Bottled Water

Here's a simple, practical, and efficient way to live a more sustainable life- stop consuming bottled water. Many environmental groups discourage the purchase of single-use water bottles. The San Francisco Dept of the Environment concludes that "Plastic water bottles are bad for human health, degrade the environment, add to global warming, and result in huge amounts of waste and litter. All this for a product that is often inferior to San Francisco's tap water."

People buy bottled water for convenience and health reasons. For convenience, all it takes is a change of habit. I love my re-fillable bottles which I fill with tap water whenever I leave home. I always have water and don't have the inconvenience of buying water.

Is bottled water a healthier product than tap water? No. Contaminants found in a third of bottled water samples include bacteria, industrial solvents, chemicals from plastic, hormone disrupters, and carcinogens. To improve the taste of your tap water, use a home filter.

The environmental costs of water bottles are huge. The Earth Policy Institute estimates that making bottles to meet the US demand for bottled water requires more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year. Billions of water bottles are discarded each year which can take up to a thousand years to degrade. Recycling can help reduce waste, but that process uses a great deal of resources.

Remember, this one is easy- Carry water in reusable containers, serve water in pitchers at gatherings, and filter your own tap water if desired.

Bagging It

Tired of the question "Paper or Plastic?" Why not bring your own bags and put a little less stress on the planet? Pick up some reusable bags and keep them in your car, on your bike, or in your backpack. To help me remember, I needed to purchase a few additional ones so I would always find some handy.

There are some great companies offering better options than the typical cloth bags. Green Bag is a company that offers bags made from 100% recycled materials, water resistant, and with the capacity of 3-4 plastic bags. Paper Nor Plastic offers a bag similar in design to a paper bag, but built as rugged as a backpack. Earthwise sells many different types of reusable bags, such as wine totes.

Of course, you can find reusable bags at most stores these days. It is really a simple habit to change. Now when I go shopping, I grab my keys, my wallet, and my bags.

If you need more convincing, here's some great facts from Reusable Bags:
ENERGY TO PRODUCE BAG ORIGINALLY (BTUs)
Plastic Bags: 594 BTUs
Paper Bags: 2511 BTUs

ENERGY TO RECYCLE PACKAGE ONCE (BTUs)
Plastic Bags: 17 BTUs
Paper Bags: 1444 BTUs

In 1999, 14 million trees were cut to produce the 10 billion paper grocery bags used by Americans that year alone. World consumption rate is now estimated at well over 500,000,000,000 (that's 500 billion) plastic bags annually, or almost 1 million per minute.