Spring Has Arrived!
Name: HillaryHow long have you been using a reusable bottle?
7 months. This is my first real water bottle.
What other things do you do to be green?
I try to use as little plastic as possible. I walk a lot as much as possible. I don't watch a lot of television.
Enjoy the day!
Thanks!
Taking Care of Business
Name: SandyWhere do you live?
Brooklyn
What do you do?
I work at an architecture firm.
How long have you been using a refillable water bottle?
6 months. Before I had this, I would buy large Poland Springs bottles and refill them until they wore out.
This bottle seems a bit more convenient. What else do you do to be green?
I recycle at home but my work does not, so I bring my work recycling home and do it for them. I think I am the most environmentally responsible person I know.
That is great! They should really have recycling at your work.
Thanks!
Tova in California
Name: Tova Where do you live?
Davis, California.
Why do you use a refillable water bottle?
To save money and stay hydrated but also to help reduce waste.
That makes sense. Where do you fill that thing up?
I always fill up before leaving home. It can be hard to find a refill when you are out, especially in a big city.
True. Good thing there is TapIt in San Francisco.
San Francisco Living
Name: KellyWhere do you live?
Lower Height, San Francisco
How long have you been using that refillable bottle?
6 months. I finally got one when I moved to SF.
Besides the bottle, what do you do to be green?
Make money. I am kidding. I ride my bike to work, reuse plastic vegetable bags and use a reusable grocery bag. I compost. I don't travel very much. That's all I can think of at the moment.
That's alot! Way to go!
True Environmentalist
Name: LindaWhat do you do?
I run Tiki, a clothing shop.
How long have you used a refillable water bottle?
4 years. I don't like the plastic waste from bottled water.
What else do you do to be green?
I reuse plastic bags, reuse water at my loft for watering plants, I have the heater on a timers and sometimes we put on warm clothes instead of turning the heat up. I have been doing that for 20 years. We also eat organic. I try to teach my kids about this too.
That's Impressive.
Marrying a Frenchman helped. He has made me think about all this stuff.
Water Specialist
Name: DianaTell us about yourself.
I am 26. I just moved to New York from Vermont. I am currently pursuing a masters degree in Hydrogeology which means that I am studying ground water.
How did you get interested in water?
I spent time working on a schooner in the Puget Sound that does environmental education with groups of children and adults. I learned a lot about the marine life of the Puget sound and watersheds. This experience got me interested in water issues.
How long have you been using a refillable water bottle?
I have been using reusable water bottles for 7 years, since I first traveled abroad while in college. I lived in Mexico for a few months and I was told that I could not drink the water and I had to buy bottled water. When I came back I thought about how great it was to live in a place where you can drink the water. I thought it was so funny that everyone buys bottled water when the tap is so great here.
Green Teen, Haydee
Name: Haydee AcostaAge: 16
How did you get involved with Green Teens? My school, High School for Environmental Science, offers an internship program. In order to graduate you have to have 100 hours of community service. I got New York Restoration Project. At first, we were just doing office work, and then we met Adele, our intern adviser. She's like our mom. We had all these ideas and she ran with it. She told us she's the type of person that doesn't like to just sit there and think of things, she likes to take action. That's exactly what we did. We started having Nature NYC, which is a series on Saturdays. We take teens to green spaces to raise awareness that we are not just a concrete jungle, but we actually have these green spaces you can visit and get away from the chaos.
Over the summer we had business etiquette classes with Shana Dressler [founder of Global Giving Circle]. At the end we had to present to NYRP, somewhat selling ourselves and asking for help, you know, because we are this group of six teenage girls and we can't really do anything without having an umbrella over us.
Now we are getting funding, working as NYRPD's stepping stone, filling the missing gap, to help them appeal to teenagers. We hopefully are getting sponsorship from Target and Home Depot.
Picnics in the Park
Name: AnnaPark: Waterfront Park on Kent Avenue and North 8th Street, Brooklyn
How would you describe yourself?
I've lived in New York for 6 years. I went to NYU, and now I work in marketing. I really like carrying my own water bottle because it saves me money. I try to be green, do my part.
Is there anything else you do?
Definitely recycling. I wrote an e-mail to the Parks and Recreations to get more recycling bins. I notice that they are sporadically placed throughout the city, but not always when I need one. If I want to recycle a food container, all I can do is carry it with me until I get home.
