My wife and I have been doing this for years. It takes a bit to establish the habit, but then it becomes second nature. It’s the same with bringing cloth bags to the farmers market and grocery store or turning off the water between rinsing each dish (probably increasing water efficiency by 50%).

It’s just forming the habit.

And then you’d be surprised how jarring it can be to see your ‘old’ way of doing it. Couple weeks ago we had guests staying with us who volunteered to do the dishes. When they left the water on between rinsing the soap off of each dish it pained me to see all that water being wasted. Now when I forget to bring our Nalgene bottle or don’t remember to fill it up somewhere and end up buying plastic bottled water it is not pleasant because I see how much trash gets generated by something that I didn’t really need.

Thanks for your comment — and for thinking “beyond the bottle” about how we can improve our water use.

Earthkeepers

I was a little nervous when reading this post when I saw reference to the Nalgene bottle, which has been the target of previous environmental campaigns due to the toxins possibly leaked through this indestructible plastic. Lucky for Nalgene consumers, when I followed the link I saw that the product referenced was BPA-free – good to see we’re walking the talk with the materials referenced here and in our own products that can help with water and waste saving efforts.

So here’s another question: what about the water coolers around our office? What kind of water are they filled with? “Bigger” bottles or the clean stuff from our local water treatment plants?

You raise some good points, but I think you are taking the “convenience” of having tap water everywhere for granted. I recall two incidents this weekend alone where I was in need of water and there was no tap nearby.

I understand that bottled water comes in plastic, but so do sodas and other beverages (and yes, I understand you can’t get soda from your tap). Tap water is generally/most times safe, but what about those times when it is not?

I recall being at Lollapalooza last year in Chicago. 75K people in Grant Park on a blistering hot August day. If there was no bottled water, people would have literally died. You really can’t expect people to lug around a canteen or Nalgene bottle everywhere they go and replenish it whenever they happen upon a tap. Really think through the argument against bottled water, and I think you’ll realize that it’s not an unecessary evil. It’s needed in the world.