Why you should bring your own reusable bottle

With plastic bag bans in affect there is a new biggest threat to our oceans. You guessed it. Plastic water bottles!

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In the US, we consume 50 billion water bottles per year averaging about 13 bottles per month for every person in the U.S. Although they are recyclable, the truth is a majority of them don’t get recycled (it’s estimated only 23%!). It is reported that at least 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year with a huge culprit being the bottled water industry.

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The production of plastic water bottles involves mass amounts of fossil fuels, drains water sources (making a bottle takes 3X the water it will hold), and in many cases plastic water bottles are just expensive tap water.

Bringing your own bottle ensures you will not need to purchase plastic while you are out and about. One person switching to a reusable bottle can save the planet 156 bottles annually! It cuts down the demand for this product and tells governments that a ban of this type of single use plastic should be next on the list.

Public buildings, airports, and even cities are slowly putting in free purified water taps so you can easily refill your bottle. Join this movement and start bringing yours every time you leave the house!

And while we are talking about bringing your own drinking container—don’t forget to add your coffee cup to the list! We tend to think of a coffee cup as recyclable because it is made from paper, but coffee cups are lined with polyethylene to function as a moisture barrier. This must be separated from the cup before it can be recycled. This process is complicated and expensive so cups are routed to landfills. Coffee lids are typically made from a No.6 plastic, a petroleum based plastic, which is difficult to recycle. Purchasing a metal, ceramic or glass coffee to-go mug will keep your drink warm and your waste low.

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Some tips for reusable drinks:

-Keep a reusable water bottle close to your bag.

-Keep an extra reusable water bottle in your car.

-Call ahead to your favorite coffee shop and ask if they accept reusable cups. They may even have a discount.

-Know how much your coffee cup holds so the barista can accurately make and charge you for your drink of choice.

Making a sustainable swaps in our daily life can seem daunting, but starting out with something as small as not buying single use plastic bottles can add up to make a big difference! Challenge yourself this Earth Month to make the switch!

No one is perfect, but this is a sip in the right direction.