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Simple Steps…Precycle *Giveaway*

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This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for stopping by.  The winner is Sylvia. Congrats!

Precycling is a term that is very new to me, but the concept is one I’ve strived to practice for years.  Last week I wrote about how easy it is to recycle.  However, if you’d like to deepen your shade of green, consider reducing or even eliminating waste that will need to be recycled (or thrown away) by avoiding it altogether.

So how do you do this?  Here are some “simple steps.”  You may notice they sound a lot like many of the concepts I’ve already written about:

BYOG (bring your own bag).  Doing so will cut down on the amount of plastic bags that are rampant in stores across the country. And while you’re at it, bring your own utensils, napkins, etc. and avoid disposable anything.

Bulk up.  Shopping in bulk reduces packaging that then needs to be thrown away or recycled.

Become a minimalist. Opt for products in the least amount of packaging (or none at all).  At the very lease try to purchase products in recyclable packaging (1 and 2 are best).

Think outside the box. Can that item be used in another way (i.e. repurposed)?

Get digital.  You know all of those magazines piling up on your counter, never to be read?  They’re online.

Return to Sender. You know all of that junk mail that comes to your home every. single. day.?  You can stop it.

One of the ways we precycle is by making our own soda with Sodastream Fountain Jet.  While we still purchase bottles and cans on occasion, we’ve managed to get creative with our machine by carbonating juices and other drinks.  CO2 is used to carbonate water (and juices, I found out recently).  Add one of their 30 flavored syrups (free from HFCS and aspartame) and you have your own homemade soda (or energy drink, sparkling tea, flavor essence).  The system comes with  two reusable bottles which means you never have to buy a can.

As a society, we’re not great at recycling.  “The average American consumes nearly 600 bottles and cans of sparkling water and soda every year (Sodastream).”  Making our own sodas is one way we precycle…and we save money doing it.  One 12 ounce can of soda is only 25 cents.

For more information about Sodastream just visit their website.  You can also read my previous review here.

Win It! One of you will win a Fountain Jet starter pack (retail value approx. $100), which includes a machine, 1 carbonator, two BPA-free carbonating bottles and two flavors of the winner’s choice.  Simply leave me a comment with the two flavors you’d like to try and how you’re going green this Earth Day.  Comments will close on May 3, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST. One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Follow Sodastream on Twitter AND tweet about the contest using the hashtag #EarthDay

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest using the hashtag #EarthDay

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

I did not receive compensation for this post.  This giveaway was sponsored by Sodastream.

Caryn Bailey
Latest posts by Caryn Bailey (see all)

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202 Responses to Simple Steps…Precycle *Giveaway*

  1. I would love to try Grape and Orange!
    and to go green this week we are planting our vegetable garden, and using plastic containers and repurposing them as planters for flowers and vegetables!!
    mommy2skie at yahoo dot com

    Reply

  8. main entry: I’d love the Orange & Cream Soda Flavors & I have been going back to hanging my laundry outside to dry on a retractable line to save using electricity and I recycle soda jugs or milk jugs by freezzing water inside them & when we need ice for the cooler I reach for those instead of buying bagged ice or bottled water to drink because the frozen water jugs will serve both needs and save money. I’d love to win this great item and make lots great refreshing drinks or ice cream floats too with it so thanks for the chance too
    sewitupjulie at gmail dot com

    Reply

  12. I’d love to try the Cola and the Cream Soda.
    This earth day, we will continue recycling as we normally do. I love the term “precycling” and will be conscience to try to follow your suggestions.
    Thanks!
    jackievillano at gmail dot com

    Reply

  20. Cran-raspberry and cream flavors

    I will be recycling. Think I’ll take the cans in.

    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

    Reply

  22. I’d go with the diet cola caffeine free since I’m nursing and maybe Pete’s choice (assuming it’s like Dr. Pepper?) and we’re planting a few beautiful flowers this earth day with our girls to teach them about the planet.

    Reply

  26. I’d love to try cranberry-raspberry and cream soda!

    This earth day, we’re going to be reusing all our plastic bags as diaper disposal bags, so we don’t have to purchase expensive diaper genie refills.

    Reply

  28. Ginger Ale and Root Beer are my favorite. This year for Earth Day I bought two apple trees to plant. I will also have an organic garden- no pesticides.

