Earth Month, Day #6: ReUse-apalooza!!!

Earth Month is FLYING by! Forgive me for skipping days 4 and 5. It has been a busy week! But you will learn all kinds of great tips for being green if you attend ReUse-apalooza! It is this Friday, April 8th from 7pm until 11pm. It is Building Value's Second Annual ReUse event. Building Value is a great resource for building materials and fixtures at a steal of a deal. The materials and fixtures, including doors, mantel pieces, windows, railings, facuets, toilets, and the list goes on, are all from houses and buildings that were deconstructed. Instead of just demolishing a house and sending all that material to the landfill, these pieces are saved. Come to ReUse-apalooza and check out some of these sweet items while being entertained by the likes of Jake Speed and the Freddies, Peace Drumming Circle, Drums for Peace and more! Design challenges, contests and a silent auction will also be taking place at this fun filled event. Hope to see you there! Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Event takes place at Building Value, 4040 Spring Grove Ave., Northside.

Earth Month, Day #3: Stay Hydrated

Last night I was fortunate enough to see one of my favorite bands live right here in Cincinnati. I have seen Guster perform at least ten times, if not more, and every time I am impressed with the great, green messages they send their fans. For example, they have a ride board set up so you can find out who else is going to the show and would want to carpool. One tour season they fueled their tour bus with biodiesel made with french fry oil collected from local restaurants. Last night's concert featured Brita water filters, and Nalgene water bottles.



The second sign says "Americans send 38 billion water bottles a year to landfills, enough to travel from Earth to the Moon and back 10 times if laid end to end. I didn't investigate as much as I should have, since I already have a water bottle, but I am pretty sure if you signed a pledge at the concert to reduce bottled water waste, they gave you a free Nalgene water bottle.

Using refillable water bottles, rather than bottle water, is a great way to save money, reduce pollution, reduce our dependence on plastic, and could be better for your health. I always have my Kleen Kanteen with me, and love that instead of using bottled water, or even the paper cups at a restaurant, I am helping to reduce solid waste from entering the landfill, or being recycled. Resuable water bottles are made in so many different sizes, shapes, colors, but I would recommend investing in a bottle that is made out of food grade stainless steel. The water tastes better, and harmful chemicals won't leach into your refreshing water.

I drink a lot of water, and imagining how many bottles of water I would be using if I didn't have a resuable bottle breaks my heart. After a hot trip through the Gobi Desert last summer in Mongolia, I promised myself I would never take advantage of water again! And I haven't, with my trusty Kleen Kanteen by my side.