastic bag freedom! No paper towels in the house make you sad? Get out and don't come back! No, not even for Christmas! In fact, especially not even for Christmas! (I'm working on my anger issues, ok?) So this might be just as easy! Don't like me pulling out my reusable takeout container in the restaurant? Put'em up! We're gonna fight! Steak knives and broken wine glasses for weapons! (Still working on those anger issues. It's only been like two sentences, what did you expect from me, an anger-free miracle?! Cause it ain't gonna happen, mister! You hear me! Oh no, wait, not again... count to ten, count to ten.)

So check this out from Takeout Without's website:

"Say no to unnecessary packaging. Fill your stomach. Not the landfill.

It takes approximately 20 seconds to put our food into take out containers. Convenient? No, it's actually inconvenient since the packaging can remain in our landfills forever, causing continued damage to us and our world. The American population tosses out enough paper bags and plastic cups, forks and spoons every year to circle the equator 300 times. TakeOutWithOut exists to help you to fill your stomach, not the landfill.

Our actions can be powerful! Every little bit counts. We can't aim for perfection, but we can aim for improvement by saying NO to unnecessary packaging and even toting our own reusables. TakeOutWithOut - enjoy your food, save your money, improve your health and help our planet!"

For all the details, go here! What do you think of this idea? Lust it? Hate it? Have you done this? Ever got into a fight with someone and used steak knives and broken wine glasses? (If so, who won, and do you still have both of your eyes?) Let method lust know what you think of Takeout Without! Could this be your 2011 eco-challenge?

real results

Earlier this week method Twittered this article titled "Did D.C.'s bag tax work?" and the results are mind-blowing!

"Yes, it did.

The District's 5-cent bag tax generated about $150,000 during January to help clean up the Anacostia River, even though residents have dramatically scaled back their use of disposable bags, according to a report city officials issued Monday.

In its first assessment of how the new law is working, the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue estimated that food and grocery establishments gave out about 3 million bags in January. Before the bag tax took effect Jan. 1, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer had said that about 22.5 million bags were being issued each month in 2009.

That's an 82 percent reduction in the number of plastic bags and $150,000 for the city. Hopefully this'll encourage Santa Barbara and other wavering cities."

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Did you get that? In one month they generated $150,000 for the city to use for (hopefully) eco-cleanup! And they went from giving out 22.5 million bags (and this is one city! That's the thing, imagine HOW many bags are given out each year when D.C. alone gives out 22.5 million!? That's freakin' insane) to 3 million bags.

And their reduction in the number of plastic bags given was: 82%. EIGHTY. TWO. PERCENT. That my friends, is what you call RESULTS. Seriously, I'm shocked. Imagine if every city did this? In fact, every state.

Screw the plastic bag industry. I hate that people might lose their jobs (I genuinely do.) But I've also had it up to the tip-top of my head with industries plodding forward like nothing's wrong cause "that's how they've always done it, and until there is a rule put into place we'll just do what we've always done Hell or high water - for better or worse." Sick of it. It's time companies, corporations, and industries were responsible for what they do and create! Something you'll be hearing much more about here on method lust, trust me.

82%. How about my hometown of Greensboro, NC tries this out. I mean, we are freakin' called GREENSboro. Maybe it's about time we started acting like it...

eco challenge - water bottles

Alright! It's taken me a bit of time to get around to really discussing water bottles! You know, those easy to carry, grab and go bottles of water that always cost more than a soda at your local convenience store. (And I'm not saying you should be buying soda/pop whatever you call it in your part of the world; but rather what IS up with bottled water costing more than soda? I mean, it's uh, water... craziness.) Anyway, I've hated bottled water for a while now. It's just SUCH a waste. You know, I'm not even sure if the convenience store bottled water is as much of a waste (since you know every once in a while you need a water, and tada, it's easy to get!) but moreso, it's all those bulk packages of bottled water people buy for their homes. Oh, I have a friend that does this. Every week, she'll buy like a crate load of these things, and I cringe as she puts them in the refrigerator. OR or, you know, when people buy the short stubby bottles of water. Not even the regular size. "Hey oh yeah, now I have to drink twice as many to get the water I need, but they're so much easier to carry, cause I'm buying them by the freakin' boat load!" Oh, don't get me started.

Ever heard of a water filter, friend? Oh yes, it's so very easy. They make them in pitchers, so your water can always be cold in the fridge. And they make them to snap onto your water faucet, for quick access. I have one at home, and it's great! In fact, I secretly don't think you even need to replace the filter as often as they suggest. I haven't replaced mine in FO'ever, and you know, it still tastes so much better than straight from the tap water! Seriously!

"Ugh, it's so much work to fill up the pitcher when it gets empty." Oh, is it? As much work as lugging those bottled water bulk packages from Walmart, is it? (Cause really, not only are you buying bulk bottled water, but you're buying it from Walmart. Are you TRYING to kill me here?) Whew... whew. Slow down, Nathan. You're getting all worked up. Ha ha!

Did you know:

+ Americans send about 38 billion water bottles a year to landfills.

+ It takes 1.5 million barrels of oil to make those bottles, making the environmental impact of plastic bottle waste truly staggering.

+ Plastic water bottles can take 1,000 years to biodegrade.

