Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2: Weekly Update

1. My SMART goal is to use a reusable water bottle instead of a plastic water bottle everyday for the rest of the semester and hopefully the rest of my life.I was able to achieve my smart goal because last week my plan was to finish the 12 water bottles I currently had. I was able to get rid of all but two of those plastic water bottles. My plan with these water bottles was to drink them within the first week and to switch off between plastic and reusable water bottles to get use to the switch. I also stated that I wanted to give a few plastic water bottles away and encourage others to use a reusable water bottle. I was able to give away three plastic water bottles. One of my friends told me they currently leave a reusable water bottle at work and go to the drinking fountain and refill it when it gets low. I thought that was a great idea! I felt I was able to achieve my goals for last week.

2. I felt that I was successful in getting others to consider switching to reusable water bottles. I also felt that I was successful in using a reusable water bottle every other day. I decided that one reason I don't like to use a reusable water bottle was because I can't always leave it in the fridge like plastic water bottles. A struggle therefore is that I like it cold, and thus I try to remember to put my water bottle in the fridge every night before I go to bed. I felt a challenge one day when I forgot a water bottle at home and was forced to decide if I wanted to go to the vending machine and purchase and plastic water bottle or just use the drinking fountain. That decision was pretty much made for me when I realized I didn't have any cash, I could have gone to the store but I decided I would be alright until I got home. Sure enough I was.

3. I felt that I wasn't challenged as much this week as I only used a reusable for part of the week and was still phasing out plastic water bottles. I think this week will be a little more challenging to use only a reusable water bottle.


4. I learned that changes don't just happen over night and this is a goal that I will need to work on. I also learned about how much more water I seem to drink when I use a reusable water bottle. I am a typical eight glasses of water or more each day and I still feel I am drinking more water. I think I felt restricted because I only had so much water in a plastic water bottle. While in class I don't like to get up to refill my water bottle so by having a larger reusable water bottle I drink more water.I also learned by looking at my recycling bin how many water bottles I actually go through. Oh man am I glad I am switching.

5. For next week I want to have those last two water bottles gone and to be using a reusable water bottle everyday from now on. I would like to keep things with just using a reusable water bottle for this week. If I am able to do this, I want to think of some way to modify this challenge and to make it more difficult.
I hope that I am able to use my reusable water bottle every day for the next week, I really feel that I can make the switch full time!

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy.