The 7 Benefits Of Switching From Plastic Bottles

Americans love their water. It rather surprises other nations, but nonetheless, Americans are addicted to walking around with a constant supply of water attached to their hips.

The effect is an industry in bottling a natural resource which is rather bizarre when you think about it.

Some figures to get us on the same page

We have all heard the idea that we need to drink eight glasses of water a day. Obviously, not everyone does that, but if you did, that would cost the equivalent of $1400 a year if you were to buy it bottled.

In 2017 the average American used 167 water bottles in the year. That is one every two days. 23% of them are recycled and we all know where the rest of them go.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Alternatives to the disposable bottle

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. There are alternatives which still get you water but are not so hard on the planet.

There’s good old-fashioned glass. These days it comes wrapped in silicone for protection and to reduce breakages. If this is too heavy, you might try stainless steel. These can also be insulated to help keep things cold.

Some bottles come with their own filters included, if that is something that worries you – but see below, all bottled waters don’t necessarily taste better.

The point is that the bottles you find can all be used over and over which is good for your pocket and good for the environment.

If you’re worried about losing an expensive bottle, there are those out there which aren’t expensive comparatively. With most of them, you’ll have recovered the cost in days. And you can often add a small carabiner to the bottle and your bag.

Good tasting water

Some people believe that water from a bottle is somehow purer. Fully 24% of the bottled water sold is purified municipal water. If you’re really concerned about quality then you can run the water through a filter either in the reusable bottle or through a filter jug. Keeping one of those in the fridge means you always have access to lovely cold water.

Here’s another interesting wrinkle – water which comes from the tap is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Water which comes from a bottle is under the control of the Food and Drug Administration. Guess which one of the two has to make its findings public? Hint: It isn’t the FDA.

We need to save the seas

There is too much plastic in our oceans. It is killing the creatures that live there and ultimately it is killing us too. If we carry on the way we are going we will to the point where there is a 1:3 ratio of pounds of plastic to pounds of fish. That simply isn’t sustainable.

A reusable water bottle is such a small thing and using one makes such a massive difference.