    Reply

  37. I would choose Lemon Lime and Orange. Our family has been trying to use real plates and cloth napkins a lot more recently to cut down on paper usage.

    Reply

  40. Hello, I would love to try their diet pink grapefruit and the lemon-lime water essence. Every year on earth day my kids and I pick up trash up and down our road. It’s surprising, last year we got 5 garbage bags full. I know some is caused by the wind, but it also surprises me how much people must just throw out their car windows. Thanks for a great giveaway.

    Reply

  41. I would choose the Petes choice and cream soda!
    And we have started recyling and pledge to continue! It something so simple to do and yet so overlooked!

    Reply

  47. I want to try Root Beer and Cream, and for Earth Day I’m helping to plant maple trees at my son’s school.

    Reply

  58. Faved this on Technorati, but I don’t know if that counts anymore as they are saving all favorites but I’m not able to access them which has been going on for months and months. My account name there is trishden if you can access it. Thanks. Feel free to delete if Technorai doesn’t count, it was still in your linky, share button.

    Reply

  61. I’d like to try the Diet Pink Grapefruit and the Diet Root Beer. We’re moving and buying Energy Star appliances to replace our washer and dryer we are leaving with the house.
    jtmagmom73(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply

  63. I would like to try the orange and ginger ale. I am going green by recycling and using a reusable tote at the grocery store.

    Reply

  64. I would love the cola and cream soda flavors, but would really look forward to just making my own seltzer. Seltzer is one of my favorite no calorie drinks.

    Reply

  65. I’d love to try the cream soda and the diet, caffiene free cola flavors. I’m going green this earthday by planting a bigger veggie garden to eat more super local healthy foods this summer (and put up for the rest of the year).

    Reply

  74. I really want to try orange mango and root beer flavors. I try to go green by recycling, and “repurposing” items I use ( that otherwise would go to watse)
    annemolino at hotmail dot com

    Reply

  80. We recycle, use reusable bags and have changed all of our light bulbs. The Diet Pete’s Choice and Energy Drink would be great. Thanks for the chance!

    Reply

  85. I would really love to try Diet Cola and Diet Lemon IceTea

    We are going green by doing gardening.Something we never did before, but little one and I planted 2 apple trees, planted flowers and started our own vegetable garden!

    [email protected]

    Reply

  92. I favorited you on Technorati but recieved this message

    “Technorati is collecting Favorites information as usual, however not currently displaying them in the site. We are working on an upgraded Favorites system we think you’ll like much better than the previous system. When we roll it out in the near future, all your previous favorite submissions will again be available to you. Thank you for your patience! ”

    so not sure if it still counts..if not then please delete
    Thanks 🙂

    [email protected]

    Reply

  98. i would love diet rootbeer and diet cream soda. i am going green this earth day by growing our own garden this year. this is a first for us and we are so excited about our new project. thanks clallen a t ntin dot net

    Reply

  103. I’d like to try Peach Iced Tea and Cranberry Raspberry!

    I’m trying to get better about remembering to take along my own shopping bags. Also getting better about turning off lights and unnecessary appliances.

    Reply

  110. I would like t try the Cream soda (love it with Snyders pretzels!) and ginger Ale….Thank you for the contest!!
    no19034770 AT YAHOO DOT COM

    Reply

  112. petes choice and root beer

    we recycle everything and reuse what cant be recycled in creative ways ….

    Reply

  113. I would like to try the orange and root beer flavors.

    This Earth day we decided to up our recycling and start composting.

    Reply

  115. I want to try root beer and lemon lime. Yum!
    We have just stepped up our game a little bit by getting a reusable snack bag to replace ziploc plastic bags. I need a few more, but once I have them, hopefully we’ll be off plastic bags for good!

    Reply

  117. Diet Pete’s Choice and Diet Fountain Mist.

    We went without electricity (except for refrigerator/freezer) and we ate local food. It was fun – the grandkids loved it.

    Reply

  120. I’d love to try the Diet Cream Soda and the Orange! For Earth Day (and every day), we recycle and freecycle, take reuseable bags to the stores, use metal water bottles & turn off lights/electronics that aren’t in use!

