Are You Up for the “One Bottle/One Year” Challenge?

Plastic water bottles are everywhere. And, unfortunately, as much as 90% of them are in landfills. We need one close at hand at work, the gym, and even the car. Of course we need to stay hydrated, but we also need to consider the drain on the environment, energy, and resources.

Assuming you recycle (for which I fundamentally applaud you), I have to say: Don’t be fooled.

The little “recyclable” sign on the bottom of a plastic bottle is a get-out-of-green-guilt card as it misleads people into thinking they’re doing all they can, and should, by tossing the bottle into the recycling container instead of the trash bin.

But remember the first of the three Rs is REDUCE, as in don’t buy those plastic bottles in the first place.

So I challenge you to use only one water bottle for the next 365 days (at least). I’m not asking you to refill a plastic bottle for a year—that’s dangerous as the plastic will leach more and more with each use. Instead, I’m suggesting you invest in a stainless steel reusable water bottle and a water filter of some sort (unless you have access to a natural spring).

With so many stainless steel water bottles on the market, which do you choose? My green guru gives her highest praise to Klean Kanteen, which is enough of an endorsement for me.

Question of the blog: Are you up for the “One Bottle/One Year” challenge?

Got (Clean) Water?

So first there was the stream, but the streams got polluted. And then there was the tap, and then the pipes got rusty and the water ended up with pharmaceuticals in it. And then there was the plastic bottle, typically filled not with H2o from pristine sources but with city tap water . . . and served up in rather pervasive plastic bottles that aren't very good for us in the first place.

The debate about water is enough to make me want a drink—although, not a drink of water, of course.

So I showed up at the Go Green Expo (www.gogreenexpo.com) last weekend with a pink water bottle made of a type of plastic I was told was safe when I bought it months ago. Instantly, Debby, my green guru from Real Green Goods (www.realgreengoods.com) told me I needed to stop using that bottle. As always, though, she had a solution: Klean Kanteen (www.kleankanteen.com).

These cool bottles are all stainless steel. They won’t leech. They won’t break (at least, not easily). And they are meant to be used over and over again, so they won’t end up by the billions in our landfills.

I’ve been using mine all week, and even non-green people I know have commented on it. They’re that cool. Ditch the plastic and get your own canteen ASAP.

Question of the blog: What's your take on the water debate?