Trying to look ecofriendly
December 17, 2007 8:25 PM Subscribe
Nestle claims that it now puts it's water in ecobottles. "But how much lighter is the bottle?"
Fiji also claims a commitment to the environment, but it's still "Bottled in Fiji. Shipped to you".
Couldn't we just drink from the tap? Previously.
Unfortunately I live in an area where the groundwater has acquired a bizarre chemical smell. It "tests fine," says the government, but given that I live a few miles from two chemical processing plants and a couple of big industries...
posted by sonic meat machine at 8:40 PM on December 17, 2007
posted by sonic meat machine at 8:40 PM on December 17, 2007
Worse is that manufacturing of the (quickly disposed) bottle materials themselves uses three times as much water as what is stored in the bottle itself. And yet more foolishness from USian consumers.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:40 PM on December 17, 2007
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 8:40 PM on December 17, 2007
Thank you, Blazecock Pileon, for the "Fresh Air" link. I've been trying to remember where I heard that interview.
posted by Airhen at 8:45 PM on December 17, 2007
posted by Airhen at 8:45 PM on December 17, 2007
Wikipedia page summarizing Nestlé's shady side.
posted by not_on_display at 8:55 PM on December 17, 2007
posted by not_on_display at 8:55 PM on December 17, 2007
Fast Company had a nice long article on bottled water a few months ago, including visiting Fiji.
posted by smackfu at 8:57 PM on December 17, 2007
posted by smackfu at 8:57 PM on December 17, 2007
I drink tap water at home, but I will buy bottled water on road trips for the convenience. And even if I didn't like my tap water, there's an artesian well a few miles from me, maintained by the city, where I can get that water for free. Actually, I did that for a while, but eventually I recalled that tap water is fluoridated, and the well water is not.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:16 PM on December 17, 2007
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 9:16 PM on December 17, 2007
grain alcohol and rainwater for me.
posted by TrialByMedia at 9:41 PM on December 17, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by TrialByMedia at 9:41 PM on December 17, 2007 [1 favorite]
I used to buy bottled water - but mostly for the bottles.
Nalgene entered my life (and Aquafina stopped making 1L bottles with wide lids - I used to use those bottles as water-ashtrays; now it's Gatorade bottles).
Where I live, the tap water is "nice" but I still prefer the taste of water that's been through a Brita filter and I drink water-cooler water at work. The tap water is "fine" but I really got used to "flavourless" water.
Water from San Jose or Anaheim? Gah - as a visitor, I could not drink the tap water. I got used to ground-water (water towers) when I did my undergrad in Iowa, but... it was never something that I found pleasant.
The shipping issue is a biggie - question for anti-bottled-water-people: is bottled water from local companies who reverse-osmiois (or otherwise purify the water) companies as bad (or just plain bad) as Dasani-Pepsi (or is that Coke) or whatever?
Most wet laboratories have Milique (miliquue? milipore? whatever - gah, durnk of vodka made from the fine waters from Finland) machines that ultra filter water such that it's more pure than double-distilled water (and the same labs have distilled water taps) - milique water is FLAT FLAT FLAT, and the "distilled water" tends to taste worse than the tap water (this is from experience from several different campuses) - maybe water should have taste and textire...
posted by porpoise at 9:45 PM on December 17, 2007
Nalgene entered my life (and Aquafina stopped making 1L bottles with wide lids - I used to use those bottles as water-ashtrays; now it's Gatorade bottles).
Where I live, the tap water is "nice" but I still prefer the taste of water that's been through a Brita filter and I drink water-cooler water at work. The tap water is "fine" but I really got used to "flavourless" water.
Water from San Jose or Anaheim? Gah - as a visitor, I could not drink the tap water. I got used to ground-water (water towers) when I did my undergrad in Iowa, but... it was never something that I found pleasant.
The shipping issue is a biggie - question for anti-bottled-water-people: is bottled water from local companies who reverse-osmiois (or otherwise purify the water) companies as bad (or just plain bad) as Dasani-Pepsi (or is that Coke) or whatever?
