A World With No Bottled Water

By: Alex Sherman with additions by: Elizabeth Parker

Ditching bottle water is one of the easiest ways to protect our fragiles eco-systems and your wallet. The bottles of water billions of people purchase a day are often marked up 4,000 percent making it the single most expensive item on Earth.

In addition to being the most explensive renewable resources on Earth it is responsible for 2 millions tons of landfills waste anually. Does the negativity surrounding bottled water cease there? Of course not.

Scientist say that the production and shipping guzzle up enough fuel to power 250,000 homes a year and save the average consumer $750.00 a year

So what can you do to remove yourself from yet another negative statistic?

Jennifer Roberts, author of Good Green Kitchens, recommends finding a water filter to help break the bottled-water habit. Available in faucet attachments, under-the-sink units and carafe-style purifiers, activated carbon filters get rid of chlorine and perk up the taste of your tap water. To tackle other contaminants, contact your water department to find out what’s in your water and which filter can remove those pollutants

Next, pick up a reusable bottle made from stainless steel or plastic. “Store it somewhere that’ll make you more likely to grab your bottle before leaving the house,” Roberts suggests. “Make sure it fits in your car cupholder and in your purse, and choose a cool design so you’re happy to take your bottle with you wherever you go!”

Some Shocking Facts About Water Bottles

• Americans buy an estimated 29.8 billion plastic water bottles every year.
• Nearly eight out of every 10 bottles will end up in a landfill.
• It is estimated that the production of plastics accounts for 4 percent of the energy consumption in the U.S.
• HDPE and PET bottles showed the highest recycling rates of any plastic bottles types, at 27.1 and 23.1 percent, respectively.
• Less than 1 percent of all plastics is recycled. Therefore, almost all plastics are incinerated or end up in a landfill.
• Recycling a single plastic bottle can conserve enough energy to light a 60-watt light bulb for up to six hours.
• Recycled plastic bottles can be made into products such as clothing, carpeting, detergent bottles and lumber for outdoor decking.
• More than 80 percent of U.S. households have access to a plastics recycling program through curbside or community drop-off centers.
• Producing new plastic products from recycled materials uses two-thirds less energy than required to make products from raw (virgin) materials. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions.