Drinking pure, great-tasting water on the go doesn’t have to be a challenge. There are a ton of ways for a person to access water whether they’re on the road, in a business or participating in an athletic competition or activity. Some people use refillable water bottles, other just bring cups in the car, but many turn to single use water bottles when they’re in a hurry. In fact, every day consumers are bombarded with advertisements and the idea that a single-serve water bottle is the most pure and convenient way to consume water when you’re out and about, but that truly isn’t always the case.
How pure is single-use water?
The purity of the water you’re drinking is going to depend on what brand you are buying, how old the water is and if the water bottle has had exposure to any elements like extreme heat. The advertising for single-use water bottle usually involves packaging and labels with exotic names and photos of pristine mountain springs that are completely clear of any chemicals or pollutants. Unfortunately, the truth is that often times the water used in water bottles is no different from tap water and depending where the water was actually bottled, your Colorado Springs tap water may actually be more pure than the bottles you’re purchasing.
Some of the bottled waters sold are exempt from FDA bottled water standards since they only need to be applied to water transported and sold outside of that state. That means that the water isn’t being held to the standards that a Colorado Springs water delivery company likely has for their water or for water from your home filtered with a home filtration system.
Another thing to think about is how safe the plastic the bottled water is packaged in is. Often times the plastic in single-serve water bottles can release chemicals after it’s been heated too much or as it becomes older. Those chemicals can seep into the water you’re going to drink after it is packaged, and there’s no way to tell if the bottle you picked up at the store has been put through any exposure or if it’s still as pure as it was when it was first bottled.
What impact do single-use water bottles have on the environment?
After you finish drinking a single-serve bottle of water that you grabbed from the refrigerated section of the grocery store do you still have water left when you throw out the bottle? Do you keep the bottle for later use? Do you recycle the water bottle or toss it in the trash can? Millions of plastic bottles are thrown away every day and it is something to consider when getting water on the go. It takes greenhouse gases to produce single use water bottles and often times people don’t take the time to try to recycle their used plastic.
Something else that sometimes happens is that people try to be eco-friendly by washing out the water bottles that aren’t intended to be used again. Often times the plastic in single-use bottles isn’t designed for extreme heat or abrasion from scrubbing so the bottle is more likely to leach chemicals into the water you fill it with. This is bad for you, and bad for the environment around you. Although it may seem more green, single-use bottles are just that – for single use. It is better to try to recycle them than to try to re-use them. Although you can be more environmentally responsible by finishing your water and recycling your single serve bottle, you don’t necessarily have to be wasteful when drinking water while you’re on the move.
Are single-use water bottles a waste of money?
Paying a few dollars for a pack of bottled water may seem reasonable for the convenience, however when you think about how much money you might spend over a long period of time, or how much you spend when you buy individual bottles at gas stations or grocery stores, the money adds up. Sometimes you might think a higher price means better quality water but that isn’t always the case and you could probably spend a few cents by filling a reusable bottle with water from a filtered water dispenser, rather than a dollar for a bottle of water that you don’t know the purification of. Investing in a few reusable water bottles and a using water delivery from your local Colorado Springs water delivery company could save your money and health in the long term.
What are my other options?
When you’re running errands and driving from one place to the next, it might seem like you have no option but to grab a single-use water bottle from the store, however being prepared at home and in the car can keep your wallet, health and the environment in check. Point of use water filtration systems that offer in-home water filtration are part of the solution to this problem. By buying reusable water bottles and using the in-home water filtration, you can always have safe, pure water that is ready to drink and tastes better than the pre-bottled waters. Filtration systems get rid of lead, chlorine and other contaminants so you can feel confident in the water you’re consuming.
Another way to be ready with pure drinking water is to buy a bottle with its own filtration system. Fill the bottle up at home with your clean and pure water that your Colorado Springs water delivery company brought to the house, and then take it with you in the car, to the office or wherever you need to be. You can refill the bottle at a tap and save the money you’d spend on a one-time use bottle.
By choosing to use refillable water bottles and either a home filtration system or a water delivery service, it’s easy to save money, drink pure water and is better on the environment than single-use bottles.