Most wet laboratories have Milique (miliquue? milipore? whatever - gah, durnk of vodka made from the fine waters from Finland) machines that ultra filter water such that it's more pure than double-distilled water (and the same labs have distilled water taps) - milique water is FLAT FLAT FLAT, and the "distilled water" tends to taste worse than the tap water (this is from experience from several different campuses) - maybe water should have taste and textire...
posted by porpoise at 9:45 PM on December 17, 2007
it's water in ecobottles.
It is, is it?
posted by dersins at 9:49 PM on December 17, 2007 [1 favorite]
It is, is it?
posted by dersins at 9:49 PM on December 17, 2007 [1 favorite]
I'm torn on the subject of bottled water and the Pacific. On the one hand, I'm very much aware of the environmental impact that water shipments from Fiji play in greenhouse emissions. On the other hand, Fiji Water is actually fairly supportive of the villages from which it takes the water. The water plants provide good employment and reroute a (relatively) significant amount of money back to local improvement. The Fijians with whom I've spoken and worked with have all been in favor of the plants. There simply isn't the economic opportunity on the islands that we take for granted in the west, and when a large company comes in and improves conditions in a way that the government can't ... well, it's hard to argue with that.
Fijians aren't stupid: they know the impact that climate change can and will have on their islands, but they're like the rest of us and it's much easier to think about survival on a short-term scale. Realistically, the shipment of Fiji Water is just a drop in the goddamned bucket compared to all the rest of the shipping going on across the Pacific. I'm a biased observer, but look to the en masse shipment of cheap shit from China and the impact it plays before starting in on some of the few global economic opportunities provided to Pacific Islands these days. I drink tapwater, usually, but if I'm out, about, and thirsty and I see Fiji Water for sale, it doesn't bother me at all to drink it. Realistically, it's near the least of my climate impacts.
posted by barnacles at 9:57 PM on December 17, 2007
Fijians aren't stupid: they know the impact that climate change can and will have on their islands, but they're like the rest of us and it's much easier to think about survival on a short-term scale. Realistically, the shipment of Fiji Water is just a drop in the goddamned bucket compared to all the rest of the shipping going on across the Pacific. I'm a biased observer, but look to the en masse shipment of cheap shit from China and the impact it plays before starting in on some of the few global economic opportunities provided to Pacific Islands these days. I drink tapwater, usually, but if I'm out, about, and thirsty and I see Fiji Water for sale, it doesn't bother me at all to drink it. Realistically, it's near the least of my climate impacts.
posted by barnacles at 9:57 PM on December 17, 2007
I buy bottled water just so I have bottles around to re-use. Fill 'em with tap and keep 'em in the fridge.
posted by sourwookie at 10:10 PM on December 17, 2007
posted by sourwookie at 10:10 PM on December 17, 2007
<grumpy>Worse than Nestle's waste of natural resources is treehugger.com's horrendous waste of network resources. 4.6MB total in 145 requests according to websiteoptimization.com's performance testing tool. For a couple column-inches of text and two small photos? WTF?</grumpy>
posted by sdodd at 10:29 PM on December 17, 2007
posted by sdodd at 10:29 PM on December 17, 2007
I am aware of the proper use of "its" and "it's." I just didn't catch it.
posted by Airhen at 11:35 PM on December 17, 2007
posted by Airhen at 11:35 PM on December 17, 2007
I can honestly say I've never bought a bottle of water in my life.
Disclaimer: our tapwater comes from Lake Vyrnwy in Wales and is great.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:37 AM on December 18, 2007
Disclaimer: our tapwater comes from Lake Vyrnwy in Wales and is great.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 12:37 AM on December 18, 2007
I'm always a bit mystified by people who pay for mineral water in bottles and then use Brita water filters at home which remove mainly the naturally occurring minerals in tap water.
posted by rhymer at 1:30 AM on December 18, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by rhymer at 1:30 AM on December 18, 2007 [1 favorite]
Lewis Black said it much better than I can ever say it...
posted by DreamerFi at 1:52 AM on December 18, 2007
posted by DreamerFi at 1:52 AM on December 18, 2007
The water in Cairo is pretty bad, and Brita filters pretty much aren't widely available here. As a result this year I have drunk more water out of plastic bottles than I have the whole rest of m life.
