Play in the Environmental Working Group Scavenger Hunt

Do you buy bottled water? I had never worried about tap water until my daughter was born (in fact, like a lot of people, that single event caused me to start worrying about lots of things I’d never given much thought to!). I knew I didn’t want to spend a fortune on bottled water—and I also knew that I didn’t want to waste that much plastic, either. So we invested in a small water purifier for our sink, and have been very happy with it. It doesn’t cost much, and we only have to change the filter a few times a year.

That said, there are times when I’ve forgotten her portable bottle at home, and knowing we’d be on the road for a while, stopped to buy a bottle of water. I’m sure there are other families who find themselves in similar situations. Whether you’ve been in a similar situation, or you just happen to buy a bottle of water for another reason today, you may want to play in the Environmental Working Group’s Water Label Scavenger Hunt.

It seems pretty straightforward, and there are prizes involved. Their goal is to take a look at the water people buy and find out where it comes from, if it’s purified or not, and if the EPA has checked it. To play, just remove the label from your bottle of water. It can be in glass or plastic, but it can’t be a flavored or sparkling variety. Be careful not to tear the label and to remove it completely.

Next, write down the name and location of the place where you bought the water, the day you bought it, and your name, address and email address. Then, mail your label and the information you’ve written down to:

Environmental Working Group

Attn: Nneka Leiba

1436 U St. NW, Suite 100

Washington, DC 20009

Here’s the part I’m not really happy about—the person who sends in the most labels will win a stainless steel, Environmental Working Group logo-wearing water bottle as well as a reusable grocery bag and a printed list of pollution-reducing tips. (Everyone who plays will also get a “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides” magnet.)

These are great prizes, I don’t dispute that—but isn’t this sort of encouraging people to buy a bunch of bottled water when we know there’s an environmental impact? I would think that a “random drawing” out of the info sent in would be better for the earth. Still, the EWG is trying to gather water information to share with the public, so that part is a good cause. 

Either way, if you’re going to drink a bottle of water this summer, why not participate? Maybe you can even up your odds a little by pilfering the labels from relatives’ or friends’ water bottles… now there’s an idea!