Feb 6, 2020
A Bottle a Day Makes a Lot of Bottles
Why every day matters to your wallet and the world
Each day the cycle remains the same; the second I gain consciousness, my lips are parched and my throat is dry.
I feel sand pouring down my throat with each swallow. The grating of my inner throat against itself proves too much to handle, and I am forced awake.
In the dark I helplessly knock my belongings off the table, searching for a bottle of water. I twist off the lid and indulge in its moisturizing wonder, downing every last drop remaining from the night before. Each day goes on and I drink more water, aiming to drink a half-gallon or more each day. By the end of the day, my 32 ounce Nalgene has seen itself filled and emptied multiple times.
Every day, I use the same bottle. I have used it for years and plan to do so for the foreseeable future. BPA free, I don’t have to worry about any cancer (based on our current science at least). Though now it’s melted once or twice from the dishwasher with faded measurements incremented on the side, it has served me through camping trips, road trips, every day at work and the same at home. This bottle goes with me everywhere, almost as much as my phone.
When I am around other families, it sometimes comes as a shock to me that they don’t do the same. It’s been such a normal part of my life that when I see people carrying single-use water bottles around with them, it catches me off guard. I fail to understand why they are carrying those, instead of something more permanent.
I understand I have a strong opinion surrounding the environment and the detriment we have on it. Truth is, not everyone shares that same view and not everyone will. Before it became a big movement to treat our planet better, I wasn’t always motivated by the number of bottles or how it would ruin the planet. My main motivation to change my habits was that I was poor. I wasn’t ‘poor’ but, I was in college — everyone is poor there, surviving off of Ramen and parental donations.
Working a full-time job, I wasn’t about to spend my hard-earned money on bottled water.
Nestle Pure Life @ $2.23/ 12 bottles of 16.9 fl. oz.
Now let’s say I average 64 ounces of water every day that means I’m downing almost four bottles a day — more on heavier days which come frequently with college hangovers.
Four bottles each day means a twelve-pack lasts me three days. I’m buying ten of those every month. I’m spending $22.30. Every month. On water — something I desperately need to survive.
This information is assuming I’m planning ahead which, if I’m buying single-use water bottles, I’m probably not planning ahead much. Don’t get me started on the people that buy water bottles from the gas station at a dollar a piece ($120/month!).
I mean if I’m never-failing, following those numbers, you’re talking $267.60 that I’d be spending on twelve-packs of water in twelve months.
A more egregious assault on your wallet would be to make Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts a daily habit instead of brewing your own at home — though I won’t go there now.
Now, I don’t know about you but, if I’m making $25,000 a year (which is probably close to my college wages), I sure don’t want to spend ~1% of it to drink water to stay healthy and alive. What’s the alternative? Well, for the single inconvenience of buying of a Brita and a year supply of filters (each filter lasts 2 months), alongside a Nalgene, you can save yourself somewhere around $200. Five years down the road? You’re talking over $1000 saved — all because you made the slightest effort.
I might discuss issues such as the Flint Water Crisis by saying some people might not have a choice and to those living in such conditions: I pray we find a way to get our government to treat such a crisis with the urgency it deserves.
For me, money was the first reason. When I did that math I kept thinking: four bottles a day. Four bottles a day, 365 days a year. That’s 1,460 bottles every single person would go through in a year. With a recycling rate of 9.1% that means 133 of those get recycled, the remaining 1,327 are destined for landfills, oceans, rivers, forests, and animal’s stomachs (Please note: these are calculations for illustrative purposes. I understand some places — like Boulder, CO tend to have much higher rates).
It’s not only me anymore. Our world has woken up to the realization that we are destroying the gift given to us. We have a beautiful environment we decided to turn to trash. All I know is that every day that I keep myself alive with water, I will be saving my money and the environment, to the best of my ability. I might not be making a big difference but it’s a difference I can make.
Every bottle, every straw, every cotton swab — they all count. I hope we all see that soon.
