Zero Water Filter with Almost Zero Waste

from the National Geographic Green Guide
by Mary Logan Barmeyer

We've heard again and again that it's time to kick the plastic water bottle habit and head back to the tap. Despite evidence that our tap water is highly regulated and just as safe as bottled, news about pharmaceuticals and chemicals in drinking water or pipes that may contain lead, or even just bad tasting tap, can make us wary of getting our water straight from the faucet. Although most water filters can't eliminate every contaminant, they can help reduce them. But are unrecyclable water filters any better for the environment than recyclable plastic bottles? Not if you can recycle them.

Zero Technologies recently launched a recycling program for filters, the only program of its kind in the country. Ninety percent of the materials in its ZeroWater filters are recyclable--even the filter media are recycled for use in wastewater-treatment plants--and they can be shipped back to the company in their original packaging in exchange for a discount on replacements. (Zero is also one of the only companies to offer filter bottles made of glass, although the ABS plastic used in their other products has been tested to ensure no chemicals leach out).

ZeroWater's carbon and ion-exchange filter reduces dissolved solids in water down to zero parts per million, which you can test with a total dissolved solids (TDS) meter that comes with the filter. The filters are also NSF certified to remove lead, chlorine taste and odor, mercury, hydrogen sulfide, chromium, aluminum, zinc and iron.

ZeroWater filters are available online at www.zerowater.com. Half-gallon pitchers are $39.99, and larger 2.5 gallon bottles are $119.99 for glass or $99.99 for plastic.

Click for information on the Mountain Lakes drinking water supply and Mountain Lakes Consumer Confidence Report .

Prescription Drug Disposal

An Associated Press investigation shows vast array of pharmaceuticals -- including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones -- have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans including 24 major metropolitan areas -- from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit, Michigan, to Louisville, Kentucky.  So many prescription drugs -- and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen -- in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health.

One solution for proper medicine disposal is offered by SMARXT DISPOSAL. TM This public awareness campaign is a public-private partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the American Pharmacists Association, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.  They recommend that you follow your medication prescriber’s instructions and use all medications as instructed. If you do not use all of your prescribed or over-the-counter medication, you can take a few small steps to make a huge impact in safeguarding lives and protecting the environment by disposing of unused medicines properly:

• DO NOT FLUSH unused medications and DO NOT POUR them down a sink or drain .
  
• Be proactive and dispose of unused medication in household trash. When discarding unused medications, ensure you protect children and pets from potentially negative effects:
  
• Pour medication into a sealable plastic bag. If medication is a solid (pill, liquid capsule, etc.), crush it or add water to dissolve it.
  
• Add kitty litter, sawdust, coffee grounds (or any material that mixes with the medication and makes it less appealing for pets and children to eat) to the plastic bag.
  
• Seal the plastic bag and put it in the trash. 
  
• Remove and destroy ALL identifying personal information (prescription label) from all medication containers before recycling them or throwing them away.
  
• Check for Approved State and Local Collection Programs. Another option is to check for approved state and local collection alternatives such as community based household hazardous waste collection programs. In certain states, you may be able to take your unused medications to your community pharmacy or other location for disposal.
  
• Consult your pharmacist with any questions.
  

New Jersey does not currently have an operational program to allow for donation of unused prescription drugs for redistribution to needy individuals.
If you want to donate unused medication, contact the The Starfish Project,  they will pay for all shipping costs of medications. If you would like to donate medical supplies, contact them and they can provide you with information on other organizations that collect medical supplies.

Making Fast Compost with Leaves

Bonnie found this article from Horticulture Magazine:  
Deciding to have an organic garden means doing two things: avoiding harmful chemicals and improving the soil. For many, banning chemicals comes as a no-brainer. Why would anyone choose to spread stuff that is hazardous to his or her personal environment? On the other hand, improving the soil, a huge part of organic growing, gets less attention than it deserves.