My parent's house has a well, which means they have some of the tastiest water around. Still when they're out and about they occasionally drink bottled water.
My personal drinking vice is sodas. I really really love them. Here in Cairo whenever I can I use the glass bottles. Although it now occurs to me that I've never considered the fuel and environmental costs of transporting the glass bottles vs. the plastic ones.
posted by Deathalicious at 3:23 AM on December 18, 2007
My parent's house has a well, which means they have some of the tastiest water around. Still when they're out and about they occasionally drink bottled water.
My personal drinking vice is sodas. I really really love them. Here in Cairo whenever I can I use the glass bottles. Although it now occurs to me that I've never considered the fuel and environmental costs of transporting the glass bottles vs. the plastic ones.
posted by Deathalicious at 3:23 AM on December 18, 2007
What I love is the 'eco-friendly' people at work who reuse their water bottles by filling them from the tap on the water cooler-thus spreading their germs from bottle top to tap.
posted by Gungho at 4:18 AM on December 18, 2007
posted by Gungho at 4:18 AM on December 18, 2007
A friend just returned from a South Pacific vacation, which ended in a stint on Fiji Island. Tourists there are warned not to drink the water (probably because of e-coli, like in Mexico and other third world countries). Left me wondering where the "Fiji water" really comes from. Is it just filtered wastewater?
"Some problems that affect drinking water include: (1) contamination by faeces riddled with bacteria, viruses and parasites, (2) drinking water sources are used as dumping sites of rubbish, and (3) blockages in the river system."
posted by setver at 4:28 AM on December 18, 2007
"Some problems that affect drinking water include: (1) contamination by faeces riddled with bacteria, viruses and parasites, (2) drinking water sources are used as dumping sites of rubbish, and (3) blockages in the river system."
posted by setver at 4:28 AM on December 18, 2007
If you travel, take a travel filter. It's not that hard, and there's very little waste.
posted by DenOfSizer at 4:29 AM on December 18, 2007
posted by DenOfSizer at 4:29 AM on December 18, 2007
If I lived somewhere with city supplied water that wasn't vile, I'd drink tap water. But Amarillo TX has some truly nasty water.
I reuse one gallon sized bottles by filling them at the reverse osmosis places for $0.25/gallon. Buying an endless stream of .5l bottles seems like an insane waste to me.
posted by sotonohito at 4:44 AM on December 18, 2007
I reuse one gallon sized bottles by filling them at the reverse osmosis places for $0.25/gallon. Buying an endless stream of .5l bottles seems like an insane waste to me.
posted by sotonohito at 4:44 AM on December 18, 2007
Gungho - one place I worked had big signs next to the water cooler telling people to make sure that their bottle didn't touch the tap when refilling.
scabrous - Perhaps eco-friendly people have more germs than their chemical-doused world-destroying colleagues...
posted by patricio at 4:44 AM on December 18, 2007
scabrous - Perhaps eco-friendly people have more germs than their chemical-doused world-destroying colleagues...
posted by patricio at 4:44 AM on December 18, 2007
On a recent trip to the Museum of Natural History in NYC we were amused to see signs on all the water fountains urging visitors to drink the water, and stating that the museum no longer sells bottled water for ecological reasons. NYC water is great, and I've always favored tap water being too cheap to pay for what is almost free. I always thought bottled water was a scam, so it was fun to see the Museum agree.
hexatron's wife
posted by hexatron at 4:50 AM on December 18, 2007
hexatron's wife
posted by hexatron at 4:50 AM on December 18, 2007
I grew up drinking the stuff you buy labeled as Poland Spring Water straight out of my tap. So, yeah, now I buy it bottled from time to time, mostly to have clean water on camping trips and to make sure my baby boy gets "the same" water when we're traveling (lest we risk a GI diaper explosion in the carseat. Yech.).
