We’re all supposed to be drinking eight glasses of water per day. For many of us, the easiest way to do this by drinking from plastic water bottles. But for the green-friendly Social Girl, plastic bottles are a big no-no.
Single-use plastic water bottles are enormously wasteful. Americans go through about 25 billion bottles per year, and most of them end up in landfills. Additionally, the creation and shipment of water bottles consumes a great deal of energy. In fact, once you add up the fuel needed to make the bottle, purify the water, fill the bottle, and ship it to the store, as much petroleum has been used as if the bottle had been filled 1/4 of the way with oil!
Reusable plastic bottles are troublesome as well. Research has shown that certain types of plastic (including Lexan, the hard, clear plastic) can leach toxic chemicals into the water. Safer plastics are now available (often marked as “BPA-free”), but since it’s recommended that plastic containers are not exposed to heat, they shouldn’t be washed in the dishwasher. This can make keeping them clean a hassle.
A great alternative to plastic bottles is reusable metal bottles. These aluminum bottles are rugged and easy to wash. One popular brand, Sigg, makes metal bottles with cool designs and interchangeable tops. With the holidays approaching, reusable metal water bottles make a great gift for your eco-conscious friends. Check out the Sigg website here.
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