I didn’t grow up in a home where honoring the Earth was a big priority. Yes, we grew or caught most of our own food, but the buck really stopped there.
It wasn’t until I went to summer camp when I was 11 and learned about recycling and how important it is to protect our environment that our family started recycling. I remember nagging my parents until they agreed to start recycling. I think they may have only agreed because they realized they could get money back for recycling.
I’m not sure the average family is much different today. Sure, it’s easier to recycle in communities that provide free recycle bins, but not all areas offer that service.
As our culture has moved towards one of convenience, we’ve welcomed far too many disposables into our homes and lives. Constantly on the go, most people grab a bottle of water to take with them. Sadly, U.S. plastic beverage bottle recycling rates are only at about 30%! That means 70% of beverage bottles aren’t being recycled!
In California alone, 2.8 Billion plastic bottles ended up in our landfills in 2011! Yikes. This is something that is so preventable. I have to confess, I know I have thrown away beverage bottles when we’re on the go, but I am going to try to be more conscious of not doing that anymore.
Another fact to be aware of is that not all plastic bottles are made from recycled plastic. Even if a bottle says recyclable, it doesn’t mean it’s recycled materials.
So I was pleased when I heard that Arrowhead has a goal of continually increasing their use of recycled materials in water bottles. Right now, Arrowhead’s new ReBorn™ bottle is made with 50% recycled plastic.
Why 50% and not 100% recycled plastic? Good question! Due to the limited supply of high quality recycled plastic, Arrowhead can’t currently get to 100% recycled content. They need your help in order to use more recycled plastic in their products!
You can help by simply making an effort to recycle your PET water bottles rather than tossing them in the trash.
Do you think that’s something your family can help with? I really think this is a great initiative and I’d love to see everyone reading this post make a concerted effort to pitch in.
Arrowhead has created a powerful video that is up on their website right now. Please go check it out and let me know what you think in the comments below!
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About Chrystal Johnson
Chrystal, publisher of Happy Mothering, is a mother of two sweet girls who believes in living a simple, natural lifestyle. A former marketing manager, Chrystal spends her time researching green and eco-friendly alternatives to improve her family's life. She enjoys sharing those discoveries with anyone who's willing to listen.
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{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Twitter: growingslower
March 14, 2013 at 11:24 am
Of course the best thing we can do is not using disposable bottles at all, but sometimes it is necessary. It’s great that there is an option for water bottles that use recycled plastic.
Shannon @ GrowingSlower recently posted..4 Simple Tips for Making a Birth Plan {Guest Post}
Absolutely, we try to bring our reusable glass water bottles everywhere we go. But sometimes we run out of water if we’re out for an extended period of time and have to pick up a drink.
Twitter: brittleby
March 14, 2013 at 11:27 am
I recycle everything! I hate creating waste. I will bring stuff home to recycle if I am out and don’t see recycling bins! {For example – at Expo West, I kept every empty bottle I got, so I could recycle it at home!}
Brittney Minor recently posted..Education Outdoors ~ Camp Game for the entire Family {Review}
That’s awesome Brittney! I used to do that when I worked in an office and they didn’t have recycling other than paper. Did you see there were recycling bins at Expo West though?
Twitter: silentsprings
March 14, 2013 at 11:51 am
Most of the places I’ve lived have made recycling really easy. But when I go to my parents house in Utah I am reminded about the dark side! There is no recycling pick up service, and the closest recycling facility is an hour away. Needless to say recycling doesn’t happen much at that house. I focus my nagging reminders on Reducing the amount of stuff to throw away in the first place.
Tamara @ Silent Springs recently posted..Homemade All Natural Foaming Baby Wash
There is no recycling pickup in our neighborhood and it’s killing me. We’ve only been here for a few months. I need to suck it up and start separating it and truck it across town to the recycling center (it’s probably 25 minutes away). I didn’t realize how much easier it was when you have recycling pickup!