Drink from the Tap!

If you haven’t heard it yet, you’ve been living under a rock: bottled water is not sustainable! According to the International Bottled Water Association, U.S. consumption of bottled water hit 8.8 billion gallons in 2007, the majority of which was sold in single-serving bottles, only 23% of which were recycled. In addition to the waste created, bottling this water consumed 18.2 million barrels of oil and produced 2.7 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Did I forget to mention that bottled water is over 1,000 times more expensive than tap water? Save the environment and your cash: buy a reusable bottle and fill it from the tap. Plastic bottles are inexpensive, but be sure to look for a recycling code of “2” (HDPE), “4” (LDPE), or “5” (polypropylene) on the bottom – these plastics won’t leech harmful chemicals into your water. Metal bottles cost more but are nearly indestructible. Stainless steel or lacquer-coated aluminum bottles are available from Klean Kanteen (http://www.kleankanteen.com) and SIGG USA (http://www.mysigg.com) in a variety of sizes and styles. If you don’t like the taste, buy a filtration system from BRITA (http://www.brita.com): in conjunction with Preserve’s Gimme 5 Program, BRITA has recently begun offering recycling for used filters.

Tags: Green Tips