How to Reduce Water Bottles to Save the World

If you ever counted how many empty plastic water bottles and jugs you discarded in a week and you found that number a bit dismaying, stop right now!

It is time for all of us to talk the talk about how to put a stop to the (ab)use of plastic water bottles.

Why Reduce Plastic Water Bottles – Is this Even a Question?

Let’s look at some facts, shall we?

• In the U.S., we purchase 50 billion disposable water bottles every year,
• Around the world, we are talking about one million per minute.
• This adds up to about 33 pounds of plastic waste per person just in disposable water bottles every year.

We clearly have quite an addiction to those pesky plastic bottles!

• Even worse for our planet, only 23% of them end up being recycled.

It’s time we finally kicked that habit though and cut our plastic bottle use down to zero!

Today, we will briefly discuss how to reduce water bottles and how to never buy plastic water bottles again!

Drinking Tap Water: Friend or Foe?

The truth is a large proportion of the plastic water bottles that people purchase are for consumption at home. If you compare purchasing disposable bottles to drinking tap water though, the benefits of tap water are huge.

• The average gallon of bottled water costs just $1.21.
• But it only costs $2 for two thousand gallons of tap water.
• That means you spend 600 times more money to drink bottled water than you would spend drinking tap water.
• Your tap water also doesn’t come with any plastic packaging.

Ah, But Tap Water Contains Impurities and Other Contaminants…

Yes, we have discussed tap water contamination many times before. Either it’s about heavy metals, chlorine, TDS, and so on, tap water impurities give us all a hard time.

When it comes to drinking tap water, we seem to stop in front of our kitchen sinks and wonder what exactly are we going to ingest.

We covered the filtration of tap water contaminants topic before. However, we strongly believe it is important to remind ourselves that sometimes, tap water contains pollutants we do not want to drink. According to the Water Quality Association, there are four main categories of contaminants in our water:

• Physical
• Chemical
• Biological
• Radiological

Those who just finished watching the internationally acclaimed TV series Chernobyl are probably getting chills down their spine at the very sight of the word “radiological.”

Well, tap water does not cause radiations, but just as the WQA says, it does present contaminants to some extent.

So What Do We Do About Them?

The answers and solutions are right at our fingertips:

• First, we test the water using the best water testing kits we can find on the market.
• Next, we invest in a whole house water filter to make sure we drink, cook with, and bathe in clean, safe water.

Of course, there are plenty types of water filters you can get to make sure you always enjoy safe, pure water, according to your needs.

The “Reduce Water Bottles” Movement

Lately, we witness a massive movement meant to reduce water bottles across the United States (and the world for that matter).

For instance, the Food & Water Watch organization works closely with students at campuses in colleges and universities all over the U.S. to promote tap water instead of plastic water bottles.

The “Take Back the Tap” movement across American campuses spreads like wildfire and gains supporters from other nations as well.

Nevertheless, we still have to find clarifications to our dilemma: how do we reduce water bottles and still enjoy clean, safe water to drink, cook with, and use every day?

The answer clearly does not lie with plastic water bottles, but with other solutions.

How to Reduce Water Bottles to Save the World (Your Health, and Your Budget)

Let’s face it, plastic pollution is a severe problem and we do not move fast enough to solve it.

There is a silver lining, nevertheless, and that is the increased awareness of people towards water conservation.

Many choose and zero-plastic and a water-conserving lifestyle for their own benefit and the greater good of humankind.

If you want to reduce water bottles at home and find ways to never buy plastic water bottles again, let’s discuss some easy means to do it at home!

1. Water Filters

When we discussed how water filters work, we presented you with plenty of options in the water filtration department.

• For those of you buying bottled water because your tap water has a funky taste, look into purchasing a faucet water filter for your kitchen sink.

The Hard Water Conundrum

Keep in mind that hard water – and not contaminated water per se – is a more prevalent problem in our homes.

The solution for hard water consists of the installation of water softeners for the kitchen in case you want to remove those funky odors and aftertastes from your drinking water.

If hard water gives you troubles when you take a bath or a shower you can always look for the best shower filter for hard water on the market! Do it also when you want to groom safely the children and even the pets.

Many shower filters come with up to 15 stages of filtration, added vitamins, and an overall health safety you simply cannot ignore.

Tap Water with Added Benefits

For cooking, washing produce, drinking, etc., we also recommend under sink water filters or, even better, reverse osmosis water filters. The latter add healthy minerals into your drinking water for a boost of health.

In fact, reverse osmosis water is so clean and safe, it ends up containing… well, nothing.

For this reason, professional RO systems for the home circulate the water through additional processes so it can gain the proper and healthy levels of alkalization and mineralization.

In other words, mineral water on tap whenever you want. How can anyone say no to that?

What about Highly-Contaminated Well Water?

Private wells may also need to have water filtration systems placed directly inside the pumps in order to get pure, clean water.

In this case, whole house water filters may be the answer to your contaminated water problem.

They are capable of purifying the water in your house from point of entry until the moment you quench your thirst.

Coolers and their Filters

Charcoal filters are amazing plastic-free filters as well! Simply place them in a water cooler with your water and dispense it straight from there! Of course, you can directly buy water coolers with incorporated filters for the best experience!

It is important to recognize that in some communities (think Flint, Michigan) the water may literally not be safe to drink from the tap.

