If you are wanting to know more information about how plastic water bottles are ruining our Earth, this article over at thegreatist.com is a fascinating read. It certainly made me think twice about how I routinely use plastics, and what I can do to eliminate plastic products in my every day life.

It is shocking that 17 million barrels of oil are used in the production of disposable water bottles each year, which is enough to fuel 1 million cars for an entire year! This doesn't even include the oil needed to process, transport, and refrigerate bottled water. That's a big environmental cost simply for our convenience.

Sadly more than 80% of water bottles end up in landfills, and each bottle takes an average of 1000 years to biodegrade. Luckily, the article lays out some really simple ways to make a change:

1. Buy a reusable water bottle
2. Buy products that use recycled plastics to help keep bottles out of landfills.
3. Contact your reps in Congress, the FDA, and your state governor and ask them to maintain high standards for tap water.
4. Don't reuse disposable plastic water bottles- they may leach chemicals after repeated use, and can't be cleaned properly.
5. Support initiatives to ban bottled water, and advocate for public water bottle filling stations.
6. If you have to buy bottled water, buy it better. Choose water that comes from a protected source (call the company to ask where they source their water and how they protect its quality), and make sure to recycle the bottle when you're done.

Photo Source: healthyhumanlife.com

The next time you need a drink, think twice about what that plastic water bottle is doing to the Earth.  Better yet, plan ahead and make sure to always have your own reusable water bottle with you!

Happy Hydrating.