I think I can say we are in the dog days of summer, and even though Portland isn't as hot as other parts of the country, I still feel like wilted lettuce after an hour at the park or just running errands. I am trying my best lately to always have a reusable water bottle in the car. I get thirsty all the time and it's a much more Earth-friendly way to stay hydrated than buying water everywhere I go.

I knew bottled water creates tons of waste - 1.5 million tons to be exact - but it also wastes resources.  With all the oil it takes to produce plastic water bottles, we could eliminate 1 billion pounds of carbon dioxide if we stopped buying bottled water. That definitely puts things in perspective for me. I didn't think twice about buying bottled water but now I look for a water fountain if I don't have my own bottle handy.

On a recent road trip we filled up all of our aluminum water bottles and brought them along instead of buying water when we stopped at a gas station. On the drive home, we bought a couple of gallon jugs and filled up our bottles instead of getting smaller disposable bottles.
I know it can seem overwhelming when we think about all of the problems plaguing our planet, but I really do believe many people taking small steps can make a difference. Do you have any plastic-saving tips of your own?