Remember when it wasn't controversial to carry a water bottle? Now you have the following to think about:

Disposable Bottle Blight: Disposable bottles are filling up the landfills in record numbers - 30 billion in the US in 2005. Only 12% are recycled. Even with 100% recycling, it is wasteful to use a disposable bottle. They still have to truck the empties to a recycling center and back to a manufacturer. Reuse bottles or use a water fountain.

Dirty Little Secret - It's Just Tap Water Anyway: Bottled water is often just purified tap water, taken from public water supplies. You are paying bucks for what you can get practically free from the faucet. Even if it is special water from a pristine glacier or tropical island, imagine the energy waste of bottling it and transporting it to you via ship, train and truck.

But I Hate the Chlorine Taste: You can filter your own water at home or the office with a water filter pitcher or even filter it on the go with a water filter bottle. I use spring water bought in 5-gallon bottles for my home and office water coolers.

Keep it Clean: If you re-use water bottles, you must wash and dry them regularly. Without chlorine, the water in your water bottle is a happy home to breed bacteria and fungi - which generally come from your own lips. They are unlikely to make you sick, but it's gross. If you add sports drink or juice to the bottle, it is essential to wash it immediately after use as the sugar is a great fertilizer for bacteria and fungi.
What About Chemicals Leaching into my Water? Scares of bisphenol-A or other chemicals leaching from plastic bottles into your water have generally been discredited by research. However, manufacturers of reusable water bottles have responded with bottles that are free of bisphenol-A and prominently label them as a marketing tool. In any case, if you wash and dry your water bottle between uses there is less chance of chemicals having time to leach into your water.
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Photo © Wendy Bumgardner