This is one of the reasons I am not down with bottled water.
This past weekend, we sat on a local beach, enjoying a lovely May day. Out of the blue, this bottle rode in with a wave.
And that made me sad.
Beaches should have sand and pebbles and happy people, but not plastic bottles.
Plastic water bottles can be recycled.
But the problem is that most people drink bottled water when they're not at home, which means that recycling facilities aren't readily available. So, a shockingly small percentage of water bottles actually make it into a recycling bin (about 75% aren't recycled.)
When we drink water out of disposable bottles, we're just not nearly as careful with them as we are when we used non-disposable bottles.
Nobody in their right mind would leave a Klean Kanteen sitting on the beach or picnic table, but plastic bottles have so little value to us, we leave them all over the place (and leaving them all over the place is far worse than sending them to the landfill!)
I'm not picking on bottled water because it's so much worse than all the other plastic waste we produce.
No, I'm picking on it because it is so largely unnecessary.
The vast majority of us have access to high-quality tap water that's almost free, and considering that as much as 40% of bottled water is filtered tap water, it's a little silly to pay a huge markup for it. Plus, bottled water is less strictly regulated by the FDA than tap water and there are safety concerns about drinking from those ubiquitous plastic bottles.
If you're a bottled water consumer, consider buying a Brita Pitcher
or installing an on-tap filter
.
And then get yourself a nice, sturdy water bottle that you value, because we're inspired to take care of things we value.
(We really love our stainless steel Klean Kanteens...I highly recommend them.)
Even with the up-front costs of a filter and a canteen, you'll be money ahead in the long run, and you'll be treading a little more lightly on our planet.
Or if you really need bottled water, maybe you could use the really large, refillable jugs in your home, and carry reusable water bottles with you.
And if you end up with a single-use water bottle in your hand, do make sure it ends up in a recycling bin, or at the very least, a trash bin.
My beach will be grateful.
P.S. For more of my thoughts on bottled water, see my post about the Tapped documentary.
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Today's 365 post: Science + Sparkles
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Bottled water was on sale here this weekend ($1.97 for a case of 24 bottles) and I was sickened to see people pushing cartloads of water out to their vehicles. This post is very timely for me.
I love my water from the tap. I have a well and it tastes better than any water from a bottle. I do, however, purchase bottled water when we go on vacation. Often, I get to a condo or hotel room and the tap water does not taste good. In those cases, I should just take my own water with me and use our own reusable bottles. We are going to Myrtle Beach this summer, I will take my own water with me.
Hi Linda,
when we go on vacation we take our Brita pitcher with us. We can fill our reusable bottles each morning to go out hiking or sightseeing, and not need to buy the bottled stuff.
yes! I remember from vacations as a kid that Myrtle Beach water is not so tasty.
I agree with you 100%. We always use reusable drink containers. Klean Kanteens for water. Reusable hot and cold coffee containers. And we have a brita that has a tap on it that we keep in the fridge. It's so easy and saves so much money.
I used to buy Ozarka water in plastic bottles and I loved it so much. However, about 6 years ago, I stopped buying it and use tap water....the taste is not as good, but with plenty of ice, it's OK. I still crave my Ozarka, but don't buy it.
Hear, hear!
If I'm somewhere where I feel the need to buy a bottle of water, I keep that bottle for subsequent refills that day.
I wonder if soda cans/bottles purchases away from home are as little recycled as water bottles? I can't think of a way to measure that, though. Even if I found numbers comparing soda container recycling to water bottle recycling, I can't think of a way to tease out home vs. away use.
I see many soda cans on the street get picked up (either by myself or by people who aren't very well off.) I think adding the deposit to all recyclable bottles would do wonders to solve the litter / trash problem.
Here in Oregon we added plastic water bottles to the recycling laws and at least on the surface it seems to have made a big difference.
It definitely does, although I can't lay my hands on the study right now. I can't think of a good reason there isn't a deposit ... except for the mfgrs politicking against so as not to depress their sales figures.
The one thing I will give people who buy bottled water is that the EPA only guarantees that water will be safe as far as the mains (the pipes running down the center of the street.) The service to your house and your internal pipes may be loaded with crud as well. Plus even if that water is 100% safe, it's not always tasty.
