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All Bottled Up


Just Say No To Plastic Water Bottles
Everywhere you go, you can see someone carrying a plastic water bottle.  Last year, Americans each drank 28.3 gallons of bottled water.  As a country, we consumed more bottled water than milk, coffee or beer.  If the water we use at home cost what even cheap bottled water costs, our monthly water bills would run $9,000.   Why do we pay good money for something that's free?

Let's face it bottled water is convenient.  It can go everywhere we do - the office, baseball and soccer games, hiking, meetings, the beach, in the car.  You get the idea. We're a very mobile society and bottled water can go with us just about anywhere.  An equally convenient and earth-friendly alternative to bottled water are reusable water bottles.

Convenience isn't the only reason we are lovers of bottled water.  Some people drink bottled water because they think that it is healthier than their local tap water - but is it?  The National Resource Defense Council did a 4 year study and found that bottled water was not safer/healthier than tap water; furthermore, they estimate that 25% or more of bottled water is really just tap water in a bottle.

What Makes It Green?
Using refillable water bottles is healthier for you.  Plastic bottles can leach chemicals into the water if left in the sun, heated up, or reused several times.  It's also better for the environment to choose reusable bottles over bottled water.  By doing so, you'll keep the plastic bottles out of landfills.  You will also be saving precious natural resources.  Water bottling companies take huge amounts of electricity to run.  It also takes nearly 7 times the amount of water in the bottle to actually make the bottle itself.  Furthermore, transporting the water from the bottling plants to the stores and restaurants that sell it uses fossil fuel. The ships, trucks and trains that move the water around also emit dangerous toxins into the environment.

What You Can Do
  • Use reusable water bottles.  There are numerous options available in stores and online.  Stainless bottle are a good choice.  Check plastic and aluminum bottles for Bisphenol-A (BPA), a harmful chemical found in some plastics and some aluminum bottle liners.
  • Obtain a copy of your local tap water's quality.  Contact your water provider (the one who sends you water bills) and ask for their annual water quality report.
  • Use water filters to remove contaminants from tap water.  Check out filters certified by NSF International (800 NSF-MARK) to make sure the one you choose is taking out  what you want it to.
  • Be sure to replace water filters based on the manufacturer's recommendation.
  • Recycle plastic water bottles if you use them.

didyouknow

Last year, Americans spent more on bottled water than we spent on iPods or movie tickets--$15 billion.

handson

I personally love the Klean Kanteen.  It's BPA-free stainless steel, durable and lightweight.   Check them out at www.kleankanteen.com.

 

 
 
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