USA Water Filter Blog

It’s that time of year again when many of us will implement New Year’s resolutions in hopes of seeing a positive impact in our everyday lives.

The Worldwatch Institute — an independent research organization based in Washington, D.C. — has compiled a list of simple steps that will help us lessen the environmental pressures we put on the planet.

• Recycle: Recycling programs are in effect in cities across the nation in an effort to save energy and help protect the environment. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that for each pound of aluminum recovered, Americans save the energy resources necessary to generate about 7.5 kilowatt-hours of electricity, which is enough to power a city the size of Pittsburgh for six years. What you can do: Put a separate container next to your trash can or printer, making it easier to recycle your bottles, cans and paper.

• Turn off the lights: On Saturday, March 31, hundreds of people, businesses, and government offices around the world turn off their lights for an hour as part of Earth Hour, a movement to address climate change. What you can do: While Earth Hour happens only once a year, you can make an impact every day by turning off lights during bright daylight, or whenever you will be away for an extended period of time.

• Make the switch: In 2007, Australia became the first country to “ban the bulb,” drastically reducing domestic usage of incandescent light bulbs and by this year cut an estimated 4 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. What you can do: Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) use only 20-30 percent of the energy required by incandescents to create the same amount of light, and LEDs use only 10 percent, helping reduce both electric bills and carbon emissions.

• Turn on the tap: The bottled water industry sold 8.8 billion gallons of water in 2010, generating nearly $11 billion in profits. Approximately 75 percent of water bottles are not recycled and instead they end up in landfills, litter roadsides, and pollute waterways and oceans. What you can do: Fill up your glasses and reusable water bottles with water from the sink.

http://poway.patch.com/articles/how-to-recycle-save-the-earth-going-green-tips-environment

 

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Our chosen water source in Kansas City has an impact on our health and the environment. In making a responsible choice, we need to be informed.

We’ve all heard about the environmental impact of plastic water bottles, yet cases of Fiji, Dasani, and Smart Water continue to sell briskly in Kansas City grocery stores.

First, the production of plastic bottles releases pollution and greenhouse gases into the environment. Fossil fuels are then needed to transport commercial water bottles to the water source and to Kansas City stores.

After the water has been consumed, the non biodegradable plastic ends up in Kansas parks, rivers, roadsides, and landfills. Reducing plastic water bottle usage in Kansas City would go a long way to clean up our environment.

Many Kansas consumers assume bottled water is more healthy than tap, however, 20 to 30 percent of bottled water comes from municipal tap water systems, just like our system here in Kansas City. Kansas investigative reports have shown that bottle water labels ofen skirt the truth about the water source.

thttp://kangenwaterspecialist.mygoodwatersite.com/2011/12/29/clean-up-kansas-city-stop-buying-bottled-water/

 

 

 

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According to Consumer Reports, nearly half of all bottled water produced in the U.S. is purified tap water. It does not come from any mountain stream, regardless of what the label looks like. Getting a filter for your home kitchen tap is as good as buying that tray of water bottles at Costco.

http://norberthaupt.wordpress.com/2011/12/30/bottled-water/

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• Say goodbye to plastic (and paper) bags. “But I always forget my bags in the car or at home,”is the number one excuse I hear people use for why they aren’t utilizing reusable bags.  And ya know what?  I’ve used the same excuse, that is, until I told myself I would just flat out never use a plastic or paper bag again.  So, when I forget my reusable bags in my car or at home, I load all of my groceries back into the cart and carry them by hand.  It’s really not that difficult, yet is enough of an inconvenience that the process serves as a fantastic reminder to bring my own bags in next time!
• While you’re at it, give plastic water bottles the boot. If you haven’t already, please buy yourself and each member of your family a reusable bottle and a Brita pitcher (if you don’t have a filter on your fridge).  There is zero reason to spend your hard-earned cash on bottled water.  Not only does the production and transportation of the bottles negatively impact the environment, there is solid proof that the water in those bottles is the same as what is coming out of your tap.  Only, it’s infinitely more expensive.

http://peachtreecorners.patch.com/articles/green-new-year-s-resolution-ideas

 

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Turn on the tap

The bottled water industry sold 8.8 billion gallons of water in 2010, according to Worldwatch, generating nearly $11 billion in profits. Yet plastic water bottles create huge environmental problems. “The energy required to produce and transport these bottles could fuel an estimated 1.5 million cars for a year, yet approximately 75 percent of water bottles are not recycled—-they end up in landfills, litter roadsides, and pollute waterways and oceans” the Institute states in a report.

While public tap water is subject to strict safety regulations the bottled water industry is not required to report testing results for its products.

