Reusable Water Bottle

After the auto-seal on my last refillable water bottle broke, I have slowly sunk into the bad habit of purchasing and consuming water via disposable water bottles. On a somewhat regular basis, I’ll find my desk cluttered with empty plastic bottles and though I’ll recycle them, I know it would be more sustainable if I were to reuse them instead. I have finally acquired a new water bottle and am planning on using it in lieu of plastic bottles for the remainder of the semester (and beyond).

As I like to try to drink water on a regular basis, I am going to attempt to monitor how many disposable bottles I am NOT using by using the refillable water bottle instead, and as a result I can also figure out how much water I am drinking each day.

Although it sounds like a simple habit (and it might be for some), I have already struggled just one day in. I left my beloved Contigo bottle in my dorm room and was left with decision of going thirsty or purchasing a disposable water bottle, and I chose the latter. Here lies one of my first challenges: remembering the bring the water bottle with me. Duh. I also have to remember to record my water usage as I am genuinely curious how much plastic I avoid consuming.

 

I am always skeptical about the conclusions drawn on the online calculators of carbon and ecological footprints, as the questions are quite general, given locations certain assumptions are made, and all in all they are obviously not a precise tool (nor are they meant to be). However, it is quite clear that there is almost certainly room in everyone’s lives for improvement in sustainable practices. I know there are many practices I should improve upon, and I plan on starting with a reusable water bottle and working my way up from there.