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July 19, 2007
Refill 'er up!
Ditch the eco-unfriendly bottled water,
and tap into a cool reusable container. Here are a few we found.
By Alyson Ward
Star-Telegram/Ralph Lauer
Disposable plastic water bottles: very 2006.
In case you've missed all the chatter, single-use water bottles are falling from fashionable to frowned-upon. The drink-and-toss containers are getting slammed -- and banned -- by environmentalists and people who worry about oil dependence and global warming.
It's not just the plastic, which, yes, can be recycled (although according to the Container Recycling Institute, eight out of 10 bottles aren't). It's the fossil fuels that are used to make and transport those plastic bottles. Every year, making water bottles for the United States requires more than 1.5 million barrels [Correction: 15 million barrels] of oil, according to the Earth Policy Institute -- which is enough to fuel 100,000 cars.
So what's happening? Last month, the mayor of San Francisco banned disposable water bottles in municipal offices. And now a campaign called "Refill Not Landfill" is urging us all to sign a pledge that we'll go without water bottles for a week, a month or a year. (Admittedly, it was launched by Nalgene, a company that makes reusable polycarbonate bottles -- but proceeds from campaign bottle sales go to renewable-energy projects.)
If the anti-bottle bandwagon succeeds, it may not be long before the ubiquitous bottle of Evian or Dasani will be a relic. Taking its place? The reusable bottle, which we'll fill and refill with tap water.
Here are three reusable water bottles you can find now. All three are recyclable and designed to be safe for continued use. And they all come in multiple styles and colors, so shop around.
Polar Bottle, about $10
Available: The Container Store, Sports Authority, sports specialty stores
Features: Dishwasher-safe, and it's insulated to keep water cold
Nalgene polycarbonate bottle, about $10
Available: Sports Authority, The Container Store, sports specialty shops, www.nalgene-outdoor.com
Features: Dishwasher-safe, and made with a polymer that keeps your water from tasting and smelling like plastic
Sigg bottle, $15 to $25
Available:www.mysigg .com and sports specialty stores. At Backwoods, 3212 Camp Bowie Blvd. in Fort Worth, you can order one -- or you can join the store's Passport membership rewards program and get one free.
Features: Made of stainless steel, with a lining that resists bacteria growth
http://www.star-telegram.com/408/story/173737.html
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