An important difference between “conventional” and “organic” growing is that conventional growing feeds the plant, while organic growing feeds the soil so it can feed the plant. Healthy soil provides everything a plant needs; the healthy plant shrugs off attacks by insects and diseases. A conventionally grown plant is a botanical junkie—it has to get that chemical fix or it will wither. Its immune system is weak, so without chemical protection, it dies.

Happily, soil improvement is cheap, easy, and guaranteed to be effective. Good soil is alive, literally. When school classes visit my garden or farm, I hold a double handful of compost out to the kids and tell them, “There are more living things in this than there are people in the world!” Their eyes pop open, but it is true. And the presence of beneficial microorganisms makes the difference between good healthy soil and the lifeless growing medium you find in some farm fields.

To bring soil back to life—or, rather, to bring life back to the soil—you just have to add vegetative matter. Compost is the classic method, but this is the best time of year to do it the easy way. Take all those leaves that fall from your trees, run over them with the lawn mower to chop them up a bit, and then spread them all over your garden, about six inches deep. Clear some space, a few inches wide, around the stems of trees and other perennials to keep mice from burrowing in. If you can get some straw or seaweed, spread those around too.

This is called sheet composting. By spring, most of what you laid down will have decomposed to make a lovely layer of worm-rich humus filled with beneficial organisms. Rake any still intact material aside as a basis for a new compost pile. Gently (you don't want to hurt those worms!) scratch the rotted material into the top three inches of the original soil, or plant right into it.

Do this every year, and your plants will thrive. No chemicals needed!

A Greener Cuppa Joe

Jeana drinks a lot of coffee! She always has a pot going in the kitchen but recently saw something on a website about energy usage and coffee makers. This website estimated that the average homeowner wasted $200 a year keeping coffee warm, this doesn’t include the cost of brewing the coffee. Her solution – use a Thermos to keep the coffee warm. Now she brews a pot of coffee, then transfers the liquid to the Thermos and unplugs the coffee pot. She has hot coffee all day and some extra money in her pocket!

She also started buying coffee from an organization called Grounds for Change. They sell organic, fair trade, shade grown coffees and are members of 1% for the Planet. The coffee she uses is grown by a women’s co-op. The only downer is that the coffee is shipped from Poulsbo Washington, which is adding to carbon emissions but she tries to offset this by buying a large quantity at a time (10-15 pounds).

I've been wrestling with this issue for several years. I first switched to a single-serve brewer but didn't like all the used pods it created. When that broke, I switched to a brewer that let me fill my own pod which was messy and that machine broke because the instructions stated that the machine had to be left on all day which I didn't do. I also became concerned about the water being in contact with plastic. This summer I switched to using a french press. This method brews excellent coffee and only requires the energy used to boil the water (on the stove or electric kettle). It can also be used to brew tea. According to Ideal Bite, about $400 million goes to electricity used for coffeemakers in the US. I've been getting my coffee from the SmartWorld shop in Denville.

Those Pesky Bottle Caps

We all know that we should NOT keep bottle caps on plastic bottles when we recycle them, right?  Bonnie has forwarded this information from Wini Applegate,
Garden Club of NJ-Environmental/Conservation Chairman, National Garden Clubs, Inc- Environmental Schools Chairman:

"Good news in recycling!  Until now, plastic caps have been tossed in the garbage, on the ground or in the water. The Aveda Company launched a new program to recycle plastic caps. It is a win-win situation.  Plastic caps will be reused in making new caps and containers for their products. Applause for Aveda!

In the first week that I became involved with spreading the news, I was heartened by the positive reaction. I was also amazed to find out that so many were recycling plastic containers WITH THE CAPS ON, thinking that this was the proper thing to do. Actually there is no provision for the cap to be recycled and if it does not pop off during compression the bottle is tossed from the conveyer into the garbage and ultimately into the landfill.

Plastic caps have been one of the largest number of items collected at clean ups, according to statistics. Here is a very small item, that we can work together collecting that will make a difference. Please spread the word to your local municipality, library, county recycling department, schools, churches, businesses, clubs and organizations. I will be interested in your response and reaction."