Green day #3-bottled water

I don't think there is a human in the US who doesn't know of the huge burden water bottles are on our environment. That plastic NEVER goes away. It will break down into smaller and smaller bits, but it cannot EVER go away completely, leaving it to live forever in our streams, drinking water, etc.

There were studies done to try to prove the plastic from water bottle leaches into the drinking water, but the International Bottled Water Association said it wasn't sound proof because it was never peer reviewed or published in a scientific journal, yadda yadda, b.s., b.s. Water bottles are made out of PET (polyethylene terephthalate, plastic type #1). This plastic type is meant for SINGLE USE ONLY. Please, if you insist on drinking bottled water, 1. recycle your bottle and 2. do NOT refill it for a second use. Keep water bottles out of the heat and sun. When exposed, it will leach a labeled carcinogen called di(2-ethylhexyl) adipate into your water. Frankly, bottled water can lead directly to cancer. I remember seeing Sheryl Crow in an interview right after she was in remission, and she was asked what #1 thing we should do to prevent cancer. Her answer was "no bottled water, and if you have to, don't let it in the sun or heat."

There are plenty of options out there to avoid risking carcinogens leaking into your body just by drinking your daily allowance of H2O. My personal choice is a stainless steel water bottle. I carry mine wherever I go. I never ever leave home without it. It's like my purse or my cell phone. It just lives with me. Period. I got mine at Bath & Body works. But there's a great company out there called Klean Kanteen (www.kleankanteen.com) who makes them with all kinds of nice adapter nozzles. They even make small versions with sippy lids for kids. Yes, bet you never thought of your child's sippy cup giving them cancer in later life. ;) If you have to use a reuseable plastic water bottle, choose only #2, #4, or #5 plastics. Never expose them to extreme heat, handwash with a mild detergent and rinse them well. Harsh chemicals and bleach should never be used to clean them.

Most of us now know the dangers of BPA (bisphenol-A, a suspected hormone disrupter that may cause chromosomal disruption, miscarriages and birth defects), and most companies have recalled or pulled their reuseable water bottles made from this type of plastic (#7). Science has yet to discover what any and all forms of plastic are doing to our bodies, but we do know for certain some of the effects, and this particular plastic is deadly. If you get the 5 gallon water bottles and refill them for your water station, most are made of #7 (even still). Many baby bottles are made from this too, although the BPA-free train has been rolling strong over the last couple of years. If in doubt, check. If the number inside the recycle triangle on the bottom of the bottle has a number 7 in it, throw it in your recycle bin.

Tomorrow I'll go over the types of plastic, what's in them, what you should steer clear of and what is (known as of now) safe to use.

The best thing we can do for ourselves is to be informed. Ignorance is not bliss. It leads to disease, toxic living environments and the rapid death of our rainforests and precious planet. Here's to clean living in 2010!