Porpoise, watch out for Nalgene. Nalgene's Lexan bottles are made of polycarbonate plastic (PC), a plastic known to leach the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A (BPA). The whole BPA debate is wide ranging (focused mostly on baby bottles at this time), but its something to think about. Over the summer a group called The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine released a report (Body of Evidence) which was basically a study of what chemicals can leach into the body by doing a study of 13 representative Maine people. "This study found a total of 46 different chemicals (of 71 tested) in samples of blood, urine, and hair. On average, each participant had measurable levels of 36 toxic chemicals in their bodies. " One thing their (non-scientific) study did find was measurably high levels of BPA in participants who drank from Nalgene Lexan bottles.
posted by anastasiav at 5:13 AM on December 18, 2007
Porpoise, watch out for Nalgene. Nalgene's Lexan bottles are made of polycarbonate plastic (PC), a plastic known to leach the hormone-disrupting chemical bisphenol-A (BPA). The whole BPA debate is wide ranging (focused mostly on baby bottles at this time), but its something to think about. Over the summer a group called The Alliance for a Clean and Healthy Maine released a report (Body of Evidence) which was basically a study of what chemicals can leach into the body by doing a study of 13 representative Maine people. "This study found a total of 46 different chemicals (of 71 tested) in samples of blood, urine, and hair. On average, each participant had measurable levels of 36 toxic chemicals in their bodies. " One thing their (non-scientific) study did find was measurably high levels of BPA in participants who drank from Nalgene Lexan bottles.
posted by anastasiav at 5:13 AM on December 18, 2007
Worse is that manufacturing of the (quickly disposed) bottle materials themselves uses three times as much water as what is stored in the bottle itself. And yet more foolishness from USian consumers.
It may be a bit foolish, but at least bottled water drinkers aren't drinking soda.
Bottled water has become sort of a "scam!" rallying cry on the Internet, and from one angle it kind of seems weird paying a lot for what is way cheaper, and of comparable quality, on tap.
But... a lot of bottled water is convenience. Yes, in some third world countries bottled water becomes a bit more necessary, but it's mostly about having some sort of drink that one grabs on the go.
Despite bottled water's rise, I believe colas still sell way more. Colas really aren't that much different than bottled water -- a bit of added fizz and some cheap sugar and flavoring. All of the ecological impact arguments being flung around against bottled water really, for the most part, apply to soda as well... in fact, we would need to talk about *all* disposable containers and the environmental impact of *all* of the global market, and its transport system. This encompasses a way greater scope than bottled water alone.
Meanwhile, at the very least, when a person is carrying around a bottle of bottled water instead of a bottle of soda, it's a partial victory for health, don't you think?
posted by soundwave106 at 5:31 AM on December 18, 2007
It may be a bit foolish, but at least bottled water drinkers aren't drinking soda.
Bottled water has become sort of a "scam!" rallying cry on the Internet, and from one angle it kind of seems weird paying a lot for what is way cheaper, and of comparable quality, on tap.
But... a lot of bottled water is convenience. Yes, in some third world countries bottled water becomes a bit more necessary, but it's mostly about having some sort of drink that one grabs on the go.
Despite bottled water's rise, I believe colas still sell way more. Colas really aren't that much different than bottled water -- a bit of added fizz and some cheap sugar and flavoring. All of the ecological impact arguments being flung around against bottled water really, for the most part, apply to soda as well... in fact, we would need to talk about *all* disposable containers and the environmental impact of *all* of the global market, and its transport system. This encompasses a way greater scope than bottled water alone.
Meanwhile, at the very least, when a person is carrying around a bottle of bottled water instead of a bottle of soda, it's a partial victory for health, don't you think?
posted by soundwave106 at 5:31 AM on December 18, 2007
DevilsAdvocate : eventually I recalled that tap water is fluoridated, and the well water is not
If, by "fluoridated" you mean "has fluoride added to it", you're absolutely right. However, I was surprised to learn in the last couple of years that our well water contains an appreciable amount of fluoride naturally - enough, in fact, that our kids are taking the low-dose fluoride tablets because they are getting enough additional fluoride from the water we drink and cook with. We have our water tested by an environmental testing lab once a year and the fluoride level varies a little but it's pretty consistent.
/derail
posted by kcds at 6:07 AM on December 18, 2007
If, by "fluoridated" you mean "has fluoride added to it", you're absolutely right. However, I was surprised to learn in the last couple of years that our well water contains an appreciable amount of fluoride naturally - enough, in fact, that our kids are taking the low-dose fluoride tablets because they are getting enough additional fluoride from the water we drink and cook with. We have our water tested by an environmental testing lab once a year and the fluoride level varies a little but it's pretty consistent.
