Our water is not all that fantastic here.  It is well water, but full of minerals and just not that tasty.  So a few years ago, we decided to give bottled water a try, on the condition that we would recycle all the plastic bottles.  We stocked up on several cases at Costco and started dutifully collecting the bottles to take to the recycling center.  Much to our dismay, the first time we tried to drop them off, we learned that our particular center does not accept water bottles!  While I have no clue why or how they could not accept them, we were faced with a big problem – wasting tons of plastic or going back to tap water.

Then I heard about Sigg bottles, and decided to give reusable water bottles, coupled with a Brita filter, a good try.  Wow, what a difference!  I can drink all I want and not feel guilty about any waste, because the only thing that gets tossed is the filter in the pitcher.  Last I heard, a recycling option for those filters is in the works so soon that will be taken care of too.

There are myriad choices of bottles available though, so it is hard to know which one to try.  Avoid any made of aluminum because it has been linked to health problems.  Plastic can leach chemicals into your water, so those should be avoided as well.  The best options are stainless steel or, in the case of Sigg, a lined aluminum can. 

My husband and the kids each have Klean Kanteens, which are made of stainless steel.  They come in many colors and are big enough to last through most activities.  I am more sensitive to smells, though, and the aftertaste from the plastic cap is unbearable to me.  Sadly, I had to put away my Klean Kanteen.

I use a Sigg bottle and love it. While they have plastic liners, they are BPA free and guaranteed not to leach.  For some reason, the plastic on the lid of the Sigg does not leave that aftertaste, so I can drink all day and not notice a funny odor or taste.

When choosing a bottle, make sure you get a reasonable size.  I have the smaller of the Sigg bottles and find that it is often not enough to get me through a trip to the city or other small jaunts.

The most important thing is to just go out and try a bottle.  You will save money and the environment, and get a cool bottle out of the deal.