This simple bottled water alternative is a no-brainer

Reusing bottle

You see it everywhere: in grocery stores, coffee shops, gas stations, and airports. Bottled water— packaged in flimsy, single-use plastic—has become more popular than soda in the US. In 2017, the average American consumed more than 42 gallons of it. That translates to 318 standard-size water bottles.

Since less than 10% of plastic waste gets recycled in the US, most of those water bottles wind up in dumps, where they won’t break down for hundreds of years. Globally, plastic trash clogs not only landfills but also rivers and oceans, harming or killing countless animals who ingest it.

One of the simplest ways to reduce your own plastic waste is to get a reusable water bottle. Keep it in a visible location and take it with you whenever you leave your home. Tap water costs a fraction of what the bottled form costs, so you’ll be doing your wallet a favor as well.

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World Wildlife magazine provides an inspiring, in-depth look at the connections between animals, people and our planet. Published quarterly by WWF, the magazine helps make you a part of our efforts to solve some of the most pressing issues facing the natural world.

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