How To Get Rid Of Plastic Water Bottles?

One of the most important statements ever made about the amount of trash we produce and our attempts to recycle is this: There is no “away.” For decades, human beings have tossed all sorts of items into a trash can or a pile of trash somewhere, thinking that they have thrown it away.

But the truth is, there are very few man-made products that will disappear in a reasonable amount of time. These items might go “away” in time. But a plastic water bottle won’t disappear quite so easily. If we toss one of these bottles into a landfill it will be there for many years.

What to do
Some studies have shown that the human population around the world tosses about 50 million plastic water bottles into the “trash” every day!! There are two ways to cut this number down: stop using the bottles completely; recycle each and every plastic bottle we use.

People began to buy bottled water about 30 to 40 years ago, along with a general move to eating and drinking more “naturally.” This is a commendable change, as far as it goes. But there is a glitch in this plan: nearly half the bottled water is just tap water that happens to be filtered one more time and put in to a container. If we purchased the water from our city system we would pay a penny or two for the bottle of water that costs us a dollar, two dollars or more.

The answer is not to stop drinking water! In fact, there may be some problems with chemical residue in tap water. We may be healthier if we filter our tap water. Bottled water is often treated or filtered in additional steps and some packaged water may actually be better for us, in very general terms. However, bottled water isn’t safe and healthy all of the time. Chemicals and bacteria have been discovered in bottled water, sometimes after the additional treatment. In some cases the tap water may have been the best choice.

Filter Your Own Water
The best way to get rid of plastic water bottles is to stop using them. Buy a home filter and run your tap water through it before it goes into your glass. Put your self-filtered water in a to-go cup. You will probably be getting the same quality of water that you would from some bottled water that came from a municipal source.

Method number two for getting rid of plastic water bottles involves recycling any that we use. Most recycling centers welcome plastic bottles. Gather them in a separate container and deliver them to the recycling business occasionally. They will be used to produce other products.

If you need to use up a bunch of bottles, get creative. Use them to hold colored sand or potpourri. This may give the children in the family something to do on a winter day or a rainy day. It’s worth a try to save throwing those bottles “away.”

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