Store Bought Water Bottles

[Serenity]

Store Bought Water Bottles.....

Is it worth the money?? Or are you actually being gypped??

Slate.com - Evian Criminals

SSSuurre, it's more convenient to get it off of the store, if you are really thirsty, but what if you wanted to get a whole case maybe from Costco or any store, then what would you think???

I think, it's not worth buying a case, when you can just filter them in
a pitcher at home & pour them in a one gallon jug!!.

Brita Water Filtration System

I have it Home, & I bought the Brita Water Pitcher from Longs drugs. (you also get them in Sears. Maybe in Walmart, or probably K-Mart.)

I think that, it would be your best bet, if you wanted to save some money than buying a case when you can just filter them at home.

I actually saw that ad in the Hon. Adv. in the Busn. Section (07/28/07), but I just can't find it in the internet right now.

Now, what do you actually think??? You are actually drinking filtered water from the tap when you buy bottled (filtered) water from the store .

It's thirst quenching for the lastminute, but on a practical basis on buying a whole case for your home, not a good idea financially!!.

Sooo...

Got comments about this???

Inquiring minds would like to know.

[Menehune Man]

Re: Store Bought Water Bottles.....

I agree that water is water. The important part is filtration.

Some places are so primitive that boiling the water is all they do. That kills any bacteria, etc. though does nothing for metal and mineral content.

I believe most (if not all) bottled water is from the same water sources that the populace use, just run through more and hopefully better filtration systems.

Oahu has a terrific natural filter through rock to the aquafer and then it's run through filters also. Our "problem" lies in the old pipes I believe.

So using home filtration seems a proper way to go to me.
Gets the job done and at less cost too.

[oceanpacific]

Re: Store Bought Water Bottles.....

Then, there's the $0.06 per container fee that you only get $0.05 back upon redemption. That's a loss of 16.67% ............ assuming you don't forget to redeem them.

We bought them for convenience ........... soccer, picnics, hiking (scouts), etc.

[lavagal]

Re: Store Bought Water Bottles

And then there's the stat that nearly 85 percent of all water bottles bought in the United States are NOT recycled.

source: http://container-recycling.org/media...-DownDrain.htm

[tutusue]

Re: Store Bought Water Bottles

Personally I don't see the need for bottled water here. The only time I buy bottles is for a casting session when I have a room full of clients. That's for convenience only. Otherwise tap water is fine with me.

This reminds me of a slightly funny, albeit sad, story. I had good friends who fell on hard times a number of years ago. They ended up on food stamps and living in my Makaha condo. They had a $5./day bottled water habit (1-6 pack of the good stuff!) that they just would not give up...to the point that they tried to get more food stamps because they didn't have enough for the amount of food they needed after buying the water. At first I encouraged them to drink tap water, even citing various studies. No way. Then I strongly encouraged them to cut back to $2.50/day and fill the empties with tap water! No way!! Finally I told them if they didn't stop that ridiculous expenditure I was going to charge them rent. That one did it!!! They saved 6 bottles and refilled them with tap water.

And, no, the friendship did not survive this situation. Just as well...

[scrivener]

Re: Store Bought Water Bottles

We have some of the best tap water in the world here, but I'm with Menehune Man: Sometimes the route water takes to get from the supply to your faucet is fraught with yuckies. I recently developed a sensitivity to the taste of my tap water and just couldn't get over it. So I'm on bottled water now at home, which is costing me about seven bucks per week. That seems a bit much, considering the near free-ness of tap water, but it's less than the cost of two beers at the corner bar. We have a water service at work (the tap water there is nasty), so my water needs during the working day are taken care of.

I once had a PUR pitcher that I really liked; I'm considering going that way again, but I just can't be bothered with something like that right now.

Side note on the bottles: I don't recycle mine, either. If it's convenient, I throw them in a trash can that I know will get dug through, but if it's not, it's right to the curb for my bottles. The bottle tax practically gives me PERMISSION now to toss the bottles: If I want to forfeit my $1.40 per week by not recycling, I've paid for that privilege. Until someone convinces me that recycling is not just as bad for the environment as NOT recycling, I'll recycle or not recycle as I deem appropriate.

