Going Bottle-LESS

Phone. Wallet. Keys. Water Bottle.

Hey Hey!  It’s September!  Time to buckle down and get your head in the game.  And wherever you’re headed, you gotta stay hydrated!  That’s why this month’s Everyday Eco-Habit is Going Bottle-LESS - single-use, plastic Bottle-LESS of course!  I mean, single-use plastics are so last decade, right?  And carrying around your reusable water bottle is a fashion statement now-a-day.  Plus, this month marks World Cleanup Day and the related International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 21st (they also coincide with Peace Day, which I love).  Perhaps you went Litter-LESS with me last September to honor these Cleanup days.  You probably noticed a LOT of single-use plastic beverage bottles.  In fact, they rank #3 as the most collected beach trash item with 1,569,135 collected on Coastal Cleanup Day in 2018 alone!  YOU, My Green Friend, have the power to do something about that - both by taking part in a Cleanup near you [here is a link to locations], but also by preventing single-use plastic bottles from ending up as litter in the first place.  So, to honor International Cleanup Day for 2019, we’re taking it back to the basics of the 3R’s once again by focusing on the 1st and 2nd of the 3R’s: we’re adopting the  Everyday Eco-Habit of Going Bottle-LESS by REDUCING our use of single-use plastic bottles and using a REUSABLE bottle instead.  I assure you this is one of the easiest Everyday Eco-Habits to adopt.  Just add it as the 4th thing you don't leave the house without: Phone, Wallet, Keys, Water Bottle.  Easy.  Simple. Save the Earth. Done. 

 

Carrying a reusable bottle is cooler, both figuratively and literally, as most keep your drinks cool all day, something a plastic bottle can’t do.  Not only that, it’s healthier for you!  Did you know tap water is actually healthier than most bottled water?  For you AND the planet!  This National Geographic article explains it all. Check it out: bottled water is not heavily regulated like tap water.  So, you don’t really know how safe your bottled water is.  AAANNNDDD single-use plastics often release toxins, which can add up to being quite unhealthy.  This article states people consume up to 50,000 tiny pieces of plastic particles a year!  If you drink from single-use plastic water bottles, that number goes up to 130,000 tiny pieces of plastic you’re consuming.  So, if you drink from single-use plastic bottles often, then you’re basically drinking plastic.  Yuck. I think it’s time to change our drinking patterns.

 

Plus, single-use plastics are really bad for the environment.  The way plastic is manufactured creates tons of greenhouse gas emissions.  As most people know, plastic is made from oil.  It took over 17 million barrels of oil to create the over 8.2 million gallons of water bottles made in 2006 and emitted over 25 million tons of carbon dioxide, a main contributor to global climate change.  This number has been steadily increasing.  All those single-use plastic bottles need to be transported from the manufacturer to the stores.  So, more greenhouse gasses are emitted through transportation.  On top of all that, either your plastic bottle is kept cold, which uses even more energy, or the bottle is sitting on that ship, or train or truck and getting hot and cold and hot again and possibly leaching plastics into your bottle that you then drink!  Ewwww!  

 

Single-use bottles also create a TON of plastic waste.  Roughly 50 million water bottles are thrown away in the US Every. Single. Day.  For reals.  It is estimated humans buy 1 million water bottles every minute!  Even worse?  91% of them are not recycled!  What a waste.  Single-use plastics are destroying the ocean and are just not needed.  Plus, the plastics that travel into the ocean are destroying our ocean inhabitants AND releasing even more carbon dioxide!

 

One of my favorite videos about the problems with single-use plastic bottles is the Story of Bottled Water.  It sums up just how unnecessary bottled water really is- just like straws and plastic bags (which you already tackled when we went Straw-LESSand Bag-LESS, so you have this too!).  Plus, bottled water costs as much as 10,000 times as much as tap water!  What a rip off!

