Think Inside The Box

File this under "why didn't I think of that?" A new startup called "Boxed Water Is Better" has launched, and you guessed it, they offer convenience water in a box. Their goal is a mixture of art and sustainability; take a moment to read this caption from the BWIB site:

"About 90% of the Boxed Water container is made from a renewable resource, trees, that when harvested in a responsible, managed, and ethical way serve as an amazing renewable resource that benefits the environment even as it's renewed. Our carbon footprint is dramatically lower as our boxes are shipped flat to our filler and filled only as demand is created, opposed to most bottled water companies that ship their empty bottles across the globe to be filled, then shipped back for consumption. The flat, unfilled boxes we can fit on 2 pallets, or roughly 5% of a truckload, would require about 5 truckloads for empty plastic or glass bottles. Our cartons can also be broken down to their original flat state, are recyclable in most areas, and will be everywhere shortly. We're also giving 20% of our profits back to the resources our product is composed of - water and trees. Not only does it simply make sense, but we really enjoy supporting water and forestation organizations as it's part of our company's ethos and way of thinking to give back and participate. All that and an over-arching focus on simple and beautiful design that compliments our brand as well as the spaces it's sold and consumed in."

Sounds good to us. Any company aimed at reducing the mass distribution of plastic water bottles is a welcome addition. I look forward to grabbing a container, and hopefully converting it into a potted plant once I finish it. That's going to look good on the desk.

If you can't find any boxed water at your local store, and you live in a major U.S. city, then just enjoy the tap water!

Junk Your Junk Mail

You see it everyday, I know I do. Junk mail. It comes from everywhere, and you never asked for it. I confronted my postal carrier today, and she seemed upset that I would want to stop all the supermarket circulars and other junk. "Why?" I asked. She mentioned how much money the USPS makes from all this direct mail advertising, and how it would hurt the post office. I told her to charge more for stamps. She changed her tone, and then told me (reluctantly) to check out a website that will stop your junk mail.

The site she mentioned is called www.greendimes.com. The site was started by a dot com entrepreneur, who suffered the same frustrations with junk mail. The service costs $20 per year, and they will plant 5 trees for every member who joins.

There are other similar services, such as www.41pounds.org, which is named for the average amount of junk mail received by persons each year. The cost is $41 for 5 years ($8.20/year), and they will donate 1/3 of the fees to environmental causes.

Both services have been reviewed by major news sources, so please have a look a both and pick one that you feel happy about. In either case, they guarantee to cut your junk mail delivery by 90% in less than 16 weeks.

Go Ahead, Make Me Sustainable

Always on the lookout for valuable community sites, Flutter has discovered one that she thinks you should check out. It's called MakeMeSustainable.com and it may just help you lead a better path in life. From the website:

"You care about global warming and want to do something about it, even if you are not the type to put your arms around a tree, or are more likely to order in a pizza than roast a tofurkey. We will help you to understand and reduce your environmental impact, and save you money while we're at it. Through our tools you can implement personalized actions and track your progress. Our community allows you to share your success and network with other concerned individuals and check out businesses that are doing their part in your neighborhood."

By offering a tool for both individuals and businesses alike, MakeMeSustainable has empowered its community with the tools to track their lifestyle. They provide many ways to "take action," as well as coordinate with others in your area.

Create a profile today and see what you can do!