Do you drink bottled water? Do you carry water in a reusable bottle?

[Critters2]

This came up at our mission board meeting last night. Our congregation is working toward declaring itself a "green congregation". We're looking at all the things we need to change to qualify. For some time, we've kept a case or two of bottled water in the fridge, for choir members, worship leaders, wedding parties, me, anyone who might need it. We've decided to stop doing this--to just ask people to use glasses and tap water.

That led to a discussion of what kinds of bottles are safe for carrying water around. After the meeting, I went online and found some info. According to what I could find, the very safest containers are stainless steel bottles or mugs.

Some at the meeting were advocating Nalgene bottles,


but according to what I could find, these leach out some chemicals that are estrogen analogues. With my health history, that's a bad idea.

Other sites said that the safest plastics are those labeled with the recycling number "5". It turns out I have some Rubbermaid bottles that fit this description. So I'll be carrying one of these around:

It's interesting to me how we've gotten used to carrying bottled water, thinking it's safer to drink, only to learn that it may not be much better than tap water, and that the bottles we keep it in may be unhealthy. But, I'm so in the habit of carrying a bottle of water, that I'm not likely to stop. So, just lookin' for the best way.

And wondering...do you drink bottled water? Do you carry tap water around? What do you use for a container? Did you know these are "green" issues?

Critters
just postin' conversation starters

[flvegan]

1. Flasks were made for whiskey.

Hee hee. I've started a whole new conversation.

[Critters2]

3. Someone suggested hip flasks. Said he had one he bought at a

camping supply store, that it's made of stainless steel. But he doesn't use it much, because people associate it with booze. We assured him that he could bring it to worship. If he brought enough for everyone!

[Xipe Totec]

2. I drink tap water from recycled bottled water containers

when I go hiking.

Otherwise, straight from the tap, or the water fountain, or the garden hose.

[CatholicEdHead]

6. That is also what I do

Is reuse the bottles a few times and then recycle them.

[doc03]

40. Same here, there ain't no way I will pay

over a $1 for a bottle of water.

[Iggo]

4. I drink bottled water...

...and donate the used bottles to the local dumpster divers.

[grannylib]

5. I drink filtered water, either from home or at work, and at work I use

a sports bottle, the size that fits a bike-carrier. We ordered them at work to encourage hydration, they're just pull-out-cap 32-oz #5 plastic bottles with our safety slogan on them :-)
"Accident-free is the Way to BE!" *lol*

[Mugu]

7. Well water filtered by an ion-exchange unit and activated charcoal

in a recycled Pepsi bottle.

Regards, Mugu

[huskerlaw]

8. I believe you are correct

I've heard about the Nalgene bottles leaking some sort of chemicals, but I don't recall where I heard it.

Unfortunately, I think the stainless steel bottles make the water taste like metal, but that's just me. I've never heard of anyone else with the same complaint.

[Gormy Cuss]

9. It's not Nalgene bottles, it's the polycarbonate ones.

The other type of plastic used by Nalgene, HDPE has not been implicated AFAIK. I've used the HDPE bottles (cloudy, not clear) for years. The reason the polycarbonate ones became popular is that they don't absorb odors and can be used for liquids other than water.

[Wcross]

10. I have never bought "retail water".

I always drink what comes out of the tap. At home it is well water & at work its from the fountain. If I go hiking I carry a canteen. How somebody convinced people they should pay more for water than they do for gasoline is beyond me.

[drmeow]

21. I'd guess you've never tasted Santa Barbara tap water

even filtered with lemon it was undrinkable when I lived there.

I miss NY water - that was some fine tasting water.

Phoenix is pretty bad.

[Wcross]

23. You would KILL for my well water.

I am on the same aquifer as the Jack Daniels distillery. It is the best tasting water I have ever enjoyed in my life. Unfiltered it only has 56 parts per million solids. It sits 200 feet below & I love it!

[drmeow]

34. Tempe's is 10 times that! 560 ppm (that's the average)

Highest has been 660!

When I lived in Tucson I could drink the tap water if I filtered it with a Brita filter. Not here. I thought about getting a filter when I remodeled my kitchen but reverse osmosis wastes too much water and DH didn't want a filter anyway. So we still get 5 gallon bottles and carry reusable or recycled bottles everywhere (and in the summer here you REALLY need it).

I am definitely jealous of your water.

[harmonicon]

11. good for you

I'm not a church-goer, but I like the idea of a "green congregation". My mom teaches sunday school at her church, and I think this is an idea she could really get involved with, and get the kids involved with.

