A lot of people are talking about reusable water bottles lately. In the last several years, it's become extremely common to drink bottled water - it's just easier, some people believe it's better for you, and often restaurants don't provide an alternative. But bottled water comes with it's own share of problems. After all, a lot of bottles are used to contain it, and only two out of ten are ever recycled - the rest end up in landfills or on the side of the road.
Plus, studies have shown that bottled water neither tastes better nor is any healthier than tap water. In fact, a lot of bottled water companies are just bottling city water from elsewhere in the United States - Dasani and Aquafina are both just filtered tap water. In recent lab tests at the University of New Hampshire, no bottled water samples were found to be any purer than water from a drinking fountain in the middle of New York City, and in a blind taste test, many people who claimed to dislike tap water actually ranked it pretty highly. Add that to the seventeen million barrels of oil used for making water bottles every year - enough to keep a million cars running for the same period of time - and it's clear why more people are deciding to use reusable water bottles for their hydration needs.
A reusable bottle can be filled at home and transported, and refilled just about everywhere. It'll save you money, too. After all, the mythical eight glasses a day will cost about fifty cents a year from the tap, and closer to one-and-a-half thousand dollars if you decide you want to drink only bottled water. That makes a twenty-dollar water bottle look a lot more affordable! There's shipping, processing, and refrigeration to consider, too. Bottled water requires all of these, adding even more to its carbon footprint, while a bottle you fill up at home has only one manufacturing trail to deal with. Since you reuse it again and again, it justifies itself quickly.
Don't just rush out and buy the first water bottle you see, however. Eco friendly water bottles come in a number of different materials and styles, and some are better than others. The most popular materials are plastics (several different kinds), stainless steel and aluminum. Polycarbonate used to be the leader, but new health concerns over Bisphenol A - a component of this plastic - are leading lots of people to choose other plastics instead. HDPE, or number 2 plastic, is a better choice for people who are concerned about this material, which has already been banned in baby bottles in Canada, and in other products in some other countries. BPA may lead to an elevated risk for heart attacks and diabetes, and is a real worry for some.
Aluminum bottles may also be an issue - some are lined with polycarbonate and remain a BPA risk. Others are not, so you'll need to find out which you're getting when you decide to buy a reusable water bottle. Stainless steel eco friendly water bottles are the most expensive, but they're also the most durable and the least worrisome from a health perspective, so they've been getting a boost. The downside? They're opaque, making it hard to tell how full the bottle is.
No matter which you choose, there's a clear answer when it comes to reusable water bottles versus disposable. Bottled water isn't healthier, less expensive, safer, or easier on the environment, so why choose it? It's far easier to carry eco friendly water bottles and fill up at the nearest tap.
Plus, studies have shown that bottled water neither tastes better nor is any healthier than tap water. In fact, a lot of bottled water companies are just bottling city water from elsewhere in the United States - Dasani and Aquafina are both just filtered tap water. In recent lab tests at the University of New Hampshire, no bottled water samples were found to be any purer than water from a drinking fountain in the middle of New York City, and in a blind taste test, many people who claimed to dislike tap water actually ranked it pretty highly. Add that to the seventeen million barrels of oil used for making water bottles every year - enough to keep a million cars running for the same period of time - and it's clear why more people are deciding to use reusable water bottles for their hydration needs.
A reusable bottle can be filled at home and transported, and refilled just about everywhere. It'll save you money, too. After all, the mythical eight glasses a day will cost about fifty cents a year from the tap, and closer to one-and-a-half thousand dollars if you decide you want to drink only bottled water. That makes a twenty-dollar water bottle look a lot more affordable! There's shipping, processing, and refrigeration to consider, too. Bottled water requires all of these, adding even more to its carbon footprint, while a bottle you fill up at home has only one manufacturing trail to deal with. Since you reuse it again and again, it justifies itself quickly.
Don't just rush out and buy the first water bottle you see, however. Eco friendly water bottles come in a number of different materials and styles, and some are better than others. The most popular materials are plastics (several different kinds), stainless steel and aluminum. Polycarbonate used to be the leader, but new health concerns over Bisphenol A - a component of this plastic - are leading lots of people to choose other plastics instead. HDPE, or number 2 plastic, is a better choice for people who are concerned about this material, which has already been banned in baby bottles in Canada, and in other products in some other countries. BPA may lead to an elevated risk for heart attacks and diabetes, and is a real worry for some.
Aluminum bottles may also be an issue - some are lined with polycarbonate and remain a BPA risk. Others are not, so you'll need to find out which you're getting when you decide to buy a reusable water bottle. Stainless steel eco friendly water bottles are the most expensive, but they're also the most durable and the least worrisome from a health perspective, so they've been getting a boost. The downside? They're opaque, making it hard to tell how full the bottle is.
No matter which you choose, there's a clear answer when it comes to reusable water bottles versus disposable. Bottled water isn't healthier, less expensive, safer, or easier on the environment, so why choose it? It's far easier to carry eco friendly water bottles and fill up at the nearest tap.
About the Author:
When you're ready to purchase your own reusable water bottle online, make sure to visit the Best Reusable Water Bottles store.
0 comments:
Post a Comment