Stop drinking from plastic bottles.
This is a big ask, because it is a big ask. In fact, you will find that some of these Imperfect Green Guide—let’s call them Earth-friendly suggestions—will be BIG. Others we will be small. Some expensive and some downright cost-effective. But that’s the point. You get to choose what is doable in your life.
When tossed in the trash, those plastic water, soda, tea, and sport drink bottles end up bobbing around in oceans and piling high on landfills. And the news you may not want to hear—even those bottles we do recycle (about 9% are recycled) further our ecological crisis. Lest we forget the microplastics that are swimming around in our bodies, in part due to plastic bottle consumption. There is simply no good argument for beverages in plastic bottles. For every one minute in the US, one million bottles are purchased, and these bottles, made with hormone disrupting organic synthetic compound BPA (Bisphenol A) and PET (polyethylene terephthalate, derived from petroleum and natural gas), do not disappear. Three hundred years from now that bottle you drank last week is still somewhere on earth, still leaching chemicals into rivers and streams and bloodstreams.
When it comes to plastic bottles, over fifteen years ago, Janna chose a SIGG bottle that that reads “Friends don’t let friends drink from plastic” to commemorate her commitment. She still has the bottle, along with a small collection of others. Her family makes an effort to not drink from plastic bottles, even when there is an opportunity to drink something more enticing, something sparkling. Kids and adults have learned to take a long pause before twisting the cap on plastic drinks. It’s not a “never,” but it sure is a “not very often.”
3 Ways to Invest When You Say No to Plastic Bottles
For hydration on the go, get a Welly Bottle. This company offers functional, minimalist stainless steel (some with bamboo) drinking bottles—and its profits bring clean drinking water to nearly 800 million people in need. Janna and Sydney feel particular love for Welly Bottle, their old yoga studio sold these bottles.
Life will change when you get a water filter. Whether it’s your first fillable fridge filter (the lowest cost) or a whole house filter (the highest cost), you will have fresh water at the ready for a glass at home or to fill your bottle for on the go. Think about what might work for your family. A whole house means everyone gets a filtered shower and the hose water is safe to slurp. An under the sink (or built into the fridge) option is the middle of line where there is no muss or fuss about filling filters. Berkey Filters makes a countertop version that is pleasing to the eye and contains very minimal plastic.
About those enticing sparkling beverages. Invest in a Soda Stream to open your world of fizzy, sparkling, special drinks.
