Bottled water is pretty much the definition of horrible.

Ditching your plastic in exchange for a reusable water bottle is the easiest way that you can make a difference in the climate movement.

The average american spends over $200 a year on bottled water, which seems mildly ridiculous from a financial perspective, especially considering in many areas tap water is free. But the cost of water bottles (like many other common items) is heavily subsidized. As consumers we don’t always immediately see the added cost. Putting aside for a moment the energy intensive process of recycling (which is still the minority of end-use for a plastic bottle — over 75% end up in landfills), plastic bottle creation accounts for over 17 million barrels of oil annually (not including transportation — this is just production). That is a lot of unnecessary carbon getting released in to the atmosphere.

And if saving money and the planet aren’t enough reasons for you, tack on the added visibility of this habit. Others will see you carrying and refilling your bottle, and they may even ask why you bother. That there is my favorite conversation starter. Feel free to carry around a tiny soap box for such occasions. Armed with some of these facts and your super cool water bottle, you’ll surely be convincing others to follow suit.

Moral of the story: get yourself a reusable water bottle. Then cover it with stickers and feel affirmed in your life choices.

Written by miriam

Striving to be "The Infinite Probability Drive within the Heart of Gold," Miriam's interests include accidentally purchasing everything in purple, going deep on the frisbee field, local food, and taking the stairs. She studied film at Middlebury College even though she won't admit it (her degree was in Environmental Studies).

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