[Palolo Joe]

Re: Store Bought Water Bottles

I once had a PUR pitcher that I really liked; I'm considering going that way again, but I just can't be bothered with something like that right now.

Just can't be bothered by taking a trip to Wal-Mart to buy a new one?

Hopefully you'll find yourself bothered within a couple of weeks of spending $7 a week on bottled water (not including the redemption fees), but I'm thinking that hasn't happened.

Side note on the bottles: I don't recycle mine, either. If it's convenient, I throw them in a trash can that I know will get dug through, but if it's not, it's right to the curb for my bottles. The bottle tax practically gives me PERMISSION now to toss the bottles: If I want to forfeit my $1.40 per week by not recycling, I've paid for that privilege. Until someone convinces me that recycling is not just as bad for the environment as NOT recycling, I'll recycle or not recycle as I deem appropriate.

This is rich. Great example for your students to live by... NOT.

Sometimes you seem like a really smart guy.

Other times, I just shake my head at your thought process.

[scrivener]

Re: Store Bought Water Bottles

Just can't be bothered by taking a trip to Wal-Mart to buy a new one?

I know it's a dumb way to reason it out, but it's slightly out of the money and time budget right now. I'm so stressed over both that it's keeping me up at night.

Hopefully you'll find yourself bothered within a couple of weeks of spending $7 a week on bottled water (not including the redemption fees), but I'm thinking that hasn't happened.

It's really $7 with the redemption deposits. Comes out to just over twenty-five cents per bottle.

This is rich. Great example for your students to live by... NOT.
Sometimes you seem like a really smart guy.
Other times, I just shake my head at your thought process.

I teach my students to question what the majority tells them. Everyone I know who insists on recycling says he or she does it for the environment. When I ask them what happens to a bottle once it's been redeemed, they have no idea. When I ask them what kind of resources are used in the recycling of a bottle, and whether those resources are more efficient than making new bottles, they have no idea. When I ask them what the by-products of recycling bottles are, such as waste and pollution, they have no idea. They have accepted without questioning that recycling is better.

I don't think I'm an especially smart guy, but I know this: When everyone from politicians to businesspeople to folks in the media all prescribe the same action without backing any of it up with meaningful, understandable evidence, something's not right. I don't buy all the second-hand smoke hype and I am not convinced that recycling bottles is better for the environment.

One of my students, in an effort to prove that I was being dumb about all this, did some research of his own and now HE's not sure recycling is such a good thing. I never got to see that report (it was for another class), but I have inspired the multimedia club to follow a bottle on its path from the redemption center to wherever it goes. I don't know if they'll be allowed to do it, but they're planning it right now.

I know: If I'm not convinced one way or the other, isn't it just as easy to do it as not to do it? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Most of the time, in all honesty, I dump my bottles in the school bin, where the student council will get the refund. But the bottles I empty at home either go into the trash at the service station (where several people check for bottles every day) or out to the curb. Convince me that I'm doing something bad.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Store Bought Water Bottles

I teach my students to question what the majority tells them. --- When everyone from politicians to businesspeople to folks in the media all prescribe the same action without backing any of it up with meaningful, understandable evidence, something's not right.

Put this in the context of a religious discussion, and you may have just helped present my side of the story, Scriv.

[Palolo Joe]

Re: Store Bought Water Bottles

I know it's a dumb way to reason it out, but it's slightly out of the money and time budget right now. I'm so stressed over both that it's keeping me up at night.

I'd like to believe that... but I've read your posts about the twist-ties on bread packaging.

You do have SOME extra time on your hands, if you can afford to do that kind of stuff.

I don't think I'm an especially smart guy, but I know this: When everyone from politicians to businesspeople to folks in the media all prescribe the same action without backing any of it up with meaningful, understandable evidence, something's not right. I don't buy all the second-hand smoke hype and I am not convinced that recycling bottles is better for the environment.

