During all of this SIGG has BPA in the liner drama going down, maybe one of the most peeved individuals I’ve run into about it has been our own Peggy – aka, ex-Tree Hugging Family co-blogger extraordinaire. At Blisstree Green I posted about the SIGG issue as well and Peggy left an interesting comment about looking for glass water bottles. She posted a link to one type of glass water bottle, but didn’t love the reviews. It got me wondering if there was a better glass reusable water bottle out there, one Peggy might like, and after a little search …read more

To be honest, I’m perfectly content with my trusty old Klean Kanteen Water Bottle – it’s not fancy, but it works and I’m not using and tossing lots of lame platic bottles into the trash. That said, every once in a while I really wish I had a pretty little bottle. One that would be a nice conversation starter; one that gets long looks, one that makes me swoon.
Is it possible to swoon over a water bottle? Um YES. Is it necessary? That’s up for debate. Probably not, but if you’re looking, or just want to indulge in a second …read more

Earlier today we looked at a simple question; Is Eating Seafood More Eco-friendly Than Eating Meat?. The general answer was no. There’s more too it than just yes or no though. It is possible to make smart eco-choices when it comes to the seafood on your plate.

As noted in the last fish post, don’t buy fish from questionable places like a fish farm.
Avoid seafood that’s caught with trawling efforts.
Like most foods, buying local and in-season seafood is eco-friendly, however since we all don’t live on the coast, here’s some extra purchasing help…

The Environmental Defense Fund has a few handy guides …read more

Thanks for participating in last month’s water conservation poll. We’ll have a new one in the sidebar soon.
What measures do you take to conserve water?
I’m not listing each answer, but here are some highlights:
• Most popular answer (aside from “At least 5 of the above”) was turn off water while washing dishes and brushing teeth with 15% of the vote.
• Eating little or no meat claimed 7% of the vote. It takes a lot of water to get a package of beef to the store. . .
• Compost instead of using the garbage disposal and wear clothes more than once …read more

Since July is almost over, we’ll be taking down the water poll in a couple of days. Please take it if you haven’t. It’s in the sidebar.
In glancing at the poll results, I’m a little surprised that only four voters have said that they wear clothes more than once before washing. But we did include that pesky “At least 5 of the above” answer, so maybe that accounts for part of it.
You know I’m curious though.
If you don’t wear your clothes more than once before washing, what are your reasons? Of course, many kids get their clothes too dirty to …read more

If you can get past the guy in the intro with the unnaturally tall mustache, then you’ll learn how to build a rain barrel from a food barrel. The video also goes into installation and maintenance tips, as well as some interesting facts. It’s 4:57 from HGTV.
If you’d prefer written directions, go to HGTV’s Rain Barrels project.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in July 2008

Remember when I posted about ice pop molds? Well, I got three sets of the Tovolo Molds, and we really like them. It’s the first time we’ve had single style molds, and the first summer we’ve been completely ice pop trash free. We did used to make homemade pops, just not as often because the multiple molds (i.e. molds stuck together were problematic).
In any case, since this is water month, and I’ve been water slacking, I figured I’d bring up our one and only issue with these molds. You still have to use a decent amount of water in order …read more

Not tricks exactly, but they’ll work like magic to keep you from wasting water. Most of us know about low-flow shower heads, but have you thought of all the other little ways to save water?
Didn’t finish that glass of water? Pour it into your window box or the flower bed outside instead of down the sink.
Drop an ice cube? Your dog or cat might like that in the water bowl, or you can place it in the bird bath.
Changing the water in the fish tank? Feed it to the plants. They’ll love the nitrogen!
The kids insist on running through the …read more

Grey water isn’t exactly gray. And some people call it graywater, grey water, or gray water. Confusing, eh?
Unless Jennifer disagrees, I’m going to call it grey water.
Grey water is any water that has been used in the home: shower, sink, laundry. Toilet water shouldn’t be reused. Grey water can be used for different purposes, like watering the lawn. Grey water may also be used in the toilet.
You can install a grey water system to filter, store and re-route used water. But first, make sure it’s legal in your area and that you’ll be able to get a permit. Grey water …read more

We’re not finished splashing about with water conservation month yet.
There’s still much to discuss, but since it’s July 15, let’s take a look at our posts so far.
Conserving in the Kitchen & Bath
One Small Step: Scrape Instead of Rinse
Dishwashers Use Less Water
Do you really need a water filter?
No Runny While Soapy
Easy Toilet Leak Test
Water Awareness
Water for People
What’s Important About 350?
Your Water Footprint
What’s Your Yearly Water Bill?
Reusable Water Bottle Reviews
Green Product Review: SIGG Water Bottle
Green Product Review: Klean Kanteen Water Bottle
Other Water-related Posts
Saving Water Outside
Proper Disposal of Oil
Water Water Everywhere
Green Review: Ecover Automatic Dishwasher Tablets
Please check out our water conservation poll …read more