WFMW: Take the Pledge!

That's right, gentle readers! I did it. After months and months of knowing I should want to stop the plastic bottled water madness in the SortaCrunchy hacienda but not really wanting to, I've finally come to my senses and surrendered to a life less plastic-y.  And I've taken the pledge. 

And can I tell you this?  It's so liberating.  I cannot tell you how irritated I would get with the plastic bottle congregations that somehow colonized around the house.  The nightstands in our room were particularly popular breeding grounds.  A few weeks ago, we decided it was enough, that it was time.  It has definitely been one of those things I didn't realize I was so deeply in bondage to until the plastic shackles were removed.

So we've been just keeping pitchers of water in the fridge to meet our cold water needs - pouring it into glass tumblers (gasp) the old-fashioned way!  I still need to figure out our out-of-the-house solutions.  I'm leaning towards Kleen Kanteens but haven't yet pulled the trigger on those; I'm seriously considering the Foogo cups for the girls, or do I want to go with Born Free, which I can buy locally?

In the meantime, Debra of Days of Grace shared a great glass water bottle solution last week - reuse and re-purpose glass juice bottles!  I grabbed some at the grocery deli this week and they are working wonderfully for our transition phase.  Even The Coach is on board with this change and he is really digging the Nantucket Nectar bottles (thanks again for that, Debra!).

The Think Outside the Bottle site has some good information on why you might find it works for you to step away from the bottled water; additionally, check out The Green Guide's "Tapped Out: The True Cost of Bottled Water" and the Nutrition Issues in Gastroenterology article "Bottled Water Myths: Separating Fact from Fiction."

Make sure you stop by Shannon's place for more Works For Me Wednesday goodness!

Comments

[Amy]

You Go Girl! I didn't know about the pledge, but my husband and I have been cutting out water bottles for several months. My favorite water bottle is one I got from Pottery Barn (of all places) that is metal and says "Do Your Part". . I take it with me everywhere. . . including when I go out to eat, instead of getting a "cup for water" . . I bring my own! I think I might drink more water in a day because I love my bottle so much.

[Jen]

It's funny because I've actually never been a fan of bottled water - but it drive me loopy at my sisters house that there are ALWAYS bottles EVERYWHERE!

Dale and I have Klean Kanteens and I like it. I got one for Nate too, and he also has a Born Free sippy cup. I find the Born Free leaks...so wouldn't be good for an older toddler who is carrying it around the house. The only draw back to the Klean Kanteen sippy is that they can get quite cold on little (and big!) hands so I would highly recommend if you go that route getting a cover for it. Way to go on making the change!

[The Not Quite Crunchy Parent]

Great post! I like all of the additional information you provided.I've been struggling with the bottled water issue too and do a combination of Kleen Kanteen, empty juice bottles a Brita filter pitcher in the fridge and (gulp) plastic bottled water...sigh no one is perfect!

[Alana]

Great post! We use the Kleen Kanteen and the kids are using Siggs (they have the cutest bottles).

I am working hard to get my in-laws to make the switch. For some reason, our parents generation really latched onto and bought into the convenience of a lot of items that have horrible environmental implications.

I will definitely be linking to some of your sources. Thanks!

[Laura]

I'm working on making this switch too! Thanks for the links!

[melissa etheredge]

I love these kinds of decisions. You just feel so darn good when you make new, healthy commitments huh?! Sounds like you may *need* to go to mecca soon...(WFM)...in the name of research. ;-)

[Elizabeth]

I second Not Quite Crunchy Parent on Siggs. We love ours! Fill them with water when we get home and leave them in the fridge so they're cold whenever we go somewhere.

[Becky]

Way to Go!

My kids have Foogo's, and we love them. (They're so good at keeping things cold for a long time!) You may want to check out Target, if you have one locally - our Target has Foogo's in the sports section.

I've actually been using a Rubbermaid 32oz "Chug" bottle, both around the house and on the go. It's made from the "good" plastics, and really easy for me to use, and hasn't caused a leak yet, going on more than half a year now.

[Jules]

Hmm...very interesting! I gave up plastic water bottles quite a while ago, but I don't think I can give up my plastic food storage containers!!!!

Can't wait to hear how it goes!

[Motherhood For Dummies]

We are big on having one bottle that we resuse. It iscrazy how much bottled water people go through

[Kickboxing Mama]

Way to go!!

My sister tells me that the metal water bottles leave a metalic taste in your mouth-just FYI

We use BPA free Camelback water bottles, and another brand I found online, but the name escapes me at the moment. I will get back to you!

[janya]

the foogo is quite heavy and bulky for little hands.

[Jaime]

Another great thing about this eco-friendly, health conscious choice is that the available non-plastic, reusable options are uber-Bohemian chic!! Our kiddos use SIGG, Kleen Kanteen, and Born Free (though I agree with Amy that the Born Free sippy spouts leak when the cup is hurled across the room...). Both stainless varieties do get cold, and Ellie insists on a Koozie. :) I have a thermal mug that is lined with "non-offensive" plastic, and I just use that all the time. I am thinking of getting my own KK, though.

[amy]

We love our Siggs and I'm quite proud to send them to my boys' preschool.

[Ann]

I SO support this. Me and hubby try avoid buying water at all costs - instead, we refill our own. Kudos to you for this post! :)

[Sara]

We've never been bottled water people so we''re saved the transition. Phew, one less thing. As for the sippy cups, my 2c, my 2yr old loves her Foogo and pretty much won't drink from the Born Free. I'd like to get her the Foogo with a straw b/c it holds more.

[Noah]

I have foogos for the boys and they are fabulous. Some Targets and Babies R Us stores carry them now, so you may be able to find them locally. I prefer them to even the born free because other than BPA, there are other toxins in plastic that are more likely to leach when heated. With foogos I don't have to worry about how hot they get if I leave them in the car.

I just ordered some KKs for myself and dh, but haven't gotten them yet.

[Lori]

We've made the transition at home, but sometimes still grab a bottle when out and about. But, I bought 2 cases of bottled water over a year ago and we've only used 1/2 of one. So, we're doing well!

[Mandy]

Way to go! We don't really do much bottle watered, except during soccer season. Maybe we should look into reusable water bottles instead. It's a thought!

[Jackie]

Great to hear. I've been using Nalagene bottles for year (before they switched to the 'bad' plastic)and can rarely be found without it. After the plastic reports started coming in I ditched my faithful old nalgene (except for one which is lexan and I haven't parted with it yet) and picked up a couple of stainless steel bottles from Mountain Equipment Co-op (a Canadian Co-op that rocks). I've already got a couple of safe sippy cups on order for baby T.

[rebecca]

There's a huge review of bottles on zrecs - for adults and kids. It's great info.

http://zrecs.blogspot.com/2008/02/z-report-on-bpa-in-infant-care-products.html

and

http://blog.wired.com/geekdad/2008/05/bpa-free-bottle.html

Way to go on the decision. For me it's kind of like cleaning out the basement. It's getting rid of the junk and reducing the psychic clutter too.

I just got our new Kleen Kanteens in the mail today. WOO. Now I need to find groovy covers for them. They are a bit chilly on the hands when the water is cold.