/derail
posted by kcds at 6:07 AM on December 18, 2007
Being from Guelph, Ontario I always took for granted that tap water tasted good. Really good. In fact, I remember learning in grade school science class that the tap water for Guelph was 98% spring water.
Looks like Nestle Canada discovered that as well.
While on one (somewhat greedy) hand it's nice to pick up my hometown tap water wherever I am in Canada (especially now that I don't live in Guelph), it's also very disturbing to think of this company draining the natural wells of that city.
posted by aclevername at 6:43 AM on December 18, 2007
Looks like Nestle Canada discovered that as well.
While on one (somewhat greedy) hand it's nice to pick up my hometown tap water wherever I am in Canada (especially now that I don't live in Guelph), it's also very disturbing to think of this company draining the natural wells of that city.
posted by aclevername at 6:43 AM on December 18, 2007
What I love is the 'eco-friendly' people at work who reuse their water bottles by filling them from the tap on the water cooler-thus spreading their germs from bottle top to tap.
Huh? I thought it was normal behavior not to touch the wattle bottle to the faucet head. Same thing goes when drinking from the fountain- don't touch the nozzle with my mouth. It's not an "eco-friendly" thing. It's a common-courtesy thing.
posted by jmd82 at 6:44 AM on December 18, 2007
Huh? I thought it was normal behavior not to touch the wattle bottle to the faucet head. Same thing goes when drinking from the fountain- don't touch the nozzle with my mouth. It's not an "eco-friendly" thing. It's a common-courtesy thing.
posted by jmd82 at 6:44 AM on December 18, 2007
DevilsAdvocate: What is an "artesian well?" Is it like "artesian bread?" Furthermore, what is "artesian bread?"
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 6:47 AM on December 18, 2007
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 6:47 AM on December 18, 2007
CitrusFreak12: Artesian well. It's a well that doesn't need a pump. See also: Artesia, New Mexico.
I pretty much only drink water -- no soda. I stopped drinking bottled water as much as possible because even recycling all that plastic that I used for a few minutes started to drive me nuts. I have a Brita filter at home and at work because my local water is very hard and tastes gross and I mostly drink tap water at restaurants. I plan on getting one of those metal water bottles to take with me when I'm out.
posted by sugarfish at 7:15 AM on December 18, 2007
I pretty much only drink water -- no soda. I stopped drinking bottled water as much as possible because even recycling all that plastic that I used for a few minutes started to drive me nuts. I have a Brita filter at home and at work because my local water is very hard and tastes gross and I mostly drink tap water at restaurants. I plan on getting one of those metal water bottles to take with me when I'm out.
posted by sugarfish at 7:15 AM on December 18, 2007
If you're worried about germs on the tap itself, you're pretty screwed.
posted by smackfu at 7:26 AM on December 18, 2007
posted by smackfu at 7:26 AM on December 18, 2007
@sugarfish - "Artesian" refers to the former French province of Artois (Artesië in Dutch) where Artesian wells were dug by the Carthusian monks - Artesia, New Mexico is similarly named after the same place.
posted by kcds at 7:48 AM on December 18, 2007
posted by kcds at 7:48 AM on December 18, 2007
I plan on getting one of those metal water bottles to take with me when I'm out.
posted by sugarfish at 7:15 AM on December 18 [+] [!]
These are the ones we have. They're expensive as all get-out, but I suppose it's one of those things that pays for itself in the long run.
posted by Lucinda at 8:14 AM on December 18, 2007
posted by sugarfish at 7:15 AM on December 18 [+] [!]
These are the ones we have. They're expensive as all get-out, but I suppose it's one of those things that pays for itself in the long run.
posted by Lucinda at 8:14 AM on December 18, 2007
CitrusFreak12, you may be confusing "artesian" with "artisan." The "artisan bread" you mention is just bread, but it's hilariously overpriced and baked by minimum wage slaves with delusions of grandeur. [NOT WAGESLAVIST]
posted by sdodd at 8:38 AM on December 18, 2007
posted by sdodd at 8:38 AM on December 18, 2007
A chilled plastic bottle of water in the convenience-store cooler is the perfect symbol of this moment in American commerce and culture. It acknowledges our demand for instant gratification, our vanity, our token concern for health. Its packaging and transport depend entirely on cheap fossil fuel.
