Water Is Essential But Plastic Is The Problem

Plastic containers disappear or disintegrate maybe in 200 years, but until this, they just breakdown into smaller pieces and pollute our earth's oceans and landscapes. Chemicals found in most plastic water-bottles can also be extremely harmful to our bodies, contributing towards abnormal hormone changes and cancer.
In the first large-scale human study of the chemical, some found with Bisphenol A in their urine had more than double the normal risk of heart disease and diabetes. Research suggests that BPA exposure may contribute to the epidemic of female breast cancer now and in the future.
Furthermore, BPA exposure has been shown to interfere with chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. What can you do? Simply switch to stainless steel aluminum bottles and drink from a filtered tap. This small change can do some serious earth and health saving action.
No need to worry about Bisphenol-A, Phthalates or PVC with steel bottles! I recommend using a baking soda or diluted white vinegar wash to preserve the clean, neutral taste over time (brush as needed). You don't have to go all out and buy a billion dollar one to showcase your eco-support.
It's very easy to find functional and affordable ones at local shops. If you have the cash, can you resist buying the fancy and adorable sleek ones that have been coming out lately? I've found some covet-worthy bottles at www.modcloth.com , www.blueq.com and www.earthlust.com. Do the eco-thing and stick to keeping our planet pretty and it really becomes a worthy investment.
Facts about Plastic and Bottled Water

• 24% of the bottled water on the market is tap water repackaged by Coke and Pepsi (Fast Company, December, 2007)

• In 1976, the average American drank 1.6 gallons of bottled water a year. In 2007, that number had increased to an average of 28.3 gallons per person. (Fast Company, December, 2007)

• Americans throw out 38 billion empty water bottles a year, more than $1 billion worth of plastic. (Fast Company, December, 2007)

• In the U.S. alone, more than 24 billion pounds of plastic packaging is produced every year. Most of that packaging is designed for single usage, meaning it's designed to be thrown out as soon as that package is opened. (Surfrider Foundation)

• Worldwide, human beings use more than 1 trillion plastic shopping bags a year.

• Every reusable bag bought or distributed prevents about 400 plastic bags from being used. (Surfrider Foundation)

• Every 13 plastic bags saved equals enough petroleum to drive a car one mile. (Surfrider Foundation)

• The total plastic production worldwide now exceeds 80 million tonnes a year
Why not bio plastic?
Yes, bio plastic is available, but bio-plastics lack the performance and ease of processing of traditional materials. Polylactic acid plastic is being used by a handful of small companies for water bottles. But shelf life is limited because the plastic is permeable to water – the bottles lose their contents and slowly deform. So, there is nothing serious, what we can really expect from the drink water industry.
However, bio plastics are seeing some use in Europe, where they account for 60% of the biodegradable materials market. The most common end use market is for packaging materials. Japan has also been a pioneer in bio plastics, incorporating them into electronics and automobiles.
Bottled vs. Tap
Americans drank more than 9 billion gallons in 2007, and fewer than half of 228 brands of bottled water reveal their source. Typical cost is $3.79 per gallon, 1,900 times the cost of public tap water. Green campaigns have focused on steering away from bottled water because manufacturing, transporting and sending non recycled bottles to the landfill use natural resources and create an environmental burden.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order in June 2007 barring use of city funds to purchase bottled water. "The primary reason is that it can cost a thousand times more, and you're not even getting better quality water," said Tony Winnicker, spokesman for the city Public Utilities Commission.

"There have been hundreds of millions of dollars spent to market the myth that bottled water is purer and safer than the tap water. The study is further evidence that the myth is often a lie." In Bundannon a 2,500 head residential town of Australia banned in July 2009 the sale of single use water bottles. Its properly the first town in the world who understands the problem takes an important step for the future.
Guide To Safe Drinking Water
Drink filtered tap water instead of bottled water. Use carbon filters, pitcher or tap-mounted. They reduce lead and disinfection byproducts. If you have no tap Install a brita water filter system and filter 20 litre bottled water you can purchase from every shops around. Install a reverse osmosis filter system if you can afford it, it will take out most organic contamination's.
If you want to get rid of just simply all contamination's and you want to drink water which will not affect you in any way, you have only one choice – purchasing an AWG and produce your own water: An atmospheric water generator, is a device that extracts water from humid ambient air.
An AWG operates in a manner very similar to that of a dehumidifier: Air is passed over a cooled coil, causing water to condense. This water is then passed into a holding tank with purification and filtration system to keep the water pure. AWG features vary depending on the manufacturer. In order to meet stringent FDA standards and NSF, most systems are coupled to one or more advanced filter systems. The rate of water production depends on the ambient temperature, humidity, the volume of air passing over the coil, and the machine's capacity to cool the coil.
There are various manufacturers on the market starting from 20l capacity until industrial size systems with several tons per day. As Thailand has high humidity those systems will run very efficient and will serve you purest contamination free water and in the same time you reduce the mold problem at your place of living by reducing the humidity.
Andreas Ruthe
TCM Asia – Phuket