water bottles

Thank you for thinking about reducing the amount of disposable water bottles that your family uses! You can save money and help the environment, too! And no more heavy lifting of cases of water bottles from Costo or other stores! This is something so easy that we can all do and it makes a huge impact on the environment.

Americans use billions of single serve water bottles each day. Much of the water is simply bottled tap water which is sold back to the public at thousands of times the cost. We use 17 million barrels of oil annually to produce plastic water bottles which is enough oil to fuel 1 million cars for a year. It also takes an incredible amount of energy and chemicals to make these bottles. After bottled water is made, it is shipped many miles away from the source, resulting in massive amounts of fuel consumption. And then, eight out of ten plastic water bottles used in the U.S. become garbage or end up in a landfill (billions per year)! And although recycling them is better than throwing them in a landfill, the amount of energy and chemicals that goes into re-processing them makes recycling only the 2nd best alternative.

So what is the best alternative? Reusing, of course!!!

Many people choose to refill their disposable water bottles. This is actually not a safe practice and many people feel that it is not the best solution. The plastic (called polyethylene terephthalate or PET) used in these bottles contains a potentially carcinogenic element (something called diethylhydroxylamine or DEHA). Some researchers say that this makes the bottles safe for one use only. Repeated washing and rinsing (especially in warm or hot water) can cause the plastic to breakdown and the carcinogens can leach into the water that YOU are drinking. You should also never freeze water in disposable bottles for the same reason. It's much better to invest in water bottles that are really meant for multiple uses. The bottled water industry rebukes this so it's controversial- but is it something you are willing to take a chance with?

Why not just purchase a stainless steel bottle or a tested, leach-free aluminum brand such as SIGG! They are considered much safer than an acrylic or plastic reusable bottle. Worried about spending $15-20 on a bottle? Think of how much you spend on disposable water bottles each year and I'm sure you'll find that you make up for the cost in no time.

Whole Foods carries some really nice ones including SIGG that come in cool designs in three sizes for adults and children. Their stock changes each week, so if you don't see a design or size you like, check back in a couple weeks because they may have something entirely different.

There are also many choices on the internet. Here are our two favorites:

www.kleankanteen.com

www.mysigg.com