I do agree with you on getting the filters on your sink. My wife and I already have a Brita that fits in our fridge. I'm considering getting one that installs under the kitchen sink so we wouldn't have to have a lot of our fridge space taken up (the on the tap ones always seem to get in the way)
Since NY has deposit on those pesky water bottles I let some other litterbug pay the $0.05 and I pick it up and return it and get my nickel. My wife yells at me but hey, I'm saving the planet or something (or more accurately collecting raw material for making carpet, fleece and other things using PET.)
The water where we are has a bad taste so we have a filter under the sink with it's own little faucet in one of the extra holes in the sink (most people do here). Got it at a big box and my husband installed it. Works great and you can tell by the taste when then filter needs changing.
Seems a lot of people who drink bottled water don't even finish the bottle making them even more expensive. What a waste in more ways than one.
Wow! If I'm going to spend the price of soda on water, I'm darn well going to drink it all! 🙂
All 5 of us each have our own individual Brita filtering bottle. They're a bit pricey, ($10 for the bottles, $8 for a two-pack of replacement filters, but I found a coupon online a while ago and saved a couple bucks each), so we reserve them for trips when we're flying, instead of trying to pack the bulky pitcher in my carry-on bag -- now that would look funny to the TSA! My husband has even taken his on business trips. As for the initial (high) cost, I look at it as one of those expenses that give us peace of mind, knowing that we're being good stewards of this planet.
I wholeheartedly agree with you. I purchased a few big jugs of water this weekend for a camping trip and actually felt so guilty. I told my husband that I think we need to buy some collapsable water carriers for the future. Because really your points are all valid - it's a waste of $, it's a waste of resourches, and it's not as regulated as tap - which is what we usually drink. NY Tap was delicious but in Boston I taste the difference. After a run though a Brita... it tastes great! We shouldn't let camping affect that.
When we go camping, we bring a 5-gallon spigot cooler full of water, then refill it at the campsite when we need to. So far, it's worked really well for us! I feel super guilty about all the disposable stuff that is so easy to use when camping..
You have inspired me to buy Kleen Kanteen's for the entire family. My 2 year old loves his the most and drinks EVERYTHING out of it. I agree that we don't need bottled water as much as we think. Thanks for inspiring me every day with your blog.
Any tips on keeping water cool and bottles non-drippy in hot weather? I generally use a Sigg bottle, but it gets so hot in warm weather. And I'll sometimes put ice in it so that the water will stay cooler longer, but the bottle sweats.
I'd love some recommendations for bottles that will stay cool (I'm not as interested in whether it can keep hot things hot, since we only use the bottles for water) for a while and that you can add ice to without causing the bottle to sweat.
Lori, this helps a bit for us. I put ice in mine when I leave the house, and it would get all drippy. I crocheted cotton covers for three of the bottles so far (will get to the rest soon I hope). When the condensation develops, the cotton absorbs it.
Ooh, I like that idea, because I have cotton yarn laying around waiting for a project. Thanks!
I fill up my stainless steel bottle a little less than half full and put it in the freezer before I know I'll be using it so that it has a nice big block of ice. To help with keeping it cold and from sweating, my mom bought me a nice neoprene insulating sleeve from the local outdoor store. If you don't have a store near you that carries one, I'm sure you can find one on the internet somewhere. It works great and it's so nice to always have cold water!
Bottles sweat because the outside of the bottle is a different temperature than ambient. So you have two choices:
#1: get something to absorb the drips, or
#2: get a bottle whose outside is the same temp as ambient.
#1: already addressed, above.
#2: thermos bottle. The vacuum between the inside and outside tubes maintains the temp differential so the outside stays at ambient temp.
Kleen Kanteen and several other steel bottle companies make insulated versions now. Someone gave me one for Christmas last year and I use it a lot--keeps my tea warmer in the winter than a to-go mug, and in the summer it doesn't sweat when filled with cold liquids and ice.
