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- Friday, March 22 is World Water Day.
- If there's anything we can do to pay homage to that wonderful elixir of life that envelops the majority of our big blue planet, it's cut back on our plastic usage.
- Below is a roundup of all the ways we can (mostly) avoid plastics in our endless pursuit of hydrating our earthly wares.
- Read more: 9 cheap solutions for people who want to waste less and wean themselves off single-use items
With roughly 9.2 billion tons of plastic flowing into our oceans each year, it's hard to fathom the impact we're having on our big, mostly blue marble. According to a recent study conducted by some 10,000 volunteers on behalf of Greenpeace and theBreak Free From Plastic movement, the majority of these plastics are coming from single-use plastic bottles produced by brands like Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Nestlé.
But, while the world is beginning to recognize and consider that soda and other soft drinks are little more than sugar, water, and carbonation (as the case may be), there's one habit many of us still can't shake: bottled water. But what's a poor bottled-water fiend to do?
"Filtering water at home," it turns out, "is the best and most cost-effective solution," senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Dr. David Andrews tells Insider Picks.
"In many cases, bottled water may not necessarily be better than tap water," Andrews says, "and oftentimes companies do not provide much disclosure in terms of where that water came from and whether it is any better than municipal water."
So, now that you have no reason not to kick your plastic water bottle habit, how do you know which kind of filtration system to get, or whether it's even worth getting one at all? The EWG has a Tapwater Database of 30 million state water records. Enter your zip code, and you'll learn all about all the terrifying things that may be coming out of your tap and which contraptions or systems will help eliminate, or at least neutralize them.
Friday, March 22 is World Water Day, and whether you have a shred of concern for the environment or not, here are a few ways to give the oceans — and your bank account — a break. You're welcome.
A plastic-free, reusable water bottle
Klean Kanteen Reflect, available at Jet, $31.95
Far and away the easiest solution, Klean Kanteen makes a single-walled reusable water bottle called the Reflect, which is made without even a speck of plastic. Pretty cool, huh?
Alkaline water in (mostly) eco-friendly packaging
Flow Alkaline Water (6-pack), available at Amazon, $12.69
Shop all flavors of Flow at Amazon
Alkaline water is a big hit these days, but most of it is presented to us in the form of pesky, ephemerally useful plastic bottles. Flow is not only made using 68% renewable materials, including a plant-based cap. Better yet, it's cheaper than most other Alkaline water brands.
A faucet-mounted water filter
PŪR Advanced Faucet Water Filter with LED Filter Status Indicator, available at Amazon, $49.99
Shop all PŪR filters at Amazon
A faucet-mounted filtration system is probably the easiest, most affordable solution for those looking to improve the taste of their water. Mercury, lead, chlorine, and some 60-odd other contaminants are removed using a PŪR water filter.
What PŪR doesn't pull out is fluoride, and it probably won't rid your water of any heavy sulfur smells either. Still, this is a quick and easy solution to bad-tasting or chlorine-rich water (some municipalities add a great deal of chlorine to tap water), and it doesn't take up any counter or kitchen space.
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