All about Bottled Water

There's not much good to be said about plastic bottles of water. Truth be told, when you buy bottled water, you're buying plastic packaging and convenience, not necessarily healthier water that's safer to drink than tap water. In fact:

* 25-40% of bottled water actually comes from municipal drinking water sources.
* Only about 12% of plastic water bottles are being recycled, which means 40 million bottles a day are going to the trash or ending up as litter.

* Bottles made from #7 polycarbonate plastic (like Nalgene bottles) may leach Bisphenol-A into your drink. Among other health ailments, this chemical has been linked to diabetes, infertility, and hormone disruption.

For Your Shopping List

*Your own refillable aluminum bottle
*Your own refillable stainless steel bottle
*A refillable Thermos-type bottle

The Water Geeks sells a safe, reusable plastic bottle that comes with a filter good for 3 months or approximately 200 uses.

Want more information on the environmental impacts of plastic water bottles, or ideas for home water filtration systems?
Visit the Bottled Water page of our sister site, TheWorldWomenWant.com.

Worried About Pharmaceuticals in Water? The solution is not bottled water!

Since much bottled water is filled with tap water, you won't avoid pharmaceuticals in water by buying water in the store. If you're concerned, install a filter on your tap that uses reverse osmosis or activated carbon to remove contaminants.

Don't flush old pharmaceuticals down the toilet or the drain. Mix them with old coffee grounds or kitty litter, seal them in a bag or other nondescript container, and toss them out with the trash.

Meanwhile, encourage your community to offer a "take back" program for outdated or unused pharmaceuticals, like one organized by the Superior Watershed Partnership in northern Michigan.

 Learn more about eco-friendly living at www.biggreenpurse.com or

pick up a copy of the new book Big Green Purse

Click here to order from Amazon

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