About
What’s the Do the Reuse Challenge?
Glad you asked. It’s a commitment to give up disposable paper cups, water bottles or food containers. The original Do the Reuse Challenge was for the 30 days of September, 2010. People across the nation accepted challenges online and dynamic tickers tracked the pounds lost, bottles, cups and dollars saved as those numbers grew. Nine families blogged about their experience on our website too, sharing tips and tricks with all of us about their experiences doing the reuse.
After that 30 days we realized it would be silly to stop the Do the Reuse Challenge, so we decided not to. Anyone and everyone is still invited to take on a reuse challenge and track the impact it makes for themselves and their families on their own. The more people who do the reuse the bigger the impact will be, for all of us.
Why exactly are we doing it?
We made the commitment to give up disposables as a team. We quickly discovered all the perks: a hot cup of coffee in our favorite mug; a fresh, healthy lunch made just the way we like it; sip of water whenever we wanted it. The Aladdin products we make made it easy to reuse because we actually liked using them (and they look pretty cool, too). And we were all saving money!
We realized that by making small, easy changes in our everyday routine, using our very own reusable products, we were making a big impact in our lives, our community, and the world. Then we started thinking beyond our office walls, and the Do the Reuse Challenge was born.
Along the way, we dug up some facts that made us even more committed to our mission:
- Seven million barrels of oil are used to produce the disposable bottles Americans go through in one year.1
- In the United States, 50 billion disposable water bottles are consumed per year. 137 thousand per day. 1585 per second.2
- It costs about $165 a year to make drip coffee at home versus $636 to buy drip coffee at your local café.3
- Unless we change our habits, 23 billion paper coffee cups will be thrown out in 2010.4
- “Eating out quickly racks up costs and calories. Even seemingly healthful restaurant meals―a salad or a turkey sandwich―can be nutritional pitfalls when supersized portions and mystery ingredients factor in.”5
- Nine dollars will generally cover a decent lunch out. If you buy rather than pack a lunch five days a week, you shell out about $2,350 a year.6
Who are the families?
They’re people just like me and you. We asked if they’d accept the Do the Reuse Challenge and share their experience on this website, and they said yes!
Can I do the reuse?
You bet. Just click “Accept This Challenge” on one (or all!) of the challenge pages and we'll include you in the "Challenges Accepted" count on the home page. Don't worry that the official 30 day challenge has already ended - you can do your own challenge and track the impact reusing makes for yourself and your family. (You'll find some helpful tips and tricks on each of the challenge's pages to help you get started.) Reusing makes an impact no matter when you start.
What happens to my email address when I accept a challenge?
Nothing, we promise. We won't send you a bunch of emails all the time to remind you that you're supposed to be reusing; we trust you. We MIGHT send one email to say congratulations, but that's it. (We'd never sell your email address. It's too important to us to part with.)
But I don’t have a reusable water bottle, or a decent coffee mug…
By accepting one of the Do the Reuse Challenges you’ll be able to save 30% and get free shipping on selected Do The Reuse Challenge logo product through our website, www.shopaladdin-pmi.com. That way you can save a little on Aladdin mugs, bottles and snack containers, which will help you save even more. Pretty neat.
What is Aladdin?
Aladdin has been creating lifestyle products since 1908. From the character lunch boxes you remember as a kid, to the sleek mug you use to tote your morning coffee, we’re committed to creating unique food and beverage solutions that fit your lifestyle. For more information about Aladdin, please visit our website at www.aladdin-pmi.com.
1 Bottled Water and Energy: "Getting to 17 Million Barrels," Pacific Institute, December 2007.
2 "A Fountain On Every Corner", New York Times. Find A Fountain, May 23, 2008
3 http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-12131-LA-Coffee-Examiner~y2009m6d2-Saving-money-on-coffee-1-brewing-at-home
4 http://www.sustainabilityissexy.com/facts.html Aug 09
5 http://www.cookinglight.com/eating-smart/smart-choices/nutrition-showdown-leftovers-vs-restaurant-lunches-00400000056427/print-index.html
6 http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/103379/Top-10-Money-Drains#7