 

So, to save the earth and some green (isn’t it amazing that saving the environment actually saves you money most of the time), the best thing to do is to “Reduce” your waste by simply using a “Reusable” beverage bottle!  You can afford one from the amount of money you will save from not continuously buying single-use plastic bottles.  Then you just simply fill it up at home before leaving your house for the day.  Don’t like the taste of your tap water or are you worried it is not pure?  There are many affordable options to add a water purifier to your sink faucet at your local hardware store.  It’s also becoming easier and easier to fill up your Reusable bottles on the go - you just have to look for a water refill aka “hydration” station.” Have you seen any lately?  They are popping up all over the place: in airports, at beaches, in schools, in parks, on college campuses, and even at festivals and in office buildings.  They make it super simple to fill up your Reusable bottle wherever you are.  

 

When we adopted the Eco-Habits for Going Toxin-LESSand Wrap-LESS, we learned that really any type of plastic is not the healthiest choice.  The best option for Reusable beverage bottles is glass or stainless steel.  Here are a few of my favorite brands:

 

Stainless Steel:

  • Klean Kanteen.  I love this brand and the people behind it.  It’s just an authentically green and great company overall.  Plus, you can drop this water bottle a thousand times and still use it.  They also have some awesome accessories like sport top bottle caps that you can customize. 

  • Yeti.  Super durable, insulated, and they come in REALLY BIG SIZES so you stay hydrated all day, bro. 

  • Hydroflask. These are vacuum insulated and come in so many different sizes. Looking for beer growlers, pints, or wine tumblers? Look no further. 

  • Swell.  Probably the chicest looking of the bunch, they come in super creative designs and they really work to keep your beverage cold.  They even have a larger size that fits a whole bottle of wine for your last picnic before summer ends. 

Glass:

  • UKonserve- They have the prettiest glass bottles.

  • Soma.  I’ve heard great things about this brand and they just are so stylish. 

  • Lifefactory.  I have used these religiously in the past - they make quality products & even glass baby bottles I used with my own babes.   

  • Ello.  Looking for something reasonably priced but still durable?  Check out Ello.  You can find them on Amazon too!  My Green Friend Lauren loves the wide mouth so her sponge can get inside!

 

Do you already carry around your Reusable beverage bottle?  Then, YAY!  I have an extra challenge for you.  Can you Go Bottle-LESS by carrying around a Reusable wine tumbler and/or beer cup too?  I dare you!  I mean, how awesome will you look busting out your wine tumbler at the next music festival or party?  Everyone will be checking you out and you will be on the forefront of the next eco-trend. 

A few of my favorite reusable wine tumblers and growlers include:

  • Corkcicle.  I am a huge fan of their insulated and covered cocktail cups.  They keep my glass of vino cold and sand-free for beach nights. They also make great Reusable water bottles in fun designs and colors.  

  • Ukonserve.  I love all of the colors AND the skid-free bottom 

  • Klean Kanteen.  You can fit A LOT of beer in these growlers

  • Brumate.  They have an awesome gift set with a reusable wine bottle and two tumblers 

 

So, are you in? Can you take My Pledge to Go Bottle-LESS this month?  Remember: Phone. Wallet. Keys. Reusable Bottle.  Simply decide to make it your next Everyday Eco-Habit to bring a Reusable Bottle - just like you bring your phone everywhere.  It’s literally that easy.  Then, just fill it with water before you leave the house. And hey, if you run out, go fill it up at the growing number of Hydration Stations.  Not only will adopting this Everyday Eco-Habit be healthier for the earth, but it’s probably healthier for you than the plastic bottled water anyway.  

 

Simple.  Easy.  Save the planet.  Done.

 

When you take My Pledge to Go Bottle-LESS, you will be entered into a raffle to win a reusable bottle or cup from Klean Kanteen, one of my favorite Green Friends!  In fact, I’m drinking from a Klean Kanteen bottle while I type this!  For more info and fun facts, sign up for my monthly newsletter which delivers Eco-Tips like these right to your inbox just once a month.  And just for fun, follow me on my social at: 

Bottle-LESS, EcoHabitAngela Wingardfirst post