Get a Reusable Water Bottle
This year, when you are thinking of gift ideas, will you consider adding a reusable water bottle to the list? If everyone in your family had their own, think how many plastic bottles you would eliminate. If half the families in your community did the same, imagine how it would help to cut down.
It will be a gift that inspires, one that may be used for years (think how many bottles that saves over time!), and one that will be appreciated by the recipient as well as the environment.
I wonder how many of us try not to buy bottled water. There will always be times when we have no alternative, but if we are honest with ourselves, how often is that? The issue of bottled water continues to grow. The more I read about it, the more striking it seems too. I read something today that here in the United States alone, we used over 50 billion (yes, billion) bottles of water in a year. Currently, less than 25% of those bottles are recycled. Is it any wonder then, that the oceans have islands made of them? We grow angry and upset when we see those photos, but do we stop buying bottled water?
The cost I had never considered was that of making the bottles. Reportedly, it takes over 15 million barrels of oil each year to manufacture the plastic containers. That is stunning to me. That could fuel over a million cars a year. We are concerned over the cost of gas, yet we are willing to use that much oil for water bottles? That seems totally illogical, especially for a nation who appears so concerned about the environment!
So why doesn’t every single person who wants to be environmentally responsible stop using them whenever possible?
The Cost of Bottled Water
That’s why we bought several of these BPA free, refillable bottles. There are so many different ones to to choose from now. Personally, I prefer those that hold over one liter. Otherwise they are just too small to me. We bought the Sigg wide mouth bottles, but they are so popular, they often are out of stock.
This one by Lifeline is similar in size, has the same wide mouth, and comes in stainless steel, which is better yet. For drinking straight from the container, you can simply open the top. But what I like is the wider screw top that allows you to easily put ice in the container. It also allows for easier filling. The 40 oz size is plenty big enough to last awhile. These wash up beautifully in the dishwasher, which is another reason I like the wide mouth better.
Using one for a week or so in our household, instead of bottled water, pays for itself. That’s pretty easy to justify. We’ve had our Sigg bottles for three years, and they are still in excellent shape. It’s not something you need to replace often.
Just think, if each of us bought one reusable bottle, and cut our water bottle usage by that amount, perhaps we’d finally see a decrease in the number of plastic bottles needed every year. Occasionally I still end up buying a bottle. There are times and places where it is necessary, especially it seems when traveling. If we all could get to occasional instead of daily, it would surely help.
What a saving, both for your wallet and for the environment. Please try to use them more often instead of plastic.
Need More Reasons?
It is shocking how much the annual cost is to manufacture bottles just in the United States. You can read more statistics on the cost of bottles for water here.
Plenty of sizes, shapes and colors available for Reusable Water Bottles
At first, this was an issue for me. In my family we drink a lot of water. The smaller sized containers would be empty too fast. But today you can get 32 oz and up quite commonly.
You’ll find many sizes to choose from if you are ready to switch from bottled water, lots in a smaller size too. We use a Britta filter on our tap water, to filter it further just in case. Even with the added cost of the Britta, it is still a remarkable savings in our grocery budget, along with being better for the environment.
This Video Will Show You Why
Want to see more? This video will give you more facts and some shocking pictures. It is helpful to show why we need to find an alternative to bottled water.
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