Plastic water bottles make me cringe.  I know many people that but cases of water bottles and open up a new bottle every time they want water.  I totally agree with not drinking tap water, but needing 6-8 plastic bottles a day to get your needed water intake in, is just upsetting, wasteful, expensive, and really not even good for you. We are in the very hot desert in the middle of the summer and water is crucial to keep us from dehydration. That means that even more water is consumed, and for those drinking water only out of water bottles, more plastic to the landfill or recycling.

Maybe the fact that you can recycle makes people less conscious about the amount of plastic that they use, but it shouldn’t. It still takes resources to produce the plastic bottle and those resources negatively impact our environment to begin with. So although recycling is a great action to take up, we still have to remember that what we recycle has to be created. Recycling is a better alternative to a landfill.  But a better alternative to recycling is not create the need to recycle an item.

So today I ask you to have an impact by being aware of how much plastic you drink out of, and to please find alternative ways to stay hydrated, but without a new plastic bottle every time your thirsty. Not only will you impact waste reduction and resource exploitation, but you will also positively impact both your health and your wealth (your packet).

Get a lass water bottle that you can refill.  That way if you leave it in the car, the plastic doesn’t melt into the water.  If you use a refillable plastic bottle, be aware of the heat and plastic. At home, utilize the 5 gallon jugs to refill from a water store or dispenser.  Get a couple and go refill weekly or bi weekly, or even have it delivered to you. You save at least 10 times the amount of money by filling 5 gallons of water.

Do you know why plastic is harmful to you and the environment?

First why it’s bad for you-

• Not good for your health- bottled water has been tested and several chemical contaminants have been found in the water. In some brands extremely high levels of contaminants and bacteria were found
• Pthalate can seep into the water. Pthlatate is a chemical used to make plastic, and has the potential to cause cancer. There are no regulations or testing done to create standards and awareness if it exists in your water. Why not?
• Health impacts on incinerated plastic are toxic and can be very severe
• Only 30-40% of water sold is regulated by the FDA. That is just scary.
• Bottled water has been tested and many brands are simply tap water sold in a plastic bottle….remember tap water isn’t great for you, and either is plastic. Your paying to negatively impact your health

Why it’s bad for the environment-

• It produces a lot of flat out waste
• It needs a lot of oil to be produce the plastic for the bottle….not to mention the amount of oil needed for marketing purposes of the now plastic and ready to sell bottle of water
• It takes a lot of energy to produce plastic.
• It’s harming our oceans and it’s inhabitants. When plastic is broken down, harmful chemicals are released, that not only effect your body, but the ocean wild life as well. They also ingest pieces of plastic, and pronto dead sea life.

Just please take a moment and think about how much plastic you use and throw away on a daily basis. Multiply that by a month and then a year, and think about the billions of other people doing the same thing.  You can make an impact by simply cutting in half or eliminating the amount of plastic you purchase and consume, and informing others.