Tervis Tumblers are BPA free and never, ever sweat. They also have a lifetime guarantee -- I've had one replaced completely for free by the Tervis company when the thermal seal leaked water between the walls of the cup -- are dishwasher safe, nearly indestructible, and retain zero flavors (in case you use them for things other than water). I prefer stainless steel, but in the summer, the Tervis are great.
I agree, Tervis tumblers are great! I use mine every day and love it, and the outside always stays dry.
My kids have thermos brand water bottles that do not sweat. The downside is that they don't hold very much water.
I bought insulated stainless steel water bottles from Flylady, and they are great. They never sweat. You can leave them in the car on a sunny day and the water stays cold. They come in 16-ounce and 12-ounce size.
We also have some Kleen Kanteen bottles, but I find myself using the Flylady bottles more. For one thing, I get annoyed by the squeaky sound when I suck on the sport bottle top!
STL Mom, you said that the Flyladys are insulated stainless. Do you know if you can use them for hot beverages as well. Being in the cool maritime climate of Seattle, WA, I find I take coffee or tea with me about as often as water. I'd like to find a 12 oz. hot/cold bottle, especially if it's not too bulky.
Yes you can use them for hot or cold liquids and they are absolutely wonderful! I have carried one around with me for years now...won't be caught with out it. And my 10 y/o son requested one of his own for Christmas...it is how I get him to drink water. He loves it out of his Flylady bottle. Great for Soccer practices - keeps the water super cold even in the hottest of temps!
I agree wholeheartedly! We have our own water bottles and take them wherever we go. I see the bottles everywhere.
We purchased a water system when we moved into our house. It was expensive, but it is so worth it. We have filtered water on tap and it tastes amazing. I am not about to buy bottled water that actually comes from the same facility as my tap water.
I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who's bothered by plastic water bottles. Plastic water bottles, along with plastic produce bags and plastic shopping bags are three things that drive me crazy as they are so wasteful and end up everywhere. We love our Klean Kanteens (and reusable grocery and produce bags).
Amen, sister. My husband and I use Nalgene water bottles. They are made from BPA free plastic and are virtually indestructible. I bought them in Yellowstone 6 years ago and they're still going strong. It saves so much money to just throw a Nalgene in the back of the car instead of stopping at gas stations to buy bottled water.
I love Nalgene bottles.
You can buy the parts separately (in case you lose a top - though since they're attached, that would be hard) and because they're clear you can always see when they need a clean. They go in the dishwasher, have useful measurements on the side and come in lots of sizes and colours and will stand up to anything....and I can't think of any negative points!
A lot of people in my area buy water bottles for home use because our city water has too much radium in it. We have an increased risk of cancer because of our tap water. The EPA makes the city issue warnings to all residents several times a year to remind us that the water exceeds acceptable radium levels, and our city has a plan in place to bring radium levels down to EPA-accepted levels by 2018. I do worry about my kids though, since by then they'll have been drinking the water for 8 and 10 years. But I still don't buy bottled water because I don't believe that drinking water that's been stored in plastic is healthy either.
At present, I have health conditions that dictate I drink non-flouridated water so I have to drink from plastic, but I've been thinking that perhaps the hard 5 gallon jugs you can get for a water cooler are BPA free and better than bottles? Something to consider since you're in such a tough choice! Or find one that refills the gallon containers like milk jugs and take a gallon glass container of your own?
I like my LifeFactory glass bottles, too.
I'm right there with you on this topic. Such an extravagant habit! Our bottled water is in the back closet with the batteries, flashlight, and wind up radio--for emergency only. Also of note, plastics are not meant to be used beyond their contents expiration date--then they start leaking chemicals. Good reason to switch from cheap plastic to metal or glass water bottle options. Highly recommend water purification household systems--more of a long term investment, but also ensures all your appliances and plumbing lasts longer, too!
When my sister first moved to the Phoneix (AZ) area the lived in an apartment where they could not drink the water. (Apparently the tap water in that area is not filtered correctly so in most houses you need a reverse osmosis system to actually get all the stuff out of the water...) They would take all their jugs and go fill them at a water station at the grocery store. However many people in the area do buy bottled water (I could see the convenience of factor! But I love that my sister and her husband used the refillable jugs to keep their water.) Now they have their own house with the filtration system needed so do not buy it (instead they have reusable bottles they keep in their fridge as the water NEVER gets cold enough out of the tap.)
