Who knew something as simple as water could be such a point of contention and concern? Not only is there debate among bottled versus tap, but even the container that we drink from is a significant source of anxiety for me and my family. And we are not alone.

I won’t bore you with the staggering numbers of plastic containers that are filling our landfills or how much Americans spend on bottled water; I won’t rattle off the amount of energy used to produce some of the products associated with water consumption either — but just think about the materials, production, transportation, life cycle/waste, etc. And I promise not to get into all of the technical details of the BPAs and dangerous chemicals that can leach into water from bottles. (You can find all of these specific numbers through a simple Google search or from the FDA or other government websites.)

Under the impression that bottled water may somehow have been a safer alternative for quality drinking water, as well as convenience, social aspects and taste, many Americans have been paying a premium for water! But clearly, buying water in plastic bottles is not the most environmentally friendly choice. If you have safe clean drinking water available from your tap, its safety may still depend on the bottle you put it in.

If you choose to save money and help the environment by using tap water, invest in a smart bottle. In general, it’s not a good idea to reuse the single-use plastic water bottles for a variety of health reasons. From my research, it is best to use aluminum, stainless steel or glass. If you’re still set on the look, feel and convenience of plastic, go for a reusable polypropylene bottle made of #5 plastic (though it may be more difficult to recycle than some of it’s single-use cousins). The popular, yet scrutinized, Nalgene bottles even have safer alternatives in various plastics (www.nalgene-outdoor.com). The new biodegradable PLA plastic are making huge strides in the food and beverage industry today — so I bet we’ll have even more eco-friendly options in the future.

But for now, across the country, drinking water habits are changing. For example, The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh recently discontinued the sale and use of all bottled water in the entire conservatory. The Café Phipps only offers corn-based compostable cups and sells reusable bottles for filtered water in an effort to be more environmentally and energy conscious.

Companies are finding uses for plastic bottles (Beaulieu turns them into carpet backing — read in the July issue “On the Road: Negative Waste, Clean Energy, Green Carpet”. Americans are urging for better manufacturing and recycling practices. And there are additional alternatives on the market, such as making your own drinking water! I’m not ready for this, but you can use an Atmospheric Water Generator (www.waterpureinternational.com). Still, you have to decide what type of container to use!

While my second son Ethan was reusing my first-born Owen’s polycarbonate baby bottles (hard, clear plastic), a report was released that scared the heck out of me, forcing me to re-examine family’s drinking habits. I used these bottles with care; I wasn’t convinced that glass was a practical solution for us. But I’ve shared my new knowledge with other new moms.

I have to admit — my family does buy bottled water in bulk, for the taste and the convenience. The Ice Mountain Eco-Shape bottles of spring water that we purchase at Costco are 100 percent recyclable. The company reports that the latest bottle look is lighter and requires less energy to make, and it is made with 30 percent less plastic than the average half-liter bottle and it features a new label that's 30 percent smaller that its predecessor. My family recycles 100 percent of these plastic bottles via our curbside recycling program in Troy.

In the past, we often refilled them from the tap, but have since learned that is not so smart. However, these days, the number of bottles in our bin has decreased, because we are drinking more water straight from the tap. I have a few “safer” plastic cups and bottles, and have started to invest in some fancier beverage containers in a variety of safer materials. I think I’ll soon cough up the $20 on a fabulous aluminum bottle available at my local Whole Foods markets (www.sigg.ch). In the long run, I’ll be saving money, and investing in my health and the environment, by sporting this cool accessory.



Michelle

P.S. In addition to water bottles, I have to speak up for a moment about pop bottles. In my experience, it is rare to find a bottle in the trash in Michigan. That’s because we have a 10 cent deposit on most plastic bottles here. We pay the deposit up front and we can turn them in for the return deposit when we’re done. Why would anyone toss that in the trash? So, if we cannot transform the entire beverage industry today, and we cannot stop people from purchasing and consuming these products, and we don’t have the infrastructure or initiative to recycle all of these plastics, why not encourage this program of deposit in more states? Please post your comments and ideas.