Dr. Ben and the staff at StainlessWaterBottles.com strongly encourage you to consider buying a safe and healthy stainless steel reusable water bottle. We hope that with this revealing information on plastic water bottles, you will not only be inspired to make a healthy, responsible choice for you and your family, but as well for the environment.

We’re all guilty of buying plastic water bottles at some point or another, but after researching the terrible truths regarding plastic water bottles and their consumption, we think next time we’ll remember to grab our reusable water bottle rather than waste our money.

Buying bottled water is not only potentially harmful for your health, but it’s hard on the environment, hard on your wallet, and can sit in a landfill for over 1,000 years before it degrades to only turn into harmful contaminates that endanger current water supplies and the environment at large.

So our main question is: If bottled water isn’t healthier, safer, easier on the environment, or less expensive, why would anyone prefer to buy it over a one-time purchase of a reusable water bottle that has all of the positive sides of these qualities?

If it’s a matter of convenience, we’d like you to consider this: The typical American consumer spends $1,400 each year on plastic water bottles, versus the $.49 it would cost you to fill your reusable water bottle with your kitchen faucet. Overall, bottled water can cost up to 10,000 times more per gallon than tap water, which on a larger scale, sounds everything but convenient–especially in terms of our current economy.

The Benefits of Using Reusable Water Bottles

If you’re looking to purchase a reusable water bottle such as one of the Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Water Bottles, the most expensive combination of bottles with caps (the 40 oz. Klean Kanteen Classic and the 64 oz. Wide Klean Kanteen) range from $27.95-$33.70, before tax. As for the most popular sizes that we would carry on a regular basis (the 18 oz. and 27 oz. with most expensive caps for both wide and classic), the prices range right around $20, before tax.

Paying $20-30 up front for a reusable water bottle may seem a bit pricey, but consider the long-term effects and the fact that this one-time amount will cost you nowhere NEAR $1,400 a year. That $20-30 reusable water bottle may suddenly seem pretty darn affordable! Plus, you’ll be keeping your family chemical free by drinking from BPA-, phthalate-, toxin- and lead-free, 18/8 food-grade stainless steel. And, reusable water bottles are very durable–that $20-30 reusable water bottle could last you for up to years–and they’re 100% recyclable. Time to give yourself a big pat on the back for single-handedly reducing your carbon footprint!

The Shocking Facts Regarding the Production of Plastic Water Bottles

Plastic water bottles are made from oil. Over 1.5 million barrels of crude oil are used in producing plastic water bottles in America each year. This amount of oil is enough to run 100,000 cars for an entire year. Plus, 1.5 million barrels of crude oil does not even include the amount of oil that is being burned while delivery trucks are transporting the plastic water bottles, not to mention the irreplaceable fossil fuels being used as well in transportation and delivery.

Delivery vehicle emissions pollute more water than is created.

Manufacturing plastic water bottles requires energy that is often provided by fossil fuel burning sources.

The growth in plastic water bottle production has increased water extraction in areas near bottling plants, leading to water shortages that affect neighboring consumers and farmers.

In addition to the millions of gallons of water used in the plastic-making process, two gallons of water are wasted in the purification process for every gallon that goes into the bottles. According to the GreenGuide.com,

“Producing 1 kilogram of PET plastic requires 17.5 kilograms of water and results in air emissions of 40 grams of hydrocarbons, 25 grams of sulfur oxides, 18 grams of carbon monoxide, 20 grams of nitrogen oxides, and 2.3 kilograms of carbon dioxide. In terms of water use alone, much more is consumed in making the bottles than will ever go into them.”

Most of the recycling of plastic water bottles takes place in China. This also takes up irreplaceable fossil fuels and oil in transportation.

Disturbing Facts about Bottled Water

Here are 15 cold hard facts to consider about plastic water bottles and how unsustainable the bottled water industry truly is. Purchasing and using reusable water bottles eliminates many of these issues, all while being good for the environment and reducing your personal carbon footprint.

Did You Know…

Is Bottled Water More Pure Than Tap Water?

Though all of the major plastic water bottle companies would like for us to believe that they represent and manufacture only the purest and cleanest of water sources, many environmental tests and much scientific research has proven otherwise. Once again, it seems like using a reusable water bottle is the better choice for not only you, but for the environment.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) did a bottled water quality investigation on ten major plastic water bottle brands in October of 2008. Not only did their research include finding 38 pollutants, but needless to say, the water found in plastic water bottles is not as “pure” as we’d like to think we’re paying for. The EWG states,

“The bottled water industry promotes an image of purity, but comprehensive testing by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) reveals a surprising array of chemical contaminants in every bottled water brand analyzed, including toxic byproducts of chlorination in Walmart’s Sam’s Choice and Giant Supermarket’s Acadia brands, at levels no different than routinely found in tap water. Several Sam’s Choice samples purchased in California exceeded legal limits for bottled water contaminants in that state. Cancer-causing contaminants in bottled water purchased in 5 states (North Carolina, California, Virginia, Delaware and Maryland) and the District of Columbia substantially exceeded the voluntary standards established by the bottled water industry.”