It sickens me to see all the garbage lying around. Is it really that difficult for us to just put it in a garbage bin (or recycling bin if available?) I actually miss living in a place that has a recycling program (we moved to a rural area and the closest recycling is about 2.5 hours away...)
I think we are so fortunate here in the UK. Our plastic rubbish is collected by the dustmen, from our front of home, once a fortnight, as is our metal and glass. Garden waste goes in the brown bin and food waste is also collected and recycled. Paper and card are collected once a fortnight. Everyday rubbish is collected weekly. No excuses, are there?
J x
Many US cities have curbside collection too (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, does), but laziness seems to be the excuse used by some of my neighbors who still toss their bottles and cardboard into the trash instead of the recyle bins our city provides us.
Same in our city. Many times our recycle bin has more in it than our regular trash bin. I am amazed at how much trash people throw away each week. We are a family of 7. I cook most of our meals at home and still we have a lot less trash than our neighbors with only one or two people. I don't see how that is possible!
I live in a rural area and don't have recycling pickup 🙁 I have to tote the recyclables an hour into the nearest city
Most bottled water now (at least in NY) is charged a five cent return fee. You'd be amazed at how those five pennies force people to return the used bottles for their money back.
What gets me at the beaches now are deflated balloons (fish can die from nibbling on them) and the plastic rings around those beer six-packs! Who brings balloons to a beach? I don't get that. Beer, I can understand.
I've learned to just pick up the trash at the beach whenever I see it. Once an old Fantastick cleaner bottled whizzed by my feet. And oh no, here it comes, yes, a disposed tampon and......orange peels. YUCK!
PS: my home has a reverse osmosis system and I bottle and take my own water whenever I travel. If I do buy water, I toss the plastic bottle in a recycle bin (if it's where there is no five cent bottle return fee).
I was a bottled water drinker years ago until I saw the documentary, "Flow." SO good! Now we just use BPA free water bottles, refillable, or stainless, and yes I LOVE Tervis. Never knew what they were until I left California for North Carolina. Everyone in NC uses Tervis. It works great on hot and cold beverages and comes with snap on lids, sold separately.
And speaking of BPA, which leaches into our system and acts as a synthetic estrogen which as we all know raises the risk for cancer..... Don't get me started.
SO glad you brought up the water bottle issue again. I totally feel the same way...much to the dismay of my friends. They call it my "platform". I stand up for my bottled water ban all the time and my suburbia mom friends think I'm nutts. The Tapped documentary changed my thinking for sure and I've tried to get them all to watch it too. SO eye opening! I won't even buy it for parties. I have a nice iced picture of water filtered by my fridge for everyone to enjoy. And would you believe it...the STILL ask me for bottled water! ACK! It amazes me how intelligent people still buy into this commercial scam.
Sabrina,
first of all, shame on those friends who ask for bottled water in your home, when you've graciously provided a lovely pitcher of ice water already. Poor manners on their behalf, IMO. I don't buy bottled water for parties either. And I make no apologies for it. I have a couple of nice pitchers, I'll fill with water and ice and maybe float some lemon slices in the water or a small ice mold (made in a sour cream container, about 2 inches deep -- water, lavender buds, rose petals and lemon slices -- something colorful and enticing). I set about 3 of these pitchers out on trays with glasses in different locations -- the kitchen, family room, the deck. When someone asks for water, I reply, "we don't do the plastic bottle stuff (emphasizing the word plastic with a grimace, like how nasty would that be to drink water from plastic), and I proceed to pour them a "real glass" glass of water from a pitcher. I know, maybe my manners are not so great either!
I agree with you about the water, definitely, but I think that if one is minded to just dump ones litter instead of taking it home and disposing of it properly, if it's not one thing it will be another. It's the mind set, not the channel.
