Many of my regular readers know that I’m trying to ditch the disposable bottled drink habit. This is actually pretty easy for me because all I’ve been drinking lately is tap water. BUT…my friends and family are having a hard time ditching the bottle! I mentioned not long ago that I recently purchased some plastic reusable bottles at the store which is a great place to start. I was so excited when my parents actually showed up at my house with their own bottles! They were one of my challenges in ditching the bottle because they love ready to go items; so Thanks Mom & Dad for taking the first step.
So if you’ve already made the first step and pledge to ditch the bottle there is another level of green for you. Many of you have heard about BPA or Bisphenol A and their presense in our plastic bottles, baby bottles and food storage containers. Many of you also know that I’m not 100% on board the BPA bandwagon yet BUT I am all for reducing our dependance on oil and oil is needed to make plastic. For those of you who really want to make a difference there are alternatives to those plastic bottles…steel reusable bottles!
I was visiting All Your Green the other day when I found the Klean Kanteen. The Klean Kanteen is made of 100% food grade stainless steel. Now some of you may think steel and think heavy but these cute little bottles are actually very light weight. They can be filled with a variety of different beverages; water, juice, tea, etc. At All Your Green they have the Klean Kanteens in different sizes and different colors. They even have different types of caps to meet your needs; I know I personally like the loop cap so I can hook it on my bag and carry it with me on my trips.
So what are the benefits of choosing steel over plastic for your reusable bottles? 1) Steel is much more durable than plastic so the Klean Kanteen will last you longer. 2) No plastic, no BPA, no risk of plastic leaching into your drinks. 3) Only 23% of plastic bottles are actually recycled in the US. Over 38 billion bottles end up in the landfill each year. Klean Kanteens are 100% reusable and recyclable!
All Your Green also has other green products to choose from including; wallets from billboards, bamboo bath towels, and reusable shopping bags. As if finding green products wasn’t cool enough All Your Green even offers a $5 shipping special for all products!
I actually chuckled with delight when I read your article. The water bottle attachment disorder (how did they trick us into being so attached to these bottles? I drank from the tap and hose as a kid!) has been eating at me as I watch my parents and parents-in-law just plow through bottle after bottle. My mother-in-law even uses plastic cups at her house instead of glassware! Great suggestion on the steel bottle instead. I think I’ll pick one up for each of them and see if I can persuade them to use it! I’m all for making us less dependent on oil! Great post – thanks!
I’ve also read that it takes more energy to recycle a plastic bottle than to make a new one. They really have no redeeming features…