My Bad Habits Are Bottled Up

Yep, its true… I have a serious case of Lafayette Laziness. I hate to admit it, but I do. What is Lafayette Laziness, you ask? Well, its the basis for the argument that I am about to make. Since coming to Lafayette, I’ve become wasteful due to the convenience and accessibility of day to day products on campus. In my first blog post, I pledged to cut down on the amount of product waste that I am throwing out. Well, after a week of observation, I have a LONG way to go.

This weeks primary offender, the plastic water bottle.

While grabbing a bottle of water is a convenient thirst quencher in almost any setting, the negative environmental effects of such products are quite alarming. And, while much of the discussion around the bottling industry focuses on the recycling of plastics, author Chris Baskind uncovers a different and frankly frightening realization. In his article 5 Reasons Not to Drink Bottled Water (Baskind, 2010), Baskind explains that the water bottling industry creates nearly 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year, all of which requires  almost 50 million gallons of oil to produce. If that isn’t an alarming statistic then I don’t know what is.

After examining this article I’ve realized that by using plastic water bottles I am not only wasting plastic, but I am inadvertently adding to my carbon footprint. But why do I keep buying bottled drinks? After all, I’m supposed to be a poor college kid, right? Sure, a gatorade goes great with a late night Wawa sandwich, or when I want water at Lower, bottled is my only option… but why do I have these habits? I’ve always know that plastic water bottles aren’t a smart option. In fact, up until this fall, I had cut plastic water bottles from my life almost completely.

So, the question remains… why have I found myself wastefully relying on bottled water to stay hydrated?

The answer lies in my deeply scientific and thoroughly tested hypothesis of the Lafayette Laziness Syndrome. Well, maybe its not all that scientific. BUT, it is true! I’ve increased my reliance on bottled water simply because it is widely available and it is easy to obtain. For example, when purchasing a meal at lower, tap water isn’t available anywhere. What is readily available are the gleaming refrigerator cases chalked full with various brands of bottled water, each with a different sales pitch as to why their brand is the “superior” water. With a quick swipe of my school ID, any bottled drink is mine with almost no thought of the resources required for its delivery to my hand and little worry of where the bottle will end up once it is empty.

So where do we go from here? Now that I am increasingly aware of the effects of my bad habits, I can begin to make changes. Say goodbye to the Poland Springs say hello to the wonders of the reusable Nalgene!

Citation:

Baskind, Chris. (2010). 5 Reasons Not To Drink Bottled Water. Retrieved From http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/stories/5-reasons-not-to-drink-bottled-water