Yeah, reusable water bottles are a no-brainer. I've been using one for months now and it's amazing how much plastic waste you can cut out. As for shoes, I've heard of Brooks but haven't tried them yet. I've been looking into Patagonia's environmental efforts, they seem to be doing some good stuff. We should all be making more of an effort to reduce our waste.
I've always been a no-stretching kind of guy. Never saw the point of it, and I've never had any major issues with injuries. I'd rather just get out there and start running. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I think all this fuss about stretching is overblown. Give me a good ol' fashioned warm-up mile any day.
Night splints, huh? I've heard mixed reviews about those. I've been considering them myself, but I'm not convinced they're worth the investment. Did you do any other treatments concurrently or was it just the splints that did the trick for you? I'm skeptical, but willing to listen.
Start slow, you'll thank me later.