That FastCompany article outdoes itself. Thanks, Smackfu.
posted by rokusan at 8:48 AM on December 18, 2007
That FastCompany article outdoes itself. Thanks, Smackfu.
posted by rokusan at 8:48 AM on December 18, 2007
Given the concerning chemical leaching issues with the much-vaunted Nalgene bottles, and the unfortunate aluminum content in the metal-lined bottles, is there a solution for those of us who are both eco- and health-conscious? We have a filter on the line into our refrigerator that gives us cold drinking water (and filtered water ice) at home, and yet for travel, I'm guilty of buying bottled water for portability. I am also guilty of keeping a bag in my car for the express purpose of bringing home empty bottles to make sure that they're recycled. I'd like to break the cycle, but there really doesn't seem to be a reasonable alternative, especially for children. It's a vexing issue, really.
Off-topic: The "artisan bread" you mention is just bread, but it's hilariously overpriced and baked by minimum wage slaves with delusions of grandeur.
Perhaps, but all 'artisan' really means in that description is that the bread is kneaded and formed into a loaf by hand, not by machine. That the hands belong to a minimum wage slave, delusional or otherwise, is immaterial.
posted by Dreama at 9:51 AM on December 18, 2007
Off-topic: The "artisan bread" you mention is just bread, but it's hilariously overpriced and baked by minimum wage slaves with delusions of grandeur.
Perhaps, but all 'artisan' really means in that description is that the bread is kneaded and formed into a loaf by hand, not by machine. That the hands belong to a minimum wage slave, delusional or otherwise, is immaterial.
posted by Dreama at 9:51 AM on December 18, 2007
I keep seeing this attitude that anyone that wants to drink water from a bottle is a r-tard. Not necessarily. I live in the SF Bay Area and the situation is not so simple. SF and a couple neighboring cities get water piped all the way from Hetch Hetchy in the Sierra Nevadas which needs almost no processing and still tastes pretty good. If Hetch Hetchy is the faucet, the Sacramento Delta is the drain. All the runoff from the Central Valley goes into the Sacramento Delta and that is where we in San Jose get our water.
Santa Clara district water is a mix of imported Sacramento Delta water and local reservoirs. This water needs heavy processing and ends up tasting pretty bad. A Brita helps, but lasts for maybe 5 gallons before the tap water taste starts coming back. Also, the hills around here contain cinnabar (SJ used to be an important mercury mining area), asbestos, and the area is sprinkled with superfund sites from the early semiconductor industry. So the groundwater is sketchy.
There are probably many cities in the West who have the same kind of water issues. With a few exceptions, water is scarce on this side of the Continental Divide, and we make do with what we can.
posted by b1ff at 11:54 AM on December 18, 2007
Santa Clara district water is a mix of imported Sacramento Delta water and local reservoirs. This water needs heavy processing and ends up tasting pretty bad. A Brita helps, but lasts for maybe 5 gallons before the tap water taste starts coming back. Also, the hills around here contain cinnabar (SJ used to be an important mercury mining area), asbestos, and the area is sprinkled with superfund sites from the early semiconductor industry. So the groundwater is sketchy.
There are probably many cities in the West who have the same kind of water issues. With a few exceptions, water is scarce on this side of the Continental Divide, and we make do with what we can.
posted by b1ff at 11:54 AM on December 18, 2007
“I drink tap water at home, but I will buy bottled water on road trips for the convenience.”
Yeah. Me too. Is it just me or is it aggravating you can’t get a drink of water anymore?
Used to be water fountains at gas stations, not so much anymore. I mean, unless I want to fill my bottle from the rusty toilet tap, I pretty much have to buy the instantly gratifying vanity packaging based on cheap fuel. Or I could drive around looking for a water fountain. ...or beat up a 5 year old.
posted by Smedleyman at 1:20 PM on December 18, 2007
Yeah. Me too. Is it just me or is it aggravating you can’t get a drink of water anymore?
