Tuesday, July 24, 2012

A Cheaper, Greener Way to Drink Water

By Maria Noël Groves, Clinical Herbalist & Co-op Wellness Educator

Want a new water bottle for the car and office? Check out the Co-op's glass bottled water selection! Opt for stylish glass bottles with screw-tops, which are dishwasher safe, only cost a few dollars, and are perfect to re-use. Even BPA-free plastic water bottles can leach dangerous chemicals, and stainless steel water bottles often impart an unpleasant metallic flavor.
Lots of Great Glass Bottles to Choose From!

To drink clean water, you just can't beat glass. Once you finish the water in your bottle, refill it with filtered tap water. Seltzer fan? Check out the Soda Stream carbonator (available at Things are Cooking in downtown Concord) to make tap water fabulously fizzy. Add a squirt of flavor extract from the baking aisle (lemon, vanilla, orange...) or a few sprigs of fresh herbs from the garden to the bottle for a sublime summer sipper.
Lemon Verbena Leaves Infusing in Seltzer

* Glass is non-leaching, which makes your drinking water safer and better tasting (not to mention more elegant). Re-using a glass drink bottle is super cheap compared to buying any type of "water bottle," and it's even dishwasher safe.
* Refilling with filtered tap water eliminates waste, costs next to nothing, and has a low carbon footprint.
* Homemade seltzer costs less than bottled in the long run, eliminates waste, and offers endless opportunity for creative drinks.