Water is arguably the planet’s most valuable resource. We can’t live without it. But what’s all the rage about bottled water? I couldn’t believe it a few years ago when I first saw it hitting shelves. Who would pay that kind of money for something not that different than what comes out of our taps?
Seriously, folks! Studies have shown that at least 40% of bottled water is untreated tap water. The industry is unregulated. Odds are very good that your town/city’s water is tested much more often than the bottling facility’s source.
Maybe your water doesn’t taste so great. There are filters for that. Sure the filters are made of plastic, too, but just consider how many plastic water bottles are hitting the landfills! It’s absolutely crazy. Whether or not you think plastic recycling works at all, only 1 out of 10 plastic water bottles are recycled. The rest wind up in the trash. They don’t even stand a chance of being recycled.
What’s better than recycled plastic? Using no plastic. The water bottle set-up is a no-brainer. Use tap water and a stainless steel water bottle like this one from the FlyLady shop. I bought a bunch of these for stocking stuffers (they took up a lot of room, lol) Christmas ’08 and we all love them.
This particular bottle has a couple of special characteristics. One, it’s double-walled, so it doesn’t sweat. The double-wall also helps keep the water at temperature much longer. Two, it has two screw tops. The whole top comes off so you can fit ice cubes into it, but when drinking, you unscrew the upper part which gives a nice size opening for sipping. Three, each bottle comes with all those colored cords. Why does that matter? Well, if your household has half a dozen of these bottles, it’s nice that everyone can choose their own color for the band so you don’t get them mixed up.
Changing to a refillable stainless steel bottle is one of the easiest things you can do for the planet. Go for it!
I recall having the same response when bottled water began hitting the shelves. But with the convenience, I quickly became a convert. Lately though, I drink filtered water at work, and we've taken to boiling tap water for drinking purposes at home. Not sure if that does anything but it makes me feel better about drinking it.
Boiling the water can kill many of the bacteria that may be in the water. I have a water bottle at work and one at home. The at home one is the one that travels with me. I prefer the taste of the water from a stainless bottle than from the plastic ones, too!
I buy bottled water sometimes when we're out and about and I get thirsty but don't want pop. That said, I have two water bottles at home – both are hard plastic/dishwasher safe because I can't. seem. to. make. myself. spend. ten. bucks. (or more) on. a. metal. water. bottle. And I ALWAYS recycle, especially plastics. 🙂
I do keep looking at the flylady bottles, tho. How are they to clean? Are they dishwasher washable?
Recycling is obviously a great first step! So many don't. Is the FlyLady water bottle worth it? I really think so, for all the reasons mentioned in the post. I love that it doesn't sweat, that it's almost as good as a thermos for keeping water cold. When I fill it with ice and then water, it's good for half a day, even in the car parked in a parking lot. When we're traveling, I just refill it in washrooms wherever we go, with ice when I can get some from a pop dispenser. Or I'd rather drink lukewarm water than buy a plastic bottle.
The website says the FlyLady one is top-rack safe. I haven't bothered, because I only use it for water, so a swish-and-go is good enough for me. It's smooth inside–if needed, a bottle brush would reach all surfaces nicely.
Valerie, heard about your blog from Patricia and stopped by! What a wonderful place, especially for a GREEN fanatic!! I carry around my favorite mug and sip, and we've switched from bottled water to a charcoal purifying system.
Hope you'll drop by my blog sometime.
Keep up the great writing!!
Patti
Thanks for coming by, Patti! Yes, we're a little on the green side around here, in life as well as in my new novel series. Hope to see you again!