    Reply

  125. We would love to try the Peach Iced Tea and the Root Beer flavors.
    For Earth Day we purchased a rain barrel for watering the garden and planted new trees in the neighborhood.
    Thank you so much for the chance to win.

    jweezie43[at]aol[dot]com

    Reply

  129. I like the diet pink grapefruit and diet cranberry raspberry flavors. I’m being green lately by riding my bike to work, taking reusable bags to the store, using stainless steel water bottles, gardening organically, putting my kitchen waste into a nifty compost bin I just bought, saving rainwater in a rain barrel for use on the yard, and trying to buy less packaged goods.

    Reply

  130. Cream and Root Beer!

    We cleaned out and prepped the backyard vegetable garden this Earth Day!

    Reply

  131. I’m sure we’d eventually try all the flavors, but Diet Cola, Diet Root Beer, and Diet Cream Soda would be our first set… thats for wifey, son, and me, respectively. Thanks!!

    Reply

  133. I would love to try the Cream Soda and the Root Beer. I am going green by not buying plastic water bottle and keeping the new aluminum ones I bought filled in the fridge for the family!

    Reply

  137. Cola and Ginger Ale for me, please.
    I’m making a really big effort to bring my reusable
    bags every time I go to the grocery store.

    Reply

  139. Root Beer and the MyWater essence lemon-lime flavor.
    I take my reusable bags to the grocery store and I am starting a garden.

    Reply

  141. I would like to try the Mango Orange and Lemon Ice Tea. I’m going green by recycling more.

    Reply

  143. I would like to try the ginger ale and the cola. On Earth Day my family helped clean up our neighborhood.

    Reply

  146. This Earth Day we did our part by starting our vegetable garden. I know it sound kind of yucky, but we made our own compost pile out of peelings and used them for fertilizer. My daughter loved it as she said it was just like what Curious George did on the show!

    Reply

  148. I’d try the root beer & orange flavors. For Earth Day (every day is an earth day) we “reduce, reuse, recycle” in whatever way we can. We compost which is coming in handy now since we’re getting seeds started and ready to plant outdoors soon.

    Reply

  149. for earth day we did a beach clean up in Santa monica
    like the diet cola and the diet pink grapefruit
    singermagic1(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Reply

  151. I would love to try the diet cola and diet orange flavors, I helped my sons school plant a tree this Earth day, thanks for the chance!

    Reply

  153. I would love to try the Lemon Iced Tea and the Diet Cola flavors.
    For Earth Day our family participated in a local beach clean up day!

    Reply

  160. I’ve been wanting a home soda maker for a long time (over a decade really, every time I shell out money for canned soda it kills me!). I’d love to replace my Diet Coke addiction with homebrew Diet Cola – so thats what I’d get first. For Earth Day, we went out of our way to setup easier recycling at home. Hopefully we can stick to it! We also made a trip to the ReStore and donated all our perfectly workable but no longer useful-to-us tools and construction materials. Thanks so much for the giveaway and for boosting awareness of the importance of Earth Day and the simple things that we can do to both save the planet and save our cash!

    Reply

  161. i would like to try the cola and orange flavors, we are going green by carpooling and recycling!

    Reply

  163. I’d like root beer and Pete’s Choice. Going green by taking canvas bags to gorcery-no more platic bags!

    Reply

  171. i would love to try grape and orange…i’m going green but shutting all the eletricity off for 4 hours

    Reply

  173. Id like to try the cream soda & Lemon Iced tea. I dont just do something on Earth Day. I recycle most everything including the empty toilet paper cores(do you remember to do that?) Im limited in gardening so I cant compost, mores the pity.

    Reply

  174. I would like orange and root beer
    We have stopped using plastic bags!

    ardleong2(at)gmail(dot)com

    Reply

  177. I’d like to try the diet cola and diet cream soda. We participated in a highway cleanup on Earth Day.

    Reply

  180. I’d like to try Diet Cola and Lemon Lime. We’re cutting back on our paper towel usage by using rags.

    Reply

  184. I would like to try Root Beer and Orange. For Earth Day my five year old son and I walked around our neighborhood and picked up trash.

    Reply

  187. i want to try diet ginger ale and the diet cream soda.

    I went greener this Earth Day by building my first compost pile!

    ardy22 at earthlink dot net

    Reply

  194. id love the orange and the ginger ale..im not sure if this counts but i planted perennials in my garden 🙂

    Reply

  199. I’d like to try their Diet Cola and Orange….and we’re going green everyday cause we recycle everything we can, use reusable grocery bags, cfls and eat less meat!

    Reply

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