I just washed and refilled my single-use water bottles. Put them in the fridge to chill. Will pull them out one by one as needed. Oops. Shouldn't do that, says this TIME magazine article.

Single-use water bottles -- you know, the ones with names like Dasani or Aquafina -- are made of polyethylene terephthalate, or PET. It's a lightweight plastic used in many drink bottles. But it's not intended for re-use. Here's why: PET degrades with use and its wrinkled surface can host germs. And backwash too.

Should you re-use your bottles, then? Not for drinking. Use them for a flower vase. Or recycle. Just don't wash, refill with water, and chill. Like I just did.

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The folks over at the super cool, brand-new Weblogs Inc. Blog, DIY Life, have asked the following question: What do you do with an old yoga mat? Throwing it out seems to go against all yogi principals. Wouldn't it be better to recycle or re-use it? Luckily you can -- here are some suggestions:

• Use it to sit on at sporting events, and save yourself the hassle of carrying folding chairs
• Cut it up, tape it together and use it to kneel on while gardening
• Use it as packing material

If you have an old yoga mat lying around, and you're wondering what to do with it, check out this site for lots of inspiration. There's no excuse to be wasteful!

What did you do with your old mat?

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