Members from the Ban the Bottle crew had the opportunity to visit the 2010 Green California Summit and Expo this week in Sacramento. The annual Green California Summit has become an essential resource to support efforts to meet the challenges of managing energy and water resources, and to create clean and sustainable communities throughout the state of California.

The event featured a large expo with a ton of innovative green products to peruse. I’ve compiled a list my top 4 innovative  green products from the Green California Summit.

Swann Electric Bikes

Swann Electric Bikes produces the BionX kit which provides bikes an “electric assist”. This means the rider still has to actually peddle to trigger the electric-assist. Settings range from a 25 per cent boost to 300 per cent, depending on the battery and motor size. A throttle on the handlebar offers an override function, allowing the bicycle to operate in 100-per-cent electric mode temporarily, but generally the idea around this kind of e-bike is that the rider still gets the exercise but without the bursts of effort needed to tackle uneven terrain and forces of nature.

HydrationStation Water Dispenser

Forget single-use bottled water and start using a sustainable water dispenser to fill up your sports bottle and meet the needs for hydration.  The Hydration Station water dispenser features a touch-free, hygienic interface with built-in filter technology to make tap water taste great.  The HydrationStation can save your company thousands of dollars on bottled water costs while creating a more eco-friendly work environment. (more…)

Bottled water waste continues to be a major concern for our world.  In 2006, Americans used nearly 50 billion plastic water bottles and sent nearly 38 billion to landfills.  If laid end to end, that’s enough bottles to travel from the Earth to the Moon and back 10 times.

Looking to make an environmentally friendly impact at your office?  Here are 9 ways to reduce plastic bottle waste at your workplace.

1. Initiate a Company-Wide Ban on Single-Use Water Bottles

Imagine a workplace free of plastic bottle waste filling up waste containers.  Encourage your company to consider a  ban on single-use water bottles thus becoming more green and sustainable.    Having trouble getting the management to agree to such an egregious suggestion?  Sell them on the idea that instituting something like this will be great for PR and make your company a bright spot in the green business community.

2. Prominently Display Recycling Containers Throughout Your Facility

Okay.  I get it.  Maybe some companies out there aren’t quite ready for a complete ban on bottles.  Well there’s still hope through recycling.  Did you know that recycling one ton of plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space?  Take the initiative to get a company-wide recycling program started by placing recycling containers throughout your office.  Send co-workers memos noting the new containers and why recycling is important.   For a more detailed look at starting an office recycling program, check out Wake County’s Guide to Starting a Recycling Program.

3. Install a Sustainable Water Dispenser

Forget single-use bottled water and start using a sustainable water dispenser to fill up your sports bottle and meet the needs for hydration.  The HydrationStation water dispenser features a touch-free, hygienic interface with built-in filter technology to make tap water taste great.  Water dispensers like the HydrationStation can save your company thousands of dollars on bottled water costs while creating a more eco-friendly work environment.  (more…)