Our world is in trouble and, if we don’t do something soon, it might be too late for us to ever do anything.

Our rate of consumption is nearly out of control and we’re hardly doing anything compensate for it. This consumption leads to more greenhouse gas emissions from production/transportation of materials. If it’s cheaper for the consumer, they’re going to buy it without even considering how that product is affecting the environment.

One of the biggest detriments to our planet so far has been the use and misuse of plastic water bottles.

The gigantic use of plastic water bottles has become quite a problem for us in many ways. First, making bottles to meet America’s demand for bottled water uses more than 17 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel 1.3 million cars for a year. And that’s not even including the oil used for transportation. Furthermore, when we don’t recycle all of our plastic bottles, we do even more harm to our environment. Last year alone, the average American consumed 167 plastic bottles of water, but only recycled 38 of them. Altogether, that means over $1 billion of plastic was wasted when it could’ve been used again.

As far as I know, people have two options: either get a reusable water bottle to use until the end of time, or increase the use of boxed water.

Personally, I prefer to have reusable water bottle. It’s cheaper and has zero waste. But boxes are definitely a better way of transporting small amounts of water than plastic bottles are.

76% of the boxed water containers are composed of a renewable resource, trees. Even if you’re worried about these new water containers contributing to deforestation, the trees that are used to make the boxes come from certified, well managed forests. Trees are grown and harvested in specific orders that allow plenty of trees to keep growing, removing CO2 form the atmosphere.

Also, the boxes are shipped flat and unfolded so that they are much more efficient compared to shipping empty plastic or glass bottles to be filled.

And, most importantly, these boxed water containers are recyclable. Since they’re made of cardboard-type material, people will be more likely to recycle them. I still find myself encountering people who have no idea whether plastic bottles are recycled or not.

Odds are these people don’t usually recycle their used plastic water bottles.

The biggest problem with using boxed water instead of plastic water bottles is, of course, money.

Plastic bottles are easy to produce and can be done in a cheap way. On Amazon.com, for example, a 12-pack of plastic water bottles costs less than $3. Boxed water, on the same website, costs over $50 for a 12-pack.

Sure, that’s a huge price difference.

Personally, I don’t buy boxed water. It’s way to expensive for the budget of a college student like me. But I also don’t buy water in plastic bottles. I know they’re harmful to the environment and I’d rather just use my reusable water bottle over and over again instead.

So, if you have financial ability to do so, I’d highly suggest you go out and buy a flat of boxed water in place of plastic water bottles. You can be snooty to your pals because you’re making an environmentally conscious decision to make a difference and look stylish while doing it.

And, if Anne Hathaway isn’t the best celebrity to endorse this awesome product, then I don’t know who is.

Well, actually, I could think of a few people with more authority than her. But she supports going green and that’s admirable in its own right.

The Rating: 71/100

Pro: A sweet-looking box that’s better for environment and contains water is definitely something that’s alright with me. But I use a reusable water bottle for a reason — $$$.

Con: Damn… Water can get expensive!