I do sometimes drink bottled water, and then I just buy the bottle and recycled it. Not very often.... once a week at most. Usually I just count on there being a drinking fountain, or a faucet - hands make a good little cup for a quick drink. I do carry a metal thermos for coffee that I carry around with me.

[supernova]

12. Just don't use PETE bottles

or the "1" recycle category.

PETE is not a stable compound; it's designed for temporary use. It will break down and leech into your water over time.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

46. It will do it if you leave it in a hot car, too...

...leave it in your cup holder and be out and around for several hours and you end up drinking more than spring water.

[LynzM]

13. Good for you guys :)

Our household has three Nalgenes and a Sigg bottle that we use when we want to take liquids on the road :)

[momophile]

14. SIGG - metal, trendy, light and Swiss!

what else would you ever want?! (they do cost money, though - maybe $20)

http://www.mysigg.com/

oh, and you can find them on amazon.com!

[crispini]

18. I love my SIGG!

I feel very eco-trendy carrying it around. :D

[Lorien]

47. That's what I use-plus plain old glass containers with Pur filtered water

in the fridge. No added chemicals in my water, thanks!

[Bennyboy]

15. My Pet Peeve is the water bottle...

We all managed to live for thousands of years without bottled water so why do we need it now?

I have a Biota bottle, that I got at a festival a couple of years ago and reuse it all the time. Biota bottles are water bottles but made from corn.

When I have a group thing or a festival going I have a nice thermos that I use so I can put ice in it and a use a glass.

[LeftyMom]

16. Nalgene makes equipment for animal torture.

http://supervegan.com/blog/entry.php?id=455

I use these: http://www.pristineplanet.com/details.asp?id=11644

[Critters2]

27. Thanks for this info!

Is every damn body torturing animals?!!! Geez! That takes Nalgene off my "must have" list.

[DarkTirade]

17. I'll buy a bottle of water every now and then.

And then refill and reuse it until it's no longer viable for holding water any longer. :)

[iris5426]

19. I carry a bottle...

Stainless steel - Kleen Kanteen is the brand.

I've heard bad things about nalgene leaching too...

The stats I've read about environmental impact of bottled water are appalling, so good for you and your congregation :applause:

[TimeChaser]

20. They gave out free "Think outside the bottle" stainless steel bottles,

last year on campus. I still use mine. I'll admit I occasionally get bottled water, but no where near as much as some people do. And I always reuse the bottles a few times before recycling them.

[pokerfan]

22. I'm old school

And to complete the ensemble:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

24. i reuse any bottled water i have bought at least a 100 times

occasionally i will forget to carry water and will have to buy water so i reuse those bottles

[azmouse]

25. I can't stand the taste of bottled water.

It tastes bitter to me. Also I don't feel the need to be constantly drinking something.
There is always some place to stop for a drink of water or iced tea if hydration is needed so I don't carry water with me.
The city I live in gets awards for the quality of its water. I just drink filtered tap water to get some of the chlorine out of it.

[Sequoia]

26. I just hope people in San Francisco drink tap water

Since it's the best in the land coming from Hetch Hetchy.

[texas1928]

28. Eh, I drink bottled water and I save the bottles...

Til I am out on the road, in my HUMMER, then pitch'em out the window.

I prefer to do that in Nature preserves, animals can use them for shelter.


HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA












































:hide:

I am so dead for this post.

[Critters2]

29. A true progressive!!

[TheCentepedeShoes]

30. I drink filtered water at work

and use a container like your light blue one. Tap water at home.

[KamaAina]

31. Our office has a water cooler with 5-gallon jugs

greener than individual bottles, I suspect, but probably doesn't stack up well to tap, which you'd think would be quite good here, what with artesian wells and volcanic rock and all.

[MANative]

32. The Rubbermaid one in your post is exactly the one

both hubby and I use daily. We used to buy cases of bottled water, then stopped a couple of years ago when we learned about the environmental impact. We have well water, which is very tasty, but a little heavy in minerals, so we use a whole-house filtration system and refill our Rubbermaid bottles with pre-chilled water. Yum!

[Critters2]

35. I actually love the taste of well water. I know it's an emotional thing.

My grandparents had well water on their farm, and some of my happiest memories are of the farm. Rusty tasting well-water takes me right back there!

[MANative]

43. That was very much like my first experience with well water.

My grandparents had a 30 acre farm where they grew potatoes and corn for sale to local markets. They had the BEST tasting well water. One of my cousins used to drive from about 60 miles away every weekend to fill up a couple of 5-gallon jugs to take home with him. We used to spend our summers there every year until I left for college. It was sold a few years ago after they passed. Still miss hanging out under the willow tree with a book or five.

