Jar Wars

If you're a normal consumer like me, you probably purchase on average a product in a glass jar or bottle at least twice month.

What do you do with your glass jars and bottles? Do you throw them away in the bin? Do you recycle them?

Have you ever wondered what happens to these things once they are just 'thrown away'? Probably not. It doesn't usually phase normal consumers with what happens to their rubbish.

Here is one of many sites that explains what happens with our rubbish after we chuck it in the bin: http://store.wildernesscommittee.org/campaigns/historic/otherpub/reports/Vol08No05b/garbage


Glass is a resource.
I want to bring up glass jars/containers in my second post because I feel these are one of the most consumed products that can be easily re-used and recycled.

Personally, I re-use my glass in place of plastic Tupperware.
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Did you know glass is made of powdered limestone sand and sodium carbonate (i.e. sand)? Modern life cannot be possible without glass. It is the mirror you look at every morning, the windows in your car, the lightbulb in every room; holds your cold drinks; glass is around us everywhere.
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Why re-use glass jars, bottles and containers?!
* They would otherwise end up in landfills. It takes a glass bottle about 1 million years to break down in a landfill.
* The amount of energy and resources used to create glass bottles from recycled materials is less than the amount needed to create bottles from virgin materials. Less energy means less pollution.


Ideas:
You can use the smaller jars/containers to hold jam, sugar, tea bags, candle, jewellry, loose coins, pencil and stationary holder, use instead of a normal drinking glass, etc.
You can use medium sized jars/containers to hold coffee, oils, plants, flour, cookies and other baked goods, liquid soap, etc.
You can use large sized jars/containers to hold fresh water, pasta, rice, loose confectionary, juices and other consumables, leftovers, use as a household decoration (i.e. put seashells or potpourri), etc.

You can personalise it too and use it as a gift!



Think twice before you throw away your glass. If you are going to throw it away, please put it in the recycling bin so it can be melted and re-used by the city. Using recycled glass to make new glass saves money and reduces air pollution, such as fly ash and nitrogen oxides (NOX), that can be toxic to the environment.

First Post

Hi,

I'm starting this blog as a challenge from my friends - to start a blog before my next birthday.

What could I start a blog about? I already have a personal blog going!

So, I have decided to write about something that a) I'm interested in but not an expert in, b) Is somewhat interesting to general readers, b) Can benefit humankind, even if in a small way.

I've always been interested in what people can do to help this planet become and continue to be sustainable. How to keep nature beautiful.

Some may think that humans 'over consume' and thus consumerism is the root of all evil. Or that we're doomed to be short-sighted creatures and have no worries about the future's stake. Or one person's effort will not make stride. Or even perhaps the world will fix itself once the time comes around to do so. Whatever the belief is, we should have a duty of our own behaviour! So think twice before your chuck that KFC take-away box on the street!


Remember, I am no expert but I do hope to challenge the status quo.


I'm not sure what the theme of my homily today ought to be. Do I want to speak of the miracle of Our Lord's divine transformation? Not really, no. I don't want to talk about His divinity. I'd rather talk about His humanity. I mean, you know, how He lived His life, here on Earth. His *kindness*, His *tolerance*... Listen, here's what I think. I think that we can't go around... measuring our goodness by what we don't do. By what we deny ourselves, what we resist, and who we exclude. I think... we've got to measure goodness by what we *embrace*, what we create... and who we include. - Quote from the movie, Chocolat