Used to be water fountains at gas stations, not so much anymore. I mean, unless I want to fill my bottle from the rusty toilet tap, I pretty much have to buy the instantly gratifying vanity packaging based on cheap fuel. Or I could drive around looking for a water fountain. ...or beat up a 5 year old.
posted by Smedleyman at 1:20 PM on December 18, 2007
I am also guilty of keeping a bag in my car for the express purpose of bringing home empty bottles to make sure that they're recycled. I'd like to break the cycle
How to break it: use the empty bottles you have now to hold water from the tap at home. You can use these water bottles a few times at least before finally recycling them. I'm not sure whether PET plastic leaches the same amount as Nalgene. I'm pretty sure that whatever the leaching amount, you'll get less if you're pouring in new water from the tap each day.
Also, some people argue if you should not use Nalgene if you are against animal testing.
posted by Deathalicious at 6:51 PM on December 18, 2007
How to break it: use the empty bottles you have now to hold water from the tap at home. You can use these water bottles a few times at least before finally recycling them. I'm not sure whether PET plastic leaches the same amount as Nalgene. I'm pretty sure that whatever the leaching amount, you'll get less if you're pouring in new water from the tap each day.
Also, some people argue if you should not use Nalgene if you are against animal testing.
posted by Deathalicious at 6:51 PM on December 18, 2007
The good news is that leachates from the plastic bottles will soon enough kill all those who have been drinking bottled water this past decade or so that it's become so popular.
posted by five fresh fish at 7:01 PM on December 18, 2007
posted by five fresh fish at 7:01 PM on December 18, 2007
How to break it: use the empty bottles you have now to hold water from the tap at home.
That's part of the "recycling" we do, we reuse bottles for a while, but with kids, it's not long before the bottles are gross enough that even soapy hot water can't rescue them to usable condition. I just wish I could buy something safe that would eliminate the buying of bottled water altogether.
posted by Dreama at 8:37 AM on December 19, 2007
That's part of the "recycling" we do, we reuse bottles for a while, but with kids, it's not long before the bottles are gross enough that even soapy hot water can't rescue them to usable condition. I just wish I could buy something safe that would eliminate the buying of bottled water altogether.
posted by Dreama at 8:37 AM on December 19, 2007
Why do you need bottles? Mankind survived for so many years without needing bottled water; many of us in the present day don't need bottled water: why do you need it? And knowing the real costs of that water (oil resources in plastics, in shipping, in disposing), why on mother earth would you not make the lifestyle changes required to not need it any more?
posted by five fresh fish at 6:21 PM on December 19, 2007
posted by five fresh fish at 6:21 PM on December 19, 2007
Why do you need bottles? Mankind survived for so many years without needing bottled water; many of us in the present day don't need bottled water: why do you need it?
I don't need bottled water. I also don't need to post to MetaFilter or keep up with the news or attend musical performances or eat anything beyond rice and beans or own a digital camera. That I do not need something is not in itself an argument against that thing.
And knowing the real costs of that water (oil resources in plastics, in shipping, in disposing), why on mother earth would you not make the lifestyle changes required to not need it any more?
Actually, I don't know the real costs of the water. I know that it uses oil resources in plastics, shipping, and disposing, but that doesn't tell me how much oil is used for one bottle of water. Saying "the bottled water has oil costs!" is like saying "do you know what this flat-screen television costs? It costs money!" If you can accurately quantify for me how much oil is used per bottle of water, perhaps you can convince me not to buy bottled water any more, if it turns out to be what I believe is an inordinately high amount. Merely saying that it uses some unknown amount of oil will not convince me to do so, however.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 7:19 AM on December 20, 2007
I don't need bottled water. I also don't need to post to MetaFilter or keep up with the news or attend musical performances or eat anything beyond rice and beans or own a digital camera. That I do not need something is not in itself an argument against that thing.
And knowing the real costs of that water (oil resources in plastics, in shipping, in disposing), why on mother earth would you not make the lifestyle changes required to not need it any more?
