Take a second to think about how many plastic bottles you may have used this week. How many do you think you’ve used this year? Now out of all of those bottles.. how many did you recycle?
The United States alone consumes over billions of bottles each year. This video is from 2005 — where the US had consumed an estimated 30 billion water bottles.. and only 12 percent of them were recycled. The numbers have only gotten increasingly worse despite many recycling campaigns nation wide.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZbTXDkrD1o&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]
So make sure if you are going to drink from a plastic bottle to go one extra step when you’re done with the bottle and recycle it! Or you could always consider reusable bottles and save both your own time and money — not to mention planet earth! 🙂
Using re-usable plastic bottles or metal bottles for those who want to stay away from plastic all together is the better solution all around. For a usually cheap one time payment, you can find a bottle that you can take with you on the go and refill for free any where. With a range in sizes, colors and options there is a perfect bottle for everyone, even the humanitarians who would like recycled bottles or bottles that give back to charities. Some options are insulated, keeping your water cold and fresh, some even come with a built in filter.
Here are our Top Suggestions:
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Intak by Thermos Beverage Bottle, 24-ounce ($11)
If you are an athlete or just looking for an easy bottle to open on the go then this is the bottle for you!
“A plastic lid covers the top and pops open with the press of a button, making it easy to use with one hand. A rotating intake meter even helps you count how many times you’ve refilled your bottle each day.”
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Product Architects Inc. Polar Bottle, 20-ounce ($11) or 24-ounce ($12)
Although these aren’t the most fashion forward bottles, their lightweight, spill-proof capabilities definitely makes up for it.
“They’re easy to grab, thanks to contoured grips and a plastic loop around the bottle top makes them easy to carry.”
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FuelBelt 22-ounce Bottle ($4)
Are you looking for something you can easily store anywhere? If these bottles small size doesn’t sell you then their price surly will.
These small bottles, sold in sets of two or four, are made from polyethylene, a plastic that is manufactured without BPA.
You can buy the bottles and a belt that they can connect to. The belts, sold separately ($32 to $45), hold from two to six bottles — enough to keep you hydrated during the lengthiest walk.
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Britta Bottle – 10 dollars
How about filtered drinking water to go?
“Now you can get great-tasting water on the go, without the cost and waste of bottled water. Just reach for the reusable, BPA-free Brita® Bottle, available in blue and green. It filters ordinary tap water as you drink and reduces chlorine taste and odor1 to make tap water taste clean and refreshing.”
This 20 oz. reusable bottle contains a filter that not only provides you with safe drinking water on the go, but also can replace the use of over 150 plastic bottles. The bottle itself is also recyclable .
Humanitarian Water Bottles
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The Mosaic Project
“The Mosaic Project embodies the most important work to be done today. Too often we burden our youth with the responsibility of fixing our mistakes. The Mosaic Project empowers children to create peace now, build communities across differences, and break down stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination.”
http://brettdennen.net/mosaic-project/
“The Mosaic Project® works towards a peaceful future by reaching children in their formative years. Our principal program is a unique outdoor school in which we unite 4th and 5th graders of diverse backgrounds, provide them with essential skills to thrive in an increasingly diverse society, and empower them to strive for peace. We create a microcosm of the diverse, inclusive, just world we want to see and show our young students that peace is possible. Unlike any other organization of which we are aware, The Mosaic Project profoundly reaches children in elementary school before prejudice becomes entrenched. Over the last 10 years, we have served over 5,600 4th and 5th graders in our Outdoor School. In addition we have served over 900 high-school and college students through our Youth Leadership Project, over 11,000 students through our In-School Project and over 1,000 adults through our professional development trainings. Our participants have been profoundly affected by our programs.”
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Klean Kanteen
Looking to support an array of causes?
Try Klean Kanteen and support some of their official partners: The Breast Cancer Fund, Green Mountain Energy Company, Healthy Child Healthy World and NatureBridge.
http://www.kleankanteen.com/friends/friends.php
“Every social change, every movement, every step toward a better tomorrow takes shape when people come together and work toward a common goal. Together we are able to accomplish far more than we ever could on our own.”
Klean Kanteen® is also a member of Green America and 1% For The Planet, donating a minimum of 1% of our gross annual sales to the environmental conservation and education efforts of nonprofit organizations including our official partners and other organizations such the Environmental Working Group, Natural Resources Defense Council and Surfrider Foundation.
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Charity Water — The Thermos Hydration Bottle.
How about supporting a company who will provide clean and safe drinking water for people in developing countries for every water bottle you chose?
“Our friends at Thermos created and donated this educational Thermos Hydration Bottle. Each bottle provides clean, safe drinking water for two people and has facts about the water issue.”
Thermax® double wall vacuum insulation keeps contents cold for up to 12 hours. The BPA-free unbreakable stainless steel interior and exterior. The push button lid with pop-up straw also makes this bottle very easy to use!