World Watch recommends filling up your glasses and reusable water bottles with water from the sink. The United States has more than 160,000 public water systems, and by eliminating bottled water you can help to keep nearly 1 million tons of bottles out of the landfill, as well as save money on water costs.

http://mercerisland.patch.com/articles/12-simple-steps-for-going-green-in-2012-311e4ddb

 

NSA Water Filters

Turn on the tap

The bottled water industry sold 8.8 billion gallons of water in 2010, generating nearly $11 billion in profits. Yet plastic water bottles create huge environmental problems. The energy required to produce and transport these bottles could fuel an estimated 1.5 million cars for a year, yet approximately 75 percent of water bottles are not recycled—-they end up in landfills, litter roadsides, and pollute waterways and oceans. And while public tap water is subject to strict safety regulations, the bottled water industry is not required to report testing results for its products. According to a study, 10 of the most popular brands of bottled water contain a wide range of pollutants, including pharmaceuticals, fertilizer residue, and arsenic.

What you can do:

• Fill up your glasses and reusable water bottles with water from the sink. The United States has more than 160,000 public water systems, and by eliminating bottled water you can help to keep nearly 1 million tons of bottles out of the landfill, as well as save money on water costs.

  http://falmouth.patch.com/articles/10-simple-steps-for-going-green-in-2012

 

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Richards is urging people to stop drinking bottled water in 2012 in an effort to save the environment.

In a plea to the readers on her blog, Richards writes:

“It’s a great time to start thinking about those resolutions. But instead of just sticking to the usual goals of dropping a few pounds or hitting the gym, why not take one simple step that will help the environment, the health of your family and your pocketbook all at once? I recently made the commitment to get rid of bottled water in my home for all of those reasons.

“Every year, about 1.5 million tons of plastic goes into manufacturing water bottles, and most of those bottles just end up in landfills. But even if you recycle, there are lots of other reasons to stay away from plastic bottles. One is the price! Also, many studies show it’s not healthy drinking out of plastic bottles. Harmful chemicals in the plastic like bisphenol A (or BPA) can leach into the water and make you sick. It’s much safer to drink out of glasses, aluminium bottles (sic), or reusable BPA-free water bottles… Will you give it a try?”

She’s got a point!

Read more: http://www.starzlife.com/20111227/denise-richards-wants-you-to-ditch-bottled-water-in-2012/#ixzz1hqRTKKfA

 

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Driving from work to evening basketball practice, two of my most frequent stop-and-shop items are gasoline and bottled water. Recently, however, I realized how wasteful and unsustainable the latter purchase was. In Upstate New York, a gallon of gas costs about $3.60, or just fewer than three cents an ounce. A 20-ounce bottle of water costs about $1.50 (being generous), or almost eight cents an ounce.

The high price of gasoline today makes sense to me; exhumed from deep underground and under large bodies of water, refined from crude oil to be suitable for cars and shipped from all over the world to United States ports and then distributed to our local gas stations.

In Upstate New York, however, tap water is cheap.

Unfortunately, that is only the beginning of the story. At between $50 billion and $100 billion in revenue a year, the bottled water industry does not care about American consumers. The “natural springs” described on the label are, the majority of the time, municipal water sources in somebody else’s community.

Disposable water bottles still contain BPA, a chemical that can leach into water and affect estrogen levels and related harmful health risks. And the worst myth of all is that bottled water is healthier, since the FDA regulates public water sources much more diligently. If you live in an area where tap water is safe to drink, save your health and your wallet and stick to the tap.

http://blog.syracuse.com/opinion/2011/12/save_money_and_health_drink_ta.html

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FLAGSTAFF, AZ — Visitors to the Grand Canyon National Park will no longer find disposable plastic water bottles in vending machines, shops, hotels and grocery stores by early next year under a plan by park officials to ban their sale.

Park officials will first have to demonstrate that the park is positioned to comply with new guidelines issued by the National Park Service. The rules require a review of water availability, health and safety, cost and benefits of banning disposable water bottles. Such a ban would also require the approval of the regional parks director.

The Grand Canyon has been encouraging visitors to opt for reusable water bottles over disposable ones and to fill them at one of a dozen water stations installed on the north and south rims. Officials said they have not yet analyzed whether the yearlong effort resulted in a decrease in park waste, 30% of which is made up of disposable plastic water bottles.

Zion and Hawaii Volcanoes national parks have instituted bans similar to the one proposed at the Grand Canyon. The National Park Service said those parks also would have to show in writing that the new guidelines are met and evaluate the bans annually.

http://www.vendingtimes.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=EB79A487112B48A296B38C81345C8C7F&nm=Vending+Features&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=6D4E492FC34549359E654F46E164C0E5

 

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