[tpsbmam]

33. We have a water cooler.....

We've had some bacteria problem with our well (built in farm land). It's a shared well and a couple of people drink the well water and they haven't keeled over yet, but I stick to the cooler. I use one of the Rubbermaid containers for water to carry with me.

[appal_jack]

36. bisphenol A = bad Nalgene stuff

Hi Critters,

The ingredient used in Nalgene polycarbonate bottles (and all other polycarbonates) that mimics estrogens is bisphenol-A. It is bad shit.

I was stubborn about using my Nalgene bottles anyway for a long time, but have finally switched to 2 Klean Kanteen stainless bottles (40 oz. each, and I try to drink them both in a day). They are great, though one got rather dented when I threw a large rock on it accidentally (still holds water though). I also shattered the plastic part of one of the caps when I dropped it onto freezing concrete. But the stainless threaded part of the cap was fine, and I got the cap into usable condition again by using a # 20 cork and some duct tape. So, even if you are as rough on equipment as I am, I think that you will like these stainless bottles.

I fill my water bottles from my tap, which draws from a shared well. I have a Pur-brand 3-stage water filter on my kitchen tap for peace of mind...

-app

[u4ic]

37. I reuse a Minute Maid glass bottle

I don't like the taste of plastic water, and feel that glass is my best and cheapest option for now.

I do buy filtered (reverse osmosis) water from the grocery store. I bought two 12 litre jugs a while back and fill them as needed from their machine. I'm not particular on our tap water here.

[defendandprotect]

38. I gave up bottled water, but this week our water is FOUL . . .

even though I run it thru a Brita ---

I think from all the rain we had like 10 days ago --- and recently we had still more ---

Now we're at the CHLORINE stage --- so its FOUL and CHLORINED . . .

I keep a few bottles of water in the car --

Btw, Whole Foods moved to recycled paper bags --- and some other kind of reusable bags they are
selling --- and big response --- very green response!

[defendandprotect]

39. What ever happened to ourdoor drinking fountains --- ???

the last time I took a drink from a fountain was at Whole Foods about 5 years ago ---
it was disgusting and I got sick --- !!!

[FloridaJudy]

41. I filter my tap water

And carry it with me in old glass Perrier bottles, or similarly resealable glass. I've bought refillable plastic bottles in the past, but they somehow make the water taste weird. I occasionally splurge on that fizzy French stuff, though it's pricey for everyday use. Then I fill the empties with my tap's finest, or iced green tea.

[celtdem]

42. I use a different kind of Rubbermaid bottle.

The one you have pictured is made in China--yeah, I've checked. Nalgene bottles are also made in China ("responsibly made in China", the company claims--but there's really no such thing). So here's what I use (since we're posting pics)


I like this because it's made in the USA, made of non-leaching plastic (pp-the no. 5 you mentioned), and, of course, reusable. The only downside is that it isn't shaped well for carrying around. It's not actually intended as a water bottle. I think it's made for mixing dressings or something. It's official name is "Mixer Mate". But it works fine.

Just last weekend, I bought a Rubbermaid juice box. This may become my new regular water bottle. It, too, is made of safe plastic and made in the USA. But the size is better for carrying around. It's made for kids. Needs to be filled more often, but I just drink tap water so that's not a problem--I can fill it anywhere. I'm afraid I might lose the straw that comes with it (I know me!). Oh, and here's a pic of the juice box:


Both of these work well and are widely available.

Good for your church for caring about the environment!

[Critters2]

44. I don't think Nalgenes are made in China. Their website says they're made in the US.

But there are other reasons to avoid them.

[deathdog]

45. True confession time.

I carry water around in a Playtex sippy cup. Well, not a sippy cup exactly. A children's cup with a straw. I'll hunt around to see if I can illustrate...Yeah, here:


Why would an adult carry around a toddler's cup, you ask? Well, it meets several of the stipulations others have mentioned above.

1) Made in the US

2) safe plastic--polypropolene.

3) Non-spilling, so I just toss it into my bag and carry it around without worrying.

And, for some reason, I like drinking out of a straw. Probably something Freudian, but there you are.

It's a sturdy cup, too. And insulated. I have three of them, and nearly always have one with me. And I can get replacements for the straw or lid if necessary.

I've used other water bottles, but I really like these. And you can get 'em anywhere. I got mine at Walgreen's.