J x
I wash our empty bottles with dish soap and hot water to reuse them. We rarely buy more. My mother is very sensitive to changes in water, so when she travels she always gets a particular brand so that she doesn't have diarrhea. I have yet to find a way to keep my kids from losing expensive bottles, so we like some kind of cheap attached-top bottle (I am afraid of little people choking on the little cap).
If you're buying inexpensive water bottles, you might want to check the number on the bottom in the triangle. No.1 's problem is bacteria attaches to the plastic easily, but no known toxins leach from it No.2 is okay, there's low risk of leaching, No.3 is known as "toxic plastic" best for non-food use, like storing crayons, No.4 is not a transmitter of any known chemicals, No.5 is safe for food use, No.6 leaches styrene's ,best to stay away from 6's, No.7 is made from BPA's, best to stay away.
So, look for No.2, No.4 and No.5
Be especially careful of dollar store plastics made in China. They don't often carry the recycling info on the bottom
Thanks!
I agree with you that plastic bottles are most of the time not needed. However, I think there are times when they are very practical, but there is no excuse not to recycle them.
I have two bottles that I interchange every few days while I'm cleaning the other. I basically always drink out of my bottle and its always with me. I wake up and its on my bedside, then my desk, then my purse, then at work, then back at home, and start over. And even if I forget it at home one day, I can use a glass at work, or use a regular glass at home. Not a big deal.
However, there are times where if I do forget my bottle at home, and am going somewhere for a few hours, then I do get thirsty. If I'm at the mall, I'll try to find a fountain, but there are times where its impossible.
Our university campus actually banned the sale of water bottles in order to encourage people to bring their own. However, I have noticed that they just use the space that was used for selling water bottles in stores, cafeteria, vending machines with pop or juice. So really, its more annoying if I do forget my bottle one day and I'm going somewhere that doesn't sell water bottles because then I'm stuck buying a Coke or something sugary.
I also keep a case of water bottles for emergency purposes (in case the power goes out, floods, etc.) and those do need to get replaced every couple year (they "expire").
I don't think they should be banned or not sold, but I do think people should be wiser in when they use them. If you are drinking a water bottle sitting in your own home, then I wonder what is going on. If your water is truly bad or undrinkable, then get a brita or at least use those large water bottles that you exchange at the store.
I cant stand bottled water. My well water is so much more nutritious and it tastes 100 times better! Bottled water is just another money making scheme. People are tricked by the media to think that bottled water will make their lifes easier.... it doesnt it just makes life more complicated.
Lucky you to be on well...those of us that have to deal with the chemicals in the city's water aren't so lucky sometimes (like me!)
I am in absolute agreement with many of these posts - bottled water is unnecessary; filtered water from a tap is perfectly acceptable. Fill up your reusable bottle daily, and recycle at all times!!!
I feel pretty terrible after reading this though, because my actions are not indicative of my views. I live in a rural town in northern Canada. Unfortunately, our local water if far from pure, and in my experience from working at a local clinic, we have an unusual amount of Urinary Tract Infections around here. That being said, most people here invest in a water cooler system, and refill their 18 litre bottles weekly. I would like to be more frugal and "greener, but with young kids in the house, I just can't bring myself to allow them to drink this towns' water. Does anyone have any suggestions?
I was just reading about reverse osmosis water filtration systems and they're supposed to effectively remove bacteria and viruses from water. It looks like they also effectively remove radium, which is my tap-water problem.
Yes, the problem is reverse osmosis also removes any beneficial nutrients from the water :-/ darned if you do, darned if you don't it seems!
We buy bottled water for in the trailer to be sure we have clean water for drinking and cooking but don't use it if we have a clean supply readily available. Also, living in BC Canada, we have a deposit charged on everything but milk containers so we rarely see anything floating around...and we also have awesome recycling pick up at our curb. our small community has a more inclusive recycling at curb program than Vancouver. makes it very easy to send more to recycling than the garbage dump every week.
We're currently stationed in Guam with the military. The tap water here is terrible and my girls and I get sick whenever we drink it. (It's even gross after putting a filter on the faucet.) We do buy the bottled water, but the base usually has recycling bins next to the trash bins so they do get recycled. I've decided recently that we're going to use klean kanteens and start buying the larger water jugs for the fridge. It's a small change, but it'll make a big difference in the long run by cutting down on the amount of packaging we use while still encouraging my daughters to drink water.
