Are you still buying water in plastic bottles?

There are so many reasons not to so I hope this compels you to make the change. For a deeper dive as to the reasons check this out… http://www.ecology.com/2015/10/21/6-reasons-stop-buying-bottled-water/

Water is necessary for all life which is why we all need to be mindful of it -how much we use, how it’s used, what we are putting down the pipes, where the pipes go and what container we have it in, etc. It is okay to drink the water from our faucets here but I personally don’t like the taste. Maybe I’m paranoid but I’m not sure I trust it for drinking and that is why I opt for some alternative. There have been various studies as to the health of our drinking water and it varies from state to state. Flint, Michigan comes to mind, if you don’t know what happened there then please do a search or read this article: How tap water became toxic in Flint, Michigan @CNN 

I admit I’m a work in progress and I was still buying bottled water until this past Spring. I was going to the stores (thinking gas) and buying purified water in bottles (thinking plastic). Spending the money for water and returning the bottles for recycling. I got upset with myself for not being eco-friendly by spending money on water, gas and for using plastic!

As I’ve said before, I’m still changing… so here I was contemplating my actions and seeking solutions. I had already tried various water filtering pitchers and faucet filters but none of them had worked well. I didn’t like the pitchers because they had to be constantly refilled. The faucet filter I had tried lessened the water flow substantially enough to warrant its removal. So I started to hunt. I knew I needed a water filtering unit and I also needed stainless steel water bottles to really make a nice positive change here.

Eureka! I found a large water dispenser made by PUR. I liked the PUR water filter that I had on the faucet for the fact that the water tasted better to me than what I had in the BRITA pitcher. So when it came down to choosing a large unit I went with PUR and I love it! I don’t have to fill it up all of the time, the water tastes great and I know I’m not contributing any longer to companies who are making money bottling water and I’m not contributing further to that plastic usage.

I ordered the 40 gallon unit and got a deal on the filters to buy in bulk which is great. The unit is easy to clean; I fill it one to two times a week. It looks good and sits nicely on my counter because I like tepid water but it is streamlined enough to fit nicely in the fridge as well.

The image below is a link that will take you to the unit which is 30 gallons –

The filters last about 2 months and guess what? They are recyclable!

I also purchased some Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottles. For long drives it’s good to have two or if I’ve got company I can have an extra for them. I love the caps on these! I really like that I just need a finger to carry them and it is helpful when I’m going about my day or to carry them in and out of the car when I’ve got other things in my hands. There are so many choices now to suit anyone’s personal preferences so no reason not to have one or more and they are beautifully reusable and recyclable!

I’m very happy that I made this change!

Shortly afterwards I decided to get the entire lot for a friend who was buying cases of bottled water. So I ordered up a PUR water dispenser, additional filters and picked up a stainless steel water bottle for them as well.  I think it’s a great gift idea because it’s a gift that keeps on giving and my friend really appreciated it! It feels great to make a difference not only for myself but to be able to help someone else, who does care about the environment, to make the shift.

Staying aware of what our purchases are and what is going into our bodies helps us to make more eco-friendly, healthier, cost effective and humanitarian choices. And here’s the kicker –  everyone benefits from the choice to use reusable bottles… except the companies bottling the water!

I hope you will join me in making this change if you haven’t already!

-Purr Out!