Bottled water, convenient as it is, is the ultimate in inefficiency.
Some bottled water comes from fresh mountain springs. Some of it is merely
enhanced tap water. But all of it is heavy (8 pounds per gallon) and expensive to transport, especially since most of us have access to tap water both at home and work.
When it comes to imported water, you’re looking at some serious food miles. Yet Americans are buying more bottled water every day —
a whopping 8.25 billion gallons in 2006, ultimately creating mountains of waste.
Sure, water bottles are recyclable and reusable for a while, but part of being green is not creating so much waste in the first place. It’s why mayors in San Francisco, Salt Lake City and Minneapolis are
asking residents to drink the tap water that cities and taxpayers are already paying plenty to purify.
Fortunately, it’s easy to drink less bottled water.
Simply fill up a sturdy, reusable water bottle from Nalgene or GSI, typically made of polycarbonate, which won’t absorb tastes or odors. You can find them in a rainbow or colors to boot.
Plus: Tap water in Snohomish County is pretty tasty. Really.
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