I only buy water in bottles to refill them later. Which means I can do with one bottle for months.
Gladly bottled water isn't so popular in my country. They'd rather buy a bottle of cola and refill that with water. Especially because a bottle of water is more expensive than cola (I'm serious, $1,90 for water and $1,77 for cola. Or Ice Tea, 88 cents. It makes no sense).
The only problem is when we go on vacation and we need a lot of water. Especially in some countries there is still no water from tap. I cannot imagine how it must be like for the locals.
This is my pet-peeve! So many people feel that they are being more "healthy" by drinking bottled water and study after study has shown that not to be the case. To me it's just a way to spend money needlessly and create more trash. I was at Harper's Ferry last weekend and in the middle of a completely forested area overlooking the water there were two empty bottles. What kind of person leaves empty bottles in what is clearly a pristine spot? Geez.
So, So agree! We have the on- tap PUR system so all potable stuff goes through it. Just for taste, though -- the water is 100% drinkable. This gives us tastier cubes and drinking water. I have been very inspired by you and we almost never buy bottled anymore -- shudder to think of my former contribution to the landfill or worse, that floating continent of debris out there. Also have my own iced drink glass for iced coffee at Starbucks (ahem) since it is my "treat" during summer. Also use for homemade teas and coffees.
Thank you continuing to highlight this, and the water charity -- helps to remind me!
That is a disheartening picture. Bottled water is a no-no for me too. I carry a water container with me when I go out. Not only is this practice eco-friendly, I save a lot from just bringing my own water.
We have a creek the children enjoy playing in, and there are always tons of plastic bottles (mostly water) that travel through these water-ways, into our rivers, and ultimately to the ocean. Sad.
I found I really like drinking from our canteens, the water feels and tastes so much better than drinking from plastic.
Thanks for sharing.
What would you do if you were hosting a summer party? There is no way my Brita would keep up with the amount of water people drink during a party. I guess I could buy a huge jug and pour it into a pitcher and keep icing it...any other thoughts?
You could do that, certainly. But a party isn't probably a huge deal...it's the day in, day out usage that's more important. Plus, at a party, you can provide adequate recycling bins and so the odds are good those bottles won't end up in the ocean.
It would probably be a good idea to provide a sharpie for labeling bottles. I find at gatherings, people tend to lose track of their bottles and then get a new one, so you end up with a lot of half-drunk bottles.
If I wanted to provide filtered water, and not have the expense of buying a lot of bottles, I'd prefilter water and store in a large coleman dispenser (the kind often used for camping, or at large picnics and gatherings -- they come as big as 10 gallons). Our church has a few, and for me, I'd probably request to borrow one. At our church, at least, they're quite generous with such requests. If not a church, I'd ask around friends to see if they have something like that for camping.
Then at the party needed, I'd fill nice glass pitchers with the water. I have a few pitchers. But if I didn't, I'd borrow from friends. I've loaned and borrowed chairs, dishes, glasses to/from friends. A nice ice mold for each pitcher would both be pretty and keep the water chilled. Just some suggestions.
If you are looking for a different sort of reusable "water bottle" you should check out the Cuppow (http://www.cuppow.com/). It is an American made, BPA free lid that fits under the ring of any wide mouth canning jar. I just got one for my birthday & am pretty much in love. I got rid of a whole cabinet full of various kinds and styles of water bottles & replaced it with this one little lid. You can also fit a canning lid under the Cuppow so I can throw a jar of water in my purse without worrying about spills or leaks.
Wow, those are so neat!
I just wanted to add that not all tap water is better. I have a medical condition that I cannot have flouride and since it's in our tap water and can't be fully filtered out (even with the Berkey attachment, which is the closest I've seen), so I have to buy Spring water -usually Deer Park is my only choice that is not from someone else's tap. So, just wanted to throw in defense of that. And I do make sure 99% of my bottles are recycled--I even put them in my purse empty to bring home if I can't find a recycle bin when I'm out!
Love my Klean Kanteen stainless - don't love trash on the beach!