If You're Still Buying Plastic Water Bottles, We Need To Talk
There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just dive right in: If you are a person who regularly buys bottled water—or god forbid, a big ol' jug—we need to talk. I know you know it's bad for the environment. And if you live in the United States, the likelihood is high that either 1) your tap water is safe to drink (the Safe Water Drinking Act is what ensures that, though yes, there are exceptions), 2) you have a water filter built into your fridge, or 3) you own or can afford a Brita. So...what are you doing, friend?!
Barring a hurricane or a medical reason for buying bottled or distilled water, like using it in a CPAP machine, there is no reason to regularly waste money on bottled water that will add to the very real pollution problem we've got going on in this fine country. Since I can feel the angry emails coming, let's move forward and answer some questions.
But...it tastes good!
Dude, I feel you. For whatever reason, our brains have tricked us into thinking if it's in a plastic bottle, it must taste better or be otherwise worthwhile to purchase. Remember the whole hot dog water thing of 2018? I myself will swear to you Essentia is the best-tasting water I've ever had. Before that, Smartwater had me hooked. But here's the thing: It's water. There is no discernible taste other than the chemicals that may be leaking into the bottle you pulled off the floor of your hot car (more on that here).
Is it really that bad for the environment?
Uh, yes. We (like, collectively as a people) have certainly gotten better at carrying around reusable water bottles in the last decade—surely you've heard of Hydro Flask, S'well, or Nalgene. But as recently as 2017, one million plastic bottles were purchased around the world every minute. In 2016, fewer than half of those bottles were collected for recycling. Not good. Even worse: Another study shows 91 percent of all plastic is not recycled. As I know you know, this leads to things like ocean pollution and overflowing landfills.
What if I recycle?
If you bypass all of this and continue buying plastic bottles once a month or once a week or once a day, please do recycle them!! But also, know that time, resources, and money go into recycling the billions of plastic bottles consumed annually. And since you or your family are probably buying plastic in the form of soda, or milk, or juice (and in a dozen other capacities), let this be the thing you give up for the greater good.
Ok, I get it, but...it's SO much more convenient.
Yes, it is. But filling up a reusable water bottle is nearly as easy and will help the planet you and everyone you love inhabit, ya ding dong! So is purchasing a Brita and filling that up. Or, you know, using the filtered water dispenser in the expensive fridge you purchased. There are options, and if you're not helping the problem, you're hurting it. It's as simple as that.
Ugh.
You can do it! And look, if you're traveling and you forget a reusable water bottle or are at a venue that doesn't allow you to bring one in, or whatever the "what if" may be that results in you needing to purchase a one-use water bottle, go forth. Stay hydrated. Or buy boxed water, if it's an option. But the business of stocking your fridge with pallets of water bottles has got to end.
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