One of my students, in an effort to prove that I was being dumb about all this, did some research of his own and now HE's not sure recycling is such a good thing. I never got to see that report (it was for another class), but I have inspired the multimedia club to follow a bottle on its path from the redemption center to wherever it goes. I don't know if they'll be allowed to do it, but they're planning it right now.

I know: If I'm not convinced one way or the other, isn't it just as easy to do it as not to do it? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Most of the time, in all honesty, I dump my bottles in the school bin, where the student council will get the refund. But the bottles I empty at home either go into the trash at the service station (where several people check for bottles every day) or out to the curb. Convince me that I'm doing something bad.

You raise a couple of good points. And at least you're putting the bottles in a place where others can benefit, instead of just throwing them away and adding to the landfill problem.

[infinitypro]

Re: Store Bought Water Bottles

We have purchased bottled water, and then refilled them with tap. As long as the bottle stays is sturdy (and someone doesn't mistakenly throw away the cap) we have all brands of bottles with tap water from our kitchen. On the way out the door, we'll grab one of our filled bottles for the day. However, we've encountered some moments when we need to purchase a new bottle of water, and again that one too is reused here at home.

We just won a case of water for a $1 raffle, it's still sitting in the kitchen storage because we have enough in the refrigerator to last awhile. We'll break those out when guests come over!

We used to recycle, and haul all of the bags to Halawa Industrial, however due to time we haven't. Now, we just recycle and donate for the school.

Hawaii water is excellent as compared to the tap I tasted in my home in Houston...happy to be home in Hawaii!

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Store Bought Water Bottles

We have purchased bottled water, and then refilled them with tap. As long as the bottle stays is sturdy (and someone doesn't mistakenly throw away the cap) we have all brands of bottles with tap water from our kitchen. On the way out the door, we'll grab one of our filled bottles for the day. However, we've encountered some moments when we need to purchase a new bottle of water, and again that one too is reused here at home.

For your health, don't reuse those bottles for more than a couple of weeks. (1) Backwash from your mouth will put bacterial flora into the bottles; over time, they will multiply in the bottle to levels that can make you ill. Regular washing of the bottles can help, though you cannot generally get into all of the bottle to scrub it. (2) It has been suggested that harmful chemicals (specifically, bisphenol-A) can leach from degradation of the plastic over time into the water, again with potential harm to your health, but the research into this is inconclusive.

[scrivener]

Re: Store Bought Water Bottles

For your health, don't reuse those bottles for more than a couple of weeks. (1) Backwash from your mouth will put bacterial flora into the bottles; over time, they will multiply in the bottle to levels that can make you ill.

Beat me to it. I've been brought down by an overused bottle, and so have a few of my friends. One day I took a sip, and I tasted something moldy. I threw it out. The next day I was flat on my back!

I don't know about the leeching thing. I've heard different stories about that.

[helen]

Re: Store Bought Water Bottles

I tend to recycle plastic juice or water bottles by filling them up again with water but I never drink directly from a bottle, instead pouring it to a cup.

As far as this leeching thing goes, maybe it is the amount of time, like after years that becomes an issue, but I don't think period of weeks or a month or two is going to be an issue. If uncertain use the expireation date on the bottle as a guide as to when to toss out the bottle.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Store Bought Water Bottles

I don't know about the leeching thing. I've heard different stories about that.

Good point. There was a story about carcinogenic chemicals going around a while back, but it was an unfounded theory. I've heard the story from bottle manufacturers, too --- but it would be in their interest to get you to buy more, wouldn't it.

Recent studies seem to show a leaching of bisphenol-A from plastics, but there's not been conclusive evidence of harm from that chemical. I will change my earlier posting, if it's not too late.

I don't know about the leeching thing.

As far as this leeching thing goes

"Leaching," folks. Unless you are describing the bottled-water sellers as bloodsuckers.