Bring Your Own Bottle

Did you know that Pepsi Aquafina and Coca-Cola Dasani bottled water both come from public water sources? A study by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that bottled water is generally no safer than tap water, and is sometimes less safe, even containing elevated levels of arsenic and bacteria.

According to National Geographic's Green Guide, Americans threw away 22 billion plastic bottles in 2006 alone.  Producing all of that plastic has its own environmental impact, consuming 1.5 million barrels of oil per year in the U.S. That's a lot of pollution and waste for the sake of the tiny convenience of having portable water on hand.

How do you break the bottled water habit?  Start a new habit: Bring Your Own Bottle. Buy a hip new set of stainless steel bottles, keep them near the door, and fill them from your tap before you head out. Keep some empties in your car, so you can easily fill up at school functions, while grocery shopping, or at fast food restaurants. Take them on walks and runs, to the gym, to school, to meetings, to work, on road trips, everywhere. At the end of the day, put the bottles and their lids in the dishwasher.

Our tap water is safe and clean, but if you're interested in extra purity, install a filter. Most plumbers would be happy to set you up with an extremely effective reverse-osmosis filter. I have one at my kitchen sink and one in the boys' bathroom upstairs for late night hydration.

Two excellent stainless steel bottles are Sigg and Klean Kanteen. Check them out at www.siggstore.com and www.kleankanteen.com.  For more complete information on the subject of water quality and bottled water, go to www.thegreenguide.com/doc/121/bottle.