Earth Day, Every Day - Tip # 8

Skip the Bottle

Bottled water may be convenient... it's also very expensive and a waste of resources.

Instead, purchase a filter style water carafe or install a water filtration system and get in the habit of carrying reusable BPA free water bottles.

After the initial outlay, your saving will add up as water filtered at home generally costs pennies per gallon, as opposed to prefilled water bottles which can cost a dollar or more per gallon.

Another huge plus, filtering your water saves the energy and OIL required to produce and deliver water bottles -- most of which are NOT recycled.

Is there more in your bottled wated than just water?

For many bottled waters the answer may be yes.

The Environmental Working Group has an eye opening article on this very topic.

Best bet, filter your water at your tap. Saves disposing of all those empty water bottles, plus it saves you plenty of hard earned dollars... and that's always a good thing!

I recently ordered a sleek new pitcher with a years worth of filters and I love it, and the kids love the taste of the water!

The Chemical Soup We Live In

Unless you've been avoiding the news for years, you know that plastics used for water bottles, beverages and canned goods often contain bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical that may effect our health, and not in a good way.

In a recent study, more than 90% of Americans were found to have BPA in their urine, and those with the highest levels of BPA in their urine were two times more likely to suffer from heart disease and diabetes as those with the lowest level of BPA in their urine. As a result of this study and others, many experts are now recommending that we use only glass or stainless steel bottles for drinking water.

But it's not just BPA that we should be concerned with. Triclosan in deodorants, toothpastes and antibacterial products; Teflon to create non-stick cooking surfaces; phthalates in personal care products, the list goes on and on.

I recently heard this audio and thought I'd share it with you. The speakers, authors of the book Slow Death by Rubber Duck, have used themselves as guinea pigs to show just how quickly some chemicals get into our bloodstreams.

Should we be concerned? Probably, since everyday we're exposed to chemicals... in the air we breathe, the food and beverages we eat, and even in the fabrics that we wear or touch. Obviously we can't avoid all chemicals, but some may be of greater concern than others, and may be within our control if we just make a few changes.

Best of Health,
Susan