I noticed that the homeless people in the city are really the people doing us a service. They walk around picking up plastic bottles. I think they should be honored. In a way, they are our greenest citizens.
Barista Prefers Serving Tap
Name: Megan Cafe: Bite on East 14th Street, between 2nd and 3rd Avenue.
How long have your worked in the food industry? A few years
How do you feel as a server when people ask for tap water? It's easier than getting a bottle of water. It's quick. Also, you are not using up a plastic bottle. New York City has some of the best tap water. Why waste money on a bottle of water when you can get it for free.
Is it ever annoying to give people tap water for free when they could be buying a drink instead? If anything, I have more respect because they are trying to get a good deal and that's how I am. I work paycheck to paycheck, so I am all about saving money.
How often do people come in just to get their bottle filled? It's not as often as it could be. It gives me something to do. I look at that person in a different light because they are trying to reduce and recycle and not use plastic and paper cups.
Times Up talks to TapIt
Names (from left to right) : Malcom, Lyda, and Mark What brings you to Summer Streets? We are here for Times Up, the environmental organization. We are here to do outreach about bikes as sustainable transportation. We are giving out the free bike maps and calendars for our free outdoor rides. We also do education workshops five days a week where we teach people how to fix their bikes, so we brought a bunch of tools and a repair stand stand. We are just talking to people and meeting and greeting them and informing them about our group and what we do.
Mark, I see you have a reusable water bottle. Do you use that for your bike rides? I do. It's a nice alternative to the plastic water bottles. It doesn't leach toxins. I'm still trying to figure out a way to integrate it with the bicycle bottle holder.
Do you do anything else that's environmental? I compost when I can. Composting is enjoyable. Being able to tend a compost pile from raw waste into fertile soil-it's enjoyable to nurture something like that. A friend of mine is developing a rotating composter out of recycled bicycle parts. We're still working on it.
TapIt Partner Papabubble
TapIt Partner Vinnie's Pizza Set Up Summer Water Cooler
Shireen Talks Green Video
Blasphemy!
Name: Megan HanleyWhen did you get your reusable water bottle? About eight years ago. I started carrying my own water bottle in high school. I grew up in Seattle and it's sorta blasphemy not to recycle there. I didn't want to be using up plastic and buying water all the time. Plus, tap water in New York is great. It's just easier and better to have your own water bottle.
What about the money you save? I remember at some point right before I switched, I would pay $1 for a bottle of water. Why do that when I can drink water for free?
Artistic Bottles
Name: AllisonYou have a great water bottle. You know what got me to buy this? The Keith Haring on the bottle. I found it at Whole Foods. I'm really into art. I thought, 'Ooh, Keith Haring. I'll buy this one.'
Plus is has the little loop so you can hook it on your finger. This bottle is really convenient. It's form and function in one.
It's perfect for New Yorkers: we're eco-conscious but fashion-savy at the same time. The new water bottles are a total fashion thing. I do notice who still carries bottled water and who carries a reusable one.
A lot of people think of environmentalist as hippies. How would you describe yourself? I'm a student. I go to the New School, so that makes me sound like a hippie, but I go to Parsons. I'm in the Design and Management department, which is similar to a business degree. I'm also a musician. I don't look punk, but I play in a punk band. I'm definitely not a hippie.
Your Bottle, Your Cause
Name: Sienna ShawHow often do you use your water bottle?
I use my water bottle every day. I can't remember the last time I bought a bottle of water.
What does the SOS sticker on your bottle mean?
SOS Outreach is a non-profit that helps underserved youth. I work for them and right now we are working on getting inner city kids snowboarding trips.
So you are eco-conscious and have a heart of gold.
[laughs] Yea
Beach Trip for a City Slicker
Name: MaxWhy did you get your own water bottle? I was kinda tired of paying for the most abundant resource on the planet. I figured if I just put it in a bottle every day it would help out.
How much money do you think you save? Hundreds of dollars, if not thousands of dollars. I drink gallons of water a day.
What are you doing that you need so much water? I don't know. Just hydrating.
What do you do with the money you save? Get out of the city and go to the beach!
Cyclist Can Quench Her Thirst
Name: Jennifer
What do you like to do?
Epic bike rides.
Do you drink tap water? I usually have water on my bike, but I conserve because I have a limited supply.
Would you use TapIt?
I feel like I would stop and get more tap water if I saw a TapIt sticker.
You could save about $500 a year by not buying a bottle of water each day. What would you do with all that cash?
I would probably donate it to the library.
