Today's Tip - First Edition!

I'm starting a new series that I'm lamely calling "Today's Tip." I'm hoping to share little tips and tricks (or "life hacks" as the kids these days are saying) to make your life just a wee bit simpler. The topics will range from parenting to cleaning to green living to just general time savers...and anything else that pops into my brain.

"Today's Tip" is a super simple way to cut back on waste that'll save you time, money, and one by one, the EARTH!!!

{dramatic pause}

No, really. If you're not already doing this, it's completely worth the tiny amount of time and effort to get on it.

I know, I know. This tip has been around forever. Yet, I know a ton of people who still buy over-priced bottles of water at work or go through the {oomph} effort it takes to lug the &$#%@*$ case of water home from the store. Switching plastic for reusable and filling it with filtered water at home is by far one of the easiest switches we've make, and has made a huge impact on the sheer number of water bottle waste we produce.

I also have seen several news sources cite that there's a possibility of increased cancer risk (particularly for females) caused by drinking water from a plastic bottle that has, say, sat in a hot car (due to the leaching of chemicals into the water). I know that there was a time that I did this -- regularly. I'd rather not take my chances if making such a simple change can possibly help.

Now, we happen to live in a state that now charges a 5-cent fee per bottle (meaning that you can redeem it when you bring back your bottles and cans). But, between the effort of taking back ALL those bottles and cans, and the energy used to recycle that bottle into another (and, by the way, that's not a never-ending process; one day, the plastic will no longer be able to be melted into another item...and where do you think it goes then?), it's still a drain on our time, energy, and environmental resources. And, really, we used to have to bring bottles back at least monthly. Now, it's a couple of times a year (more in the summertime...ahem, beer and hard cider).

The bottle that we happen to use is the Ello flip-top glass bottle (mine is in turquoise; Dave's is in gray). We love the glass since it's completely free of chemicals or leaching, and the silicone provides an extra layer of protection from breakage. Dave bought me a gorgeous glass one awhile back with a wood top and beautiful design, but a student knocked it on our *cushioned* library floor and, oye, what a mess. Still can't believe that tempered glass broke. 

And one open-and-honest caveat: With our particular model, we have to keep an eye on the latch and ensure that the top is properly screwed-on. Totally user error stuff, but I've had the entire contents of my purse completely submerged (a couple of times). So, yeah. Keep that in mind! 

You don't have to get this kind, though. Klean Kanteen provides durable aluminum options that are pretty cool, too. Just be sure that whatever you purchase is at least BPA-free and suits your needs. Some people like buying a larger option to ensure that they'll get the recommended amount of water for the day; others want a smaller, more portable option. It totally doesn't matter. Whatever you get, just be sure that it meets all of your own criteria.

And, remember that the price is a one-time thing vs. a continual cost that adds up over time. We grabbed our bottles at Target, but they were around the $15 mark. It sounds like a lot, but if you estimate a bottle of water is $1 (in our work vending machine it's actually $1.50, but it's far less if you buy in bulk, so let's take the average), you'll be paying it off in about two weeks' time. I kid you not, though: I love having more than one on-hand to bring along (kept in a cooler...or not, doesn't matter) when we hit the road. It's worth its weight in gold since I'm far less likely to grab a beverage along the way.

So, raise your hand if you already have/use your own reusable bottles! What kind do you like? Do you use them for hitting up the gym (not I, says the pig) or for daily use?

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