If you could make a small change that would save you money, help the environment and possibly protect your health, would you do it? This is the decision I made three years ago when I decided to kick our bottled water habit and install a water filtration system.
Three years ago:
- We consumed an average of three boxes of Trader Joe’s 64oz bottled water each month costing roughly $25/month
- Our monthly waste was three cardboard boxes and 36 large water bottles
Then I invested in a water filtration system:
- The cost for the faucet mount water filtration system and one filter was about $25
- One filter lasted us approximately 4 months. Filters cost $11-$14 each, depending where you buy them.
- Including the cost of the system, our yearly savings = $253
- The amount of waste we saved over the course of a year = 36 cardboard boxes and 432 water bottles
Some facts about water bottles from ReusableBags.com:
- Americans will buy an estimated 25 billion single-serving, plastic water bottles this year. Eight out of 10 (22 billion) will end up in a landfill.
– Container Recycling Institute- Worldwide 2.7 million tons of plastic are used to bottle water each year.
– OneWorld- 1.5 million barrels of oil is used annually to produce plastic water bottles for America alone – enough to fuel some 100,000 U.S. cars for a year.
– Earth Policy Institute- Imagine a water bottle filled a quarter of the way up with oil. That’s about how much oil was needed to produce the bottle.
– National Geographic- The bottled water you purchase is often in #1 PET or PETE bottles (polyethylene terephthalate), which may leach DEHA, a known carcinogen, if used more than once.
– Mothering.com- A growing problem: “In 1990, Americans bought 1.1 billion pounds of plastic in the form of bottles, according to the Container Recycling Institute. In 2002, they bought more than three times that – 4 billion pounds.”
– Christian Science Monitor- Increasing evidence of adverse health effects tied to Bisphenol A, or BPA a widely used chemical in the manufacturing of plastic polycarbonate bottles, including baby bottles, water bottles and food / beverage containers.
- Like all plastic, these bottles will be with us forever since plastic does not biodegrade; rather, it breaks down into smaller and smaller toxic bits that contaminate our soil and waterways.
- Along with plastic bags, plastic bottles are one of the most prevalent sources of pollution found on our beaches.
- Many studies show that the quality of bottled water may be no better than tap water.
This week I’m giving away one PUR Water Filtration System, including one disposable filter.
To enter:
- Follow (or Like) my Facebook Page: equals 1 entry – http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Cool-to-be-Frugal/107709642599262
- Subscribe to my RSS feed: equals 1 entry – http://feeds.feedburner.com/cooltobefrugal
- Follow me on Twitter: equals 1 entry – http://twitter.com/CooltobeFrugal
- Tweet about this giveaway. Tweet This button below under “Share and Enjoy” (be sure to include @CooltobeFrugal so I can locate your Tweet): equals 2 entries
Multiple entries accepted and encouraged!
Leave a comment below and let me know what you’ve done so I can log your entry(s). Contest open through 9pm Pacific Time Sunday, May 9th. Winner will be selected using Random.org and announced on Tuesday, May 11th.
Good luck and thanks for participating!
Hi, I’m Cathy! I’m a former career-driven professional turned stay-at-home mom. Living on one salary has its challenges, but it is possible to live the good life while spending less. Cool to be Frugal is all about how we’re thriving, not just surviving, on a single income.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow that’s some pretty cool savings. I have a big 3 stage filter here in Cairo…. problem know is all my free filters are dead and I am having problems tracking down a new one (the suppliers speak arabic… I will get it but temporarily on bottled again causing waste
)
One of my grade school science projects was to verify/dispute the claims made by water filtration systems (used Brita). Turns out they’re not lying!
The activated carbon systems really remove a lot of the junk that’s in our water.
Best of Luck to all entries.
I don’t participate in many giveaways. I figure winnings should go to the viewing public instead of other bloggers. But in this case, may the best man (or woman) win! I want a pur filter. We finally bailed on all bottled waters about a year ago. Turns out tap water doesn’t kill you but having a pur filter would be cool.
RSS feed, tweeted and fingers crossed. Good luck to all!
We use a Brita pitcher, but we drink so much water each day that it’s a pain to keep refilling it — a faucet-mount filter would be awesome! I’ve done all four things to enter (Follow on Twitter, tweeted the contest, subscribed to RSS, and “liked” on Facebook).
Tweeted (and followed!), signed up for the RSS, and “liked” on Facebook!
Hi! Great idea! I love looking for “small ways” to help the environment. Clever idea abou the givaway. I always carry cloth bags in the car for shopping! That way I’m not stuck with all plastic bags. We also use cloth napkins (totally NOT A BIG DEAL TO WASH). Very great premise!! Best regards, Barb
I’ve subscribed to your RSS feed, but I’m actually a Twitter and Facebook hold-out, sorry. I’ll try to make up for that by putting the giveaway in my Saturday morning post. Hope it helps!
We bought the best grocery bags from reuseablebags.com. They fit across the cart and we get compliments every time we use them.
I subscribe to your RSS feed, tweeted and follow you on twitter. Great giveaway!
I “like this” on Facebook, followed on Twitter, subscribed via a reader, and I’m about to retweet your message once I get back over to that tab. Whew! Sounds like a bunch of work, but took only a minute or so. Ah, technology!
Wow that’s some serious savings! 432 water bottles really adds up! Just curious, do you use a nalegene or something and just fill it up with water to replace the bottles? I started doing that in college, such an easy way to save money!
Our tap water comes from a well and not only is it pure and clean, it tastes better than bottled water too. A lot of people reuse their plastic bottles for their water – don’t do that, the plastic contains chemicals that can leak in the water, especially if it used over and over again. I suggest using a stainless steel bottle to keep your water in – it stays fresh and remains clean.
Thanks for all the great facts. I had no idea that it took that much oil to produce the bottles.
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