What You Can Do
- Understand the problem
- Change your own habits
- Reflect on your changes
- Raise awareness in your own community
- Demand increased awareness in public institutions
Making a decision to stop buying plastic water bottles is the kind of choice that needs to be made on a personal level. If you are thinking of changing your habits, it should be a choice that YOU have made and not because it is the current popular thing to do. That is why it is important to do your own research into the issue.
After you have understood the problem of purchasing water in plastic bottles, then you can proceed to change your own personal habits. This can be done by using tap water in a toxic free reusable bottle and choosing tap water in restaurants. If you are still worried about the taste of your tap water, purchase a water filter.
Now, reflect on the affect your changes have made. The step is important in realizing how small changes can lead to big results. Even if you focus on the statistic that every 1 plastic water bottle is using 7 times the amount of water, you will see that the waste produced really starts to add up.
Bringing awareness to your family, friends, and members of your social circle may not convince them to change. But it will be the very important first step in helping them realize their behaviour is damaging to the environment. Some people may not have even given a second thought to their current behaviours and that is why it is so important for others to spread the word.
When you attend a business or social event, ask questions of why bottled water is being used. Then you can explain (using your wealth of knowledge gained from step 1) why tap water is the more environmentally conscience (and significantly cheaper!) choice.
You don't have to stop at these steps, they are merely the beginning of living a greener life! Sign government petitions, get involved, and be an active green citizen!