+ Nine out of 10 water bottles end up as garbage or litter, and that means 30 million per day. A small percentage actually end up going into recycling bins.

Ok. So I have a confession to make. At work we get bottled water (single serving) as payment for one of the websites we designed a while back. Tit for tat, I suppose. And I drink a lot of hot tea. SO (oh, this is painful to admit) we don't have a filter at work on the faucet, our water is pretty nasty tasting, so I'll just use the bottled water to heat up in my mug for tea each day. Usually, two to three bottles. Ugh. And everytime I do it, I cringe. Whew. I feel so much better! Three thousand Hail Mary's and I'll be fine. (But, these bottles DO end up going into the recycling container each and every time. I'm not THAT evil. No, really, I'm not.)

BUT, here's the thing. We've ran out of water (long story, we have another office, they took it all, supposedly "not knowing" we didn't have anymore; so now we have to wait for another shipment.) I tried the faucet water in my tea yesterday, and about gagged. Gah! So I was going to go out and buy a big bottle of water from the store, a jug; and use that. But then at home last night, a light blinked on in my head! (At first I thought it meant I had a brain tumor and should run and call the doctor! Then I realized it was just an idea! Yay!) I have this big metal thermos that I've had for ages, and literally have never used. I always end up using thermos's for coffee and such, and they always end up smelling nasty after a while inside (and I wash them out, I swear!?!) BUT, what if each morning I fill up the thermos with filtered tap water from my home, and bring it to work to use in my tea. No more bottled water waste at work for me, and I still get my filtered water! Yes!

So, this is one of my new eco challenges for 2009! As you can see from the (ghastly) pic above, it's from a Brita ad campaign discussing how much oil (and don't we all have issues with oil in the US right now!) is used to make bottled water. And to buy a faucet filter (or pitcher) for your home instead. I used to have a pitcher, also. But I find the filter a much easier solution. Yes, the refill filters are a bit pricey, but like I said, I think they last a lot longer than they want you to believe. Just test it out! So, this year, how about you do a bottled water challenge yourself? They even make these great aluminum bottles that you can buy and refill with water (and they're cool looking, too!) Hip, fashionable, and environment saving! You go, girl! And boy!

Are you a bottled water waster? Is it time for a change? (Uh, if the first answer is yes, then the second answer is YES!) Will you give it a try? Are you feeling bottled water guilt? Tell us your story! You'll feel better, I promise!

(You can find these adorable aluminum water bottles at Macy's! For a mere $9.99! How much money will you be saving instead of buying all those plastic water bottles every week! And making Mother Earth happy, too!)

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Here's an interesting article on the ups and downs of bottled water:

"Message in a Bottle: Despite the Hype, Bottled Water is Neither CLEANER nor GREENER Than Tap Water
By Brian Howard

“You drink tap water? Are you crazy?” asks a 21-year-old radio producer from the Chicago area. “I only drink bottled water.” In a trendy nightclub in New York City, the bartender tells guests they can only be served bottled water, which costs $5 for each tiny half-pint container. One outraged clubber is stopped by the restroom attendant as she tries to refill the bottle from the tap. “You can’t do that,” says the attendant. “New York’s tap water isn’t safe.”

Whether a consumer is shopping in a supermarket or a health food store, working out in a fitness center, eating in a restaurant or grabbing some quick refreshment on the go, he or she will likely be tempted to buy bottled water. The product comes in an ever-growing variety of sizes and shapes, including one bottle that looks like a drop of water with a golden cap. Some fine hotels now offer the services of “water sommeliers” to advise diners on which water to drink with different courses.

A widening spectrum of bottled water types are crowding the market, including spring, mineral, purified, distilled, carbonated, oxygenated, caffeinated and vitamin-enriched, as well as flavors, such as lemon or strawberry, and specific brands aimed at children. Bottled water bars have sprung up in the hipper districts, from Paris to Los Angeles.

The message is clear: Bottled water is “good” water, as opposed to that nasty, unsafe stuff that comes out of the tap. But in most cases tap water adheres to stricter purity standards than bottled water, whose source—far from a mountain spring—can be wells underneath industrial facilities. Indeed, 40 percent of bottled water began life as, well, tap water.

A 2001 World Wildlife Fund (WWF) study confirmed the widespread belief that consumers associate bottled water with social status and healthy living. Their perceptions trump their objectivity, because even some people who claim to have switched to bottled water “for the taste” can’t tell the difference: When Good Morning America conducted a taste test of its studio audience, New York City tap water was chosen as the heavy favorite over the oxygenated water 02, Poland Spring and Evian. Many of the “facts” that bottled water drinkers swear by are erroneous. Rachele Kuzma, a Rutgers student, says she drinks bottled water at school because “it’s healthier” and “doesn’t have fluoride,” although much of it does have fluoride.

Bottled water is so ubiquitous that people can hardly ask for water anywhere without being handed a bottle. But what is the cost to society and the environment?"

Go here to read the rest!

Paper towels. Check! Plastic bags. Check! - Here's my question for you! I'm taking suggestions as to what you think my next environmental goal should be? Give me your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas for Eco Challenge 2009! Don't be shy! (Remember that time during last years New Years party? Yeah, you're not shy. Don't even try to pretend...)