Are you a bottled water fanatic? Or do you take a more environmental position on the bottled water uproar?
Aquafina admitted that its water comes from – you guessed it, the tap – and the water from other bottled water brands may derive from similar sources. While many providers do offer consumers water that is of better quality and purity than some tap water, federal regulations only require bottled water to be as good as tap water, not superior.

So, not only are average American consumers spending an obscene amount of money (last year the bottled water market was valued at about $11 billion for something as good as what comes out of their own taps – but consider the unnecessary waste of countless billions of plastic bottles. Last year alone, approximately 30 billion – plastic water bottles were sold with that number continuing to grow by the second! With that being said, not only are we creating massive amounts of waste, but massive amount of landfills to store your bottled water containers.

What are the alternatives to bottled water?

Water coolers or a pitcher
If you’re just beginning to jump on the “won’t be tempted by bottled water” bandwagon, try starting with purchasing a water cooler that can be set up in your kitchen. These usually range anywhere from $80 – $200 but tend to only require filter changes every three months. In addition, there are a multitude of choices for filtered water pitchers that can be easily filled and refrigerated. They provide a quick and simple way to drink purified water and are fairly inexpensive.

Whole house water filtration systems
They’re a fraction of the cost of purchasing bottled water and are the most convenient. Some also believe they offer the best tasting water. The systems also provide the only sure-fire way to filter out chemicals in your existing drinking water (not to mention showering) that may pose a danger to you and your family.

There are numerous systems to choose from that directly attach to your plumbing system. Depending on the type of chemicals found in your water, check with NSF International, which will establish the standards for prime purification.

The benefits
Filling up your drinking glass in the convenience of your own home is an obvious perk. No more trudging to the grocery store to overpay for cases of water. And, at the same time, you’re befriending Mother Earth by not disposing of hazardous plastic water bottles, while at the same time preserving one of our most valuable resources (plastic water bottles are made from petroleum).

Market your environmentally-friendly products
If you’re a manufacturer or distributor of water filtration systems, the time is now to increase your share of the market. Although you may be discouraged by the seemingly endless increase of bottled water sales, what you may not be calculating is the simultaneous ascension of people banning together to reduce the adverse effects of bottled water waste on Mother Nature.

Become a comrade to the environmentalists’ they will assuredly approve of your company’s products and this may easily translate into dollars and word-of-mouth marketing.