Thursday, December 17, 2009

All Bottled Up!


The last time I was going through the drive-through at a fast food place, on top of my extremely healthy meal... I also asked for a water. I pull up to the window and to my surprise the employee gave me a BOTTLED WATER! What does this mean for our society? Is it every time you need a refreshing drink you reach for a bottled water instead of tap? Do we now just assume that water can only be good in the form of a plastic container? What is this obsession with always having to have that "naturally purified," or "from the far off mountain range of..." drink? Water is something our body needs everyday, and depending on it to come out of a bottle can actually hurt the environment. However, there are some ways that you can actually help the environment and still have a naturally purified glass of water. The impact that tap water has on the environment is only 1/4 of the effects of bottled water. By switching to tap water you are helping yourself and the environment in a number of ways:
* Less pollution -- Many people forget to recycle their bottled and these bottles go on the ground, in our oceans, and actually hurt our earth.
* Less money -- You can SAVE money by not buying bottled water. Fun fact: The average American uses 170 water bottles in one year...totalling 50 BILLION plastic bottles a year! Now that's a lot of bottles!
* Recycling -- Nearly 90 percent of water bottles are not recycled and wind up in landfills where it takes thousands of years for the plastic to decompose.
* It's the same thing! -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standards for tap water are more strict than the Food and Drug Administration’s standards for bottled water, you’ll be drinking water that is just as safe as as bottled!
Now...I know all tap water doesn't taste the same. I myself am guilty of reaching for a bottle when I want a glass of water, but there are ways of getting the taste of bottled without the harm to the environment. Many people spend a little bit of money and get a filter for their sinks. Sure, this is a bigger purchase than a pack of bottled water, but in the end you will actually be saving money! Imagine that! Also, there are filters that come in the form of a pitcher! You can just keep it in your fridge and grab a filtered glass instead of a bottle! And there's more still...you also have the larger water filters that you can buy where you pay for the filter and then the water jug refills can come as cheap as 25 cents! Perfect for companies to use! I know for some of you, reaching for the bottle is a strong addiction... but just think if you change a few simple things you'd be doing the Earth a huge favor! So maybe... next time you want a drink... put down the bottle...and go for the tap. Mother Nature will be sure to thank you.

gg573 love,
Chelsea

Want to know more about tap water?
The Environmental Protection Agency has a list of questions about tap water on its Web site.
Check it out!

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