plastic water bottles

The US Conference of Mayors, meeting in Miami, banned bottled water this week. The cities will no longer use municipal funds to purchase water bottles.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who proposed the resolution along with 17 other big-city mayors, said:

"Cities are sending the wrong message about the quality of public water when we spend taxpayer dollars on water in disposable containers from a private corporation."

But Newsom isn't exactly the first person on the tap-water train. Sixty American mayors have already canceled their hydration contracts, and some places in Canada have also banned the bottle.

Rejecting plastic water bottles is more environmentally and financially sustainable. Millions of bottles a day do not get recycled, and the plastic takes at least 1,000 years to biodegrade.

The American Beverage Association feels betrayed. In a statement, the association reminded those ready to turn on the bottle that private companies come to the rescue during emergencies that compromise public water systems. The statement also notes that plastic bottles are 100 percent recyclable.

Should thirsty city workers be subjected to tap water? First plastic bags, now plastic water bottles, whatever will we do?! Well, here are some great alternatives to the plastic water bottle.

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In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I wanted to tell you about this Ribbons Within a Ribbon Water Bottle. It's being sold on the Breast Cancer Site Store, and for each bottle purchased, the organization will fund 1 percent of a mammogram for a woman who otherwise couldn't afford one.

The unique design is a multitude of small pink ribbons that make up one big pink ribbon, to symbolize how individuals can join together to make a difference.

This 28 oz. water bottle has a screw-on lid that won't leak, and it has indented textured finger holds for easy gripping. The wide-mouth makes it easy to clean with a sponge, or you can also put it in the dishwasher. When you buy this water bottle ($9.95) from the Breast Cancer Site Store, you can feel good about helping women get screened for breast cancer, and you'll also be helping the environment with this reusable bottle.

You all know I am all about hydration. I even made a cool little water calculator so you can compute how much water you should be drinking! Now, if you drink a lot of bottled water, I am urging your to take a minute and weigh your convenience against the environmental impact of all that plastic.

Most folks drink their bottled water on the go and there is no convenient way to recycle the plastic bottles. In 2003, about 40 million bottles a day went into the trash, or even more unfortunately became litter. These billions of bottles take up valuable landfill space, leak toxic additives into the groundwater and take a whopping 1,000 years to biodegrade, if ever.

The high price of bottled water is not the water but, in actuality, the cost of the bottling, packaging, shipping, marketing, retailing and transporting it all over the globe. When calculating your carbon footprint, you might want to consider the carbon footprint of the bottled water you drink. Next time you pick up a bottle of Fiji Water, think about the distance the bottle and the water have traveled before it hits your lips.

It is true that tap water is more regulated than bottled water, so you should drink from the tap. Want to read about some alternatives to drinking plastic bottled water? Then read more.