Off-Topic: What to do with my old Nalgene bottles? June 8, 2008

Everyone has no doubt heard about the latest everyday product that is supposedly doing more harm than good:  that seemingly innocuous, colorful plastic water container we have all come to know as a Nalgene bottle.  While maintaining that their bottles are safe for use, Nalgene still ended up ”phasing out” products containing BPA (any of their bottles with a 7 on the bottom) and the consumer public has begun their quest for a suitable replacement.  Feeling good about choosing a reusable container for my water instead of the “evil” plastic water bottles went straight down the gutter, but at least now I have something upon which to blame those extra few pounds!

A quick search of terms like “what to do with your Nalgene bottle” reveals that many people have the same question as me, but as far as I can surmise, nobody has come up with a suitable answer.  Recycling doesn’t seem to be an option, not being able to use the bottles with food items limits things a bit, and they’re not exactly beautiful enough to display on the mantel (as is, anyway).  One group suggested sending the used bottles to the companies who manufacture these products, to “teach them a lesson” that they need to figure out what to do with them.  Great idea!  Think of all those big, energy-guzzling airplanes hauling your stuff halfway across the country just so you can exact your maniacal revenge on a company that has neither the time nor the money to deal with the problem.

I’ve personally accumulated 3 of these now-deadly bottles and I’m stuck with them.  The media hype about BPA won’t allow me to just toss them into the garbage can and move on with my life, plus to be honest, I like the idea of “repurposing” things into something else.  Since I don’t want this post to end up as just another question with no answer piece, here are my suggestions:

• Use them as a rain gauge.  Who doesn’t want to be the guy with the answer when someone wonders aloud, “I wonder how much rain we got last night…”  They already have the convenient liquid measurements on the side.
• Use them as a container for beads, coins, pens, or anything else small enough to fit inside (except edible items, as noted previously).  Wow, this is easier than I thought.
• Turn them into lanterns using the LightCap 200, manufactured by SolLight.  Too expensive for me at $19.95 each, but these could make… er, campy deck lights if you were so inclined.
• Drill a hole into the cap, put some scraps of food and dirt inside, and turn them into the coolest ant condo anyone has ever seen.
• Gather up a whole bunch (ask your friends, family, and neighbors for help), then weld them into some life-sized avant garde sculpture for your living room, back yard, porch, or anywhere with enough space to fit the sculpture really.  Ugh, unfortunately, I’m pretty sure someone will do this, and will not see the humor in it.

So, those are about it really.  My actual solution?  For now, put them on a shelf in the garage and hope they disintegrate on their own.  In the meantime, I’m thinking about buying one of the fancy Sigg bottles.  Comments?

How to Save Money on Books, CDs, & DVDs June 5, 2008

I’m an avid reader – I’ll read almost anything recommended to me and find that I don’t easily “give up” on books, even if they’re terrible 99% of the way through.  Coupled with my desire to not let “stuff” pile up around the house, this means I acquire, then want to get rid of, a lot of books.  Everyone is familiar with the online giants (Amazon, Half, etc.), that allow you to sell your new or used wares at a price determined by the marketplace, and these work okay for trading in your old stuff for things that interest you.

In my quest for the most cost-efficient way to offload my unwanted items while receiving something in return, however, I’ve found a new website that yields slightly better results called Swaptree.  Create an account, list the books, CDs, DVDs, or games you’re willing to trade along with a brief description of the condition of the item, then search for some items you’re willing to trade for and voila!  Swaptree magically finds people across the country willing to trade with you.  You pay for shipping the item (use Swaptree’s postage function which will set you back a little more than the going rate plus a $1/month fee, or DIY super cheap if you use Media or First Class mail), and nothing else – that’s right, no point system, no other fees, nada.  You don’t even need a credit card to participate (assuming you’re going to use your own postage).   I’m in love.

Some tips to get you started:

• When you first sign up, you’re limited to 5 concurrent trades.  After you’ve successfully completed trades (i.e., received positive feedback from your trade partners), your limit will increase
• Ensure you are absolutely willing to trade anything on your “Have” list for any single item on your “Want” list.  Move “hot items” (recent CDs, books, DVDs, etc.) to your “Have but Not Trading” list if you’re really not ready to part with it just yet.
• Be careful about turning down swap requests – swaptree is serious about discouraging this behavior and will eventually kick you out.
• Use this link to ship your items via Paypal, which also includes a tracking number.  Remember that it’s actually cheaper to send most CDs via First Class mail instead of Media Mail.

Outside of people who collect 1st editions (I can respect that) or want a book the week it comes out, does ANYONE pay full price for books any more?  Feel free to discuss amongst yourselves while I finish this chapter of my new David Sedaris book.