• In the short term, individuals will probably have to buy bottled water in order to stay healthy and avoid toxic chemicals.
• In cases like this, try to avoid the tiny disposable water bottles and simply purchase a 5-gallon water jug for your water cooler.
• Most water cooler jugs are also returnable, made of highly durable plastic, and therefore will not end up in your trash bin.

A Few Words On Water Distillation

Since we mentioned the Flint crisis, we have to discuss the importance of only drinking clean water. As we said, it is reasonable to consider that sometimes, tap water is too unsafe to drink.

If you tested the water and considered it does not meet your health expectations, water distillation may be the solution for you!

See? You can still reduce water bottles, continue to be a water saving superhero, and tend to your health while saving the world!

Distilled water is different from purified water and you should learn the distinction between them. You may need to drink distilled water for some health reasons or because your tap water doesn’t convince you with its safety.

People who need to drink distilled water for health reasons should know that now they have the opportunity to do so. Besides reducing plastic water bottles, having your own water distiller at home can save you a lot of trouble.

Safe and Stylish: Filtered Water Pitchers

Water pitchers are also a great, cheap, and portable solution to reduce water bottles in your life. Put a filter water pitcher on the countertop or your office desk and enjoy fresh, clean tap water whenever you desire!

Here are some things to remember when you want to buy the best water filter pitcher or dispenser:

• Almost all of them have tremendous environmental value – some filtered water pitchers can save you tens if not hundreds of plastic water bottles during the life cycle of one filter.
• Many of them come with NSF standards 42 and 53 and ANSI certifications, using 100% FDA-approved food-grade materials and being 100% recyclable and 100% vegan.
• Many filtered water pitchers manufacturers collaborate with charities around the world dedicated to providing clean and safe water to vulnerable communities or run their own branded charities to safeguard human water rights in endangered areas.
• Some water filter pitchers use multi-stage filtration to balance your water’s pH and clean it of impurities.
• Most of them look amazing and make excellent portable kitchen accessories, no matter where you go.
• The price is more than affordable, even in the “expensive” department.
• Make sure you find replacement filters for the brands you want to try.
• Make sure you know when and how to change the filters, although many pro water filter pitchers come with notification systems.
• The filtration time/cup of water is very important, so you should factor in this feature in your purchase decision as well.

What Type of Water Filter do You Need?

If you do not know what water filter system to choose for your particular needs – at home, at the office, or for your business – take a look again at the table below to understand better how water filters work and how you can reduce plastic water bottles with no effort!

Nobody can blame you for wanting to drink water that actually tastes good. However, instead of buying disposable plastic water bottles, use that money to invest in a filtration system. It’s that simple!

2. Reusable Water Bottles

To avoid purchasing a disposable water bottle or suffering from the consequences of not drinking enough water daily, make sure to always pack your reusable water bottle with you! Dubbed “green water bottles”, reusable ones changed the game for many people aware of the plastic water bottles’ environmental impact.

The Eco-Friendliness of the Reusable Filtered Water Bottle

Back in the day, most reusable plastic bottles came in BPA-free plastic, but now you can find them in even eco-friendly materials and designs. Some water bottles act as insulators, keeping your beverages cold in summer and hot in winter. Nevertheless,  it was the filtered water bottle that rose the bar very high in the portable water filtration department.

We have talked about water bottles before, presenting you with our ultimate selection of filtered water bottles to keep your tap water / natural outdoor water clean and safe.

• It is easy to reduce water bottles when you have an insulated water bottle or a filtered one at hand at all times! It is a breeze to give them up altogether!
• Keep a filtered water bottle in your car, one on your desk at work, and one in your backpack!
• If you plan to travel, make sure to take an empty one with you on the plane to refill after going through security.
• Have one within reach, if you love to take the unbeaten path and drink water from rivers or streams as well.

It might take you a little while to remember to bring your bottle consistently, but the benefits of reusable water bottles are endless!

Reusable water bottles also come in durable plastic, glass, bamboo, and metal versions. You can buy them online, take some extra filters for good measure, and never buy plastic bottles again!

3. Apps for Finding Water

If you live in the U.S. or Canada (or are just stopping for a visit) make sure to download the Tap app on your phone.

The app automatically finds your location and lets you know where the nearest place is to fill up your water bottle. Own a restaurant? Register your business as a refill station too! For those of you in the U.K., there is also a similar app called Refill.

As you probably know, we have apps for pretty much everything. So if you have an app telling you to drink more water every day – as you should – why not installing one showing you where to find clean, safe water when traveling?

Do Your Best to Reduce Water Bottles! Life in Plastic is Nowhere Close to Fantastic!

You may still end up in a situation where you really need water and a disposable plastic water bottle is all you have. That happens. It will still happen for a while.

However, if the rest of the time you are drinking tap water – filtered through one or more of the many water filtration systems available for residential use – and carrying a reusable water bottle around, the planet will thank you.

You know who will also thank you? All the people in the world who fight for their human water rights!

Also, if you buy certain makes and models of portable water filters for instance, you can help international organizations and companies to mitigate water crises in vulnerable countries.

Moreover, your budget will also thank you, your children, pets, and humankind as well! We cannot dismiss the dangers of plastic water bottles anymore. All we can do now is to become the change we want to see in the world!

Making Changes Reducing One Water Bottle at a Time