Reusable Water Bottles Help You Go Green and Stay Healthy

Posted on Jan 6, 2012 in Green Products by Anh Speer, Ph.D. 10 Comments

Although most Americans have easy access to clean drinking water, we are the world largest consumers of bottled water. With the emphasis on sustainable living in recent years, plastic one-time use water bottle waste & toxicity has become a significant concern. Recent studies have shown that Americans use on average 50 billion water bottles each year and climbing, though only recycle 23% of the plastic bottles when finished. This means that nearly 38 billion of those water bottles were trashed, leading to increased pollution and landfill waste. This also has an economic impact by producing more than $1 Billion in wasted plastic each year, equivalent to 912 million gallons of oil. This could all be avoided by simply using a green water bottle or reusable water bottle to reduce waste.

Reduce Waste With a Reusable Water Bottle

To better understand the impact of plastic water bottle waste per year, visualize bottles lined up end to end in a straight line, it would wrap around the earth 190 times. Moreover, the plastic water bottles that were placed in the landfill today will take up to 1000 years to biodegrade. If you have seen the Disney movie Wall-E, it seems like a not too distant reality until we fill the Earth with trash.

Bottled Water is Not Better than Tap Water

Some research indicated that people drink bottled water because they believe it is cleaner or has higher quality and better taste than tap water; however that is simply not true. In fact, much of the beloved bottled water is simply filtered tap water from a city near you. We should also point out that the U.S. public water system is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which requires numerous daily tests for bacteria and other toxins – the results of these tests are publicly available. The bottled water you pick up from the local gas station is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which only requires weekly testing and those results are not shared with the EPA or released to the public.

Reusable Water Bottles are a Healthier Choice

Another reason why you should not use plastic one-time use bottled water is that there are known health risks. Plastic water bottles can contain a chemical known as Bisphenol A (BPA) which can be very harmful to your health. BPA has been connected to cases of hormonal issues and even cancer. Switching to reusable BPA free water bottle will help create a green and sustainable earth while keeping you healthy.

Save Money with Green Water Bottles

Reusable water bottles are also a money saving green product that help keep you hydrated while on the go. On average, Americans spends about $5 a week on bottled water, this means you can save $260 per year by switching to a reusable water bottle. Top brands carry a list of reusable BPA free water bottles for $3 – $7 based on the ounces. You can find them on top retailer websites such as Amazon.com, Target or Wal-Mart. The best choice in terms of durability and cost is to use a stainless steel BPA free sports water bottle. They are sturdy, long lasting and many of them come with very slick sporty design.

Find Green Water Bottles on Amazon.com

Considering all the benefits of reusable BPA free water bottles, it is a no brainer choice to stop using plastic one-time use water bottles. More than that, the savings you will achieve minus the average cost of a reusable water bottle is around $255 per year meaning a 5100% gain on your investment. You can’t get this type of return by investing in stocks or switching to Geico!