The bottled water industry is not required to disclose any water contaminant testing results to the public, unlike tap water, where consumers are provided with testing results each year. The EWG concludes that since the bottled water industry refuses to make their testing results public knowledge or prove that their water is as pure as believed, the purity of water found in plastic water bottles is not to be trusted. The EWG states,

“…the industry hides behind the claim that bottled water is held to the same safety standards as tap water. But with promotional campaigns saturated with images of mountain springs, and prices 1,900 times the price of tap water, consumers are clearly led to believe that they are buying a product that has been purified to a level beyond the water that comes out of the garden hose.”

The EWG conducted their laboratory tests at one of the nation’s leading water quality laboratories. From their testing, the EWG found that “10 popular brands of bottled water, purchased from grocery stores and other retailers in 9 states and the District of Columbia, contained 38 chemical pollutants altogether, with an average of 8 contaminants in each brand. More than one-third of the chemicals found are not regulated in bottled water.” And if that doesn’t sound bad enough, the EWG also found that brands Sam’s Choice and Acadia had chemical levels that exceed the legal limits in California, and those of the ndustry-sponsored voluntary safety standards.

Four brands were also contaminated with bacteria.

In relation to the testing on the differences between bottled water and tap water, the EWG concludes,

“Two of 10 brands tested, Walmart’s and Giant’s store brands, bore the chemical signature of standard municipal water treatment — a cocktail of chlorine disinfection byproducts, and for Giant water, even fluoride. In other words, this bottled water was chemically indistinguishable from tap water. The only striking difference: the price tag.

In both brands levels of disinfection byproducts exceeded safety standards established by the state of California and the bottled water industry.”

More information regarding the exact standards that were exceeded can be found on the EWG website.

Overall, the EWG’s laboratory test results have shown us that:

• bottled water is not more pure than tap water.
• there is a broad range of pollutants that were found in 10 major brands
• you’ll honestly never know what exactly you’re getting in bottled water.

If you are interested in finding testing results for the tap water in your area, the EPA website features quality water reports for each state.

Want Purer Tap Water? Consider Buying a Water Filter

If you don’t like the taste of your tap water, why not invest in a home water filter? Water filters, such as the Premium 10 Stage Countertop Water Filter, will make your tap water taste and smell much better since they remove chlorine and bacterial contaminants. And, if you’re using a point-of-use water filter, it will also remove any lead present in your tap water so you won’t have to worry about it entering your body. By far the perfect companion for your reusable water bottle of choice!

Even though a water filter may seem pricey upon first purchasing, keep in mind that it is still less expensive and safer for your health than buying plastic bottled water over time. You’ll have safe and healthy water to drink in your reusable water bottle, and in the long run it’ll be much more affordable.

Consuming contaminated water can be seen by some as an open invitation for health ailments. Water filters are said to greatly reduce the risk of rectal, colon, and bladder cancer; they reduce the risk for gastrointestinal disease by more than 33 percent by removing cryptosporidium and giardia from the water; and they offer a last line of defense between your body and the 2,100+ known toxins that may be present in drinking water.

Benefits of Using Reusable Water Bottles

As you’ve seen, it seems as if the best responsible choice for our health is to invest in reusable water bottles that are safe for our health, the environment, and our families.

All of the reusable water bottles found at StainlessWaterBottles.com (such as the Klean Kanteen Sippy Cup reusable water bottle shown on the right) have been doctor approved by Dr. Ben, and are made from BPA-, phthalate-, lead-, and toxin-free, 18/8 food-grade stainless steel. Reusable water bottles that are stainless steel are the best and safest choice on the market, as they do not contain potentially harmful liners, or any unknown chemicals.

Reusable water bottles are 100% recyclable and durable enough to last you and your family for up to years. Plus, as we noted earlier, that $20-30 reusable water bottle is much more affordable and safe for your health than purchasing plastic water bottles.

Reusable water bottles also come in all sizes for your healthy active lifestyle. There are kid-friendly reusable water bottles, reusable water bottles that are perfect for commuting or the gym, and even reusable water bottles that will help keep you hydrated for road trips, traveling, or a long weekend of camping and hiking.

Dr. Ben and StainlessWaterBottles.com are Here to Help!

If you have any questions or comments regarding reusable water bottles let us know, Dr. Ben and the staff at StainlessWaterBottles.com are here to help! We feel very strongly about helping you find the perfect reusable water bottle for your healthy, active lifestyle. Feel free to call us at (800) 594-4916, comment down below, or email us at any time.