Actually, I don't know the real costs of the water. I know that it uses oil resources in plastics, shipping, and disposing, but that doesn't tell me how much oil is used for one bottle of water. Saying "the bottled water has oil costs!" is like saying "do you know what this flat-screen television costs? It costs money!" If you can accurately quantify for me how much oil is used per bottle of water, perhaps you can convince me not to buy bottled water any more, if it turns out to be what I believe is an inordinately high amount. Merely saying that it uses some unknown amount of oil will not convince me to do so, however.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 7:19 AM on December 20, 2007
Why is there no deposit on bottled water bottles? Is there any way that makes sense, except that the bottled water companies have good lobbyists?
posted by smackfu at 7:34 AM on December 20, 2007
posted by smackfu at 7:34 AM on December 20, 2007
That I do not need something is not in itself an argument against that thing.
It's an argument against bitching about having that thing. Either have it and enjoy it, or be rid of it and don't bitch about it. If it's not a need, then it is a choice.
BTW, 1L of Fiji water consumes ~3L crude oil and ~20L water.
Personally, I'd worry more about the plastic leachates than the oil consumption. It only takes near-homeopathic concentrations of Bisphesnol-A to put big tits on a man. You just know the other leachates are doing equally evil things to your body.
Bottled water, water worth dying for?
posted by five fresh fish at 5:18 PM on December 20, 2007
It's an argument against bitching about having that thing. Either have it and enjoy it, or be rid of it and don't bitch about it. If it's not a need, then it is a choice.
BTW, 1L of Fiji water consumes ~3L crude oil and ~20L water.
Personally, I'd worry more about the plastic leachates than the oil consumption. It only takes near-homeopathic concentrations of Bisphesnol-A to put big tits on a man. You just know the other leachates are doing equally evil things to your body.
Bottled water, water worth dying for?
posted by five fresh fish at 5:18 PM on December 20, 2007
BTW, 1L of Fiji water consumes ~3L crude oil and ~20L water.
Really? Seriously? I'm not (necessarily) doubting you, but I would LOVE to have a cite for that. I'm not snarking here. Skeptical, but not snarking. A cite for that would rock my world, and probably change my consumer behavior significantly.
posted by dersins at 5:29 PM on December 20, 2007
Really? Seriously? I'm not (necessarily) doubting you, but I would LOVE to have a cite for that. I'm not snarking here. Skeptical, but not snarking. A cite for that would rock my world, and probably change my consumer behavior significantly.
posted by dersins at 5:29 PM on December 20, 2007
It's an argument against bitching about having that thing.
Who's bitching about having it?
BTW, 1L of Fiji water consumes ~3L crude oil and ~20L water.
Thanks for the info. Fortunately, I avoid Fiji water as I do at least make a point of buying water which originated on the same continent where I'm located.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:33 PM on December 20, 2007
Who's bitching about having it?
BTW, 1L of Fiji water consumes ~3L crude oil and ~20L water.
Thanks for the info. Fortunately, I avoid Fiji water as I do at least make a point of buying water which originated on the same continent where I'm located.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:33 PM on December 20, 2007
It only takes near-homeopathic concentrations of Bisphesnol-A to put big tits on a man.
I already have big tits, but I attribute that to the fact that I'm overweight, not leachates from the bottled water I occasionally drink, which probably accounts for no more than 1% of all water I drink.
Bottled water, water worth dying for?
You mean worth a 0.000001% risk of dying? Yes, yes it is. Driving a car is far more dangerous, and I'm not giving that up any time soon.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:39 PM on December 20, 2007
I already have big tits, but I attribute that to the fact that I'm overweight, not leachates from the bottled water I occasionally drink, which probably accounts for no more than 1% of all water I drink.
Bottled water, water worth dying for?
You mean worth a 0.000001% risk of dying? Yes, yes it is. Driving a car is far more dangerous, and I'm not giving that up any time soon.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:39 PM on December 20, 2007
Dreama: ref. Looks like someone's updated the numbers; the ones I originally read were far worse.
DA: whatever.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:44 PM on December 20, 2007
DA: whatever.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:44 PM on December 20, 2007
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Okay, so I said it was something I found interesting.
Other than that, I predict new insights in the bottled water vs. tap water debate will be uncovered in this thread.
posted by darkstar at 8:32 PM on December 17, 2007