All About Stuff

Ever wonder why you want stuff? Sometimes, we need things, and other times, we just want them. Why?

Researcher and organizer Annie Leonard has some thoughts about it, and she has put them together to create The Story of Stuff. It started as a film and expanded into a book, and of course, there is a Web site, on which you can watch the film. The Story of Stuff makes some interesting points about consumerism, happiness, and our relationships with the planet and with each other. The film is 20 minutes long. You can watch it on the Web site by clicking here. Take a look.

Since The Story of Stuff came out, Leonard and her associates have put together additional videos, including The Story of Cosmetics, which ties into my earlier post about the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Web site, The Story of Bottled Water, which connects to my post about reusable water bottles, and The Story of Cap and Trade. Those videos can also be viewed on The Story of Stuff Web site.

Bottled Up

One great thing you can do to limit the things you have to buy, cut down on the resources you use, help the planet, and limit your exposure to chemicals is to buy a stainless steel water bottle.

I have used Klean Kanteen water bottles for two years, and I recommend them.
Note: Do not buy the Sport Cap 2.0. The company is recalling them because some have broken apart. If you have purchased one, call Klean Kanteen at (877) 546-9063. They do have other caps from which to choose.

Update: Klean Kanteen now has the High Impact Sport Cap 2.0. This is supposed to address the issue of the previous Sport Cap 2.0 breaking apart. I got my high impact caps as part of Klean Kanteen's recall program.

How they help:

1. Using them instead of buying bottled water cuts down on the amount of plastic we use.
a. This will help prevent more islands of plastic from forming in the ocean. (Indeed, they are out there.)
b. It also cuts down on the resources needed for production and recycling. (Yes, recycling is good when necessary, but not having to use in the first place is even better.)
c. It also cuts down on our need for oil. (That's right, although new resources such as corn are being used to produce plastic bottles, most bottles are still made from plastic derived from oil.)

2. They are better for you.
a. Stainless steel is easy to keep clean.
b. Also, stainless steel does not contain chemicals like Bisphenol A (BPA), the reputation of which has been clouded by questions about their impact on human health.

3. They are sturdy, so you will get a great deal of use out of them.

You can visit the Klean Kanteen Web site by clicking here.

You can buy the bottles at Amazon.com.