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It’s officially back-to-school season, and we all know what they say: “New year, new me.” For some, that means a bold new haircut, or some new notebooks, or maybe you’ll finally throw away that ratty old comforter and replace it with a new one. But personally, I wanted a change that started from within: AKA, with what I was putting into my body, and how I was consuming it.
Why I made a change
I drank water every day last semester, but as a girl on-the-go between classes and clubs, I forgot to think as deeply about the environmental ramifications of grabbing yet another plastic water bottle to take with me. I was unaware of how bad of a habit this was until I had that moment we all have, when I realized how many surfaces in my room were just covered with a small army of empty plastic water bottles.
2,000 plastic water bottles are used every second (yep, you read that right), and those things take 450 years to decompose – so you can imagine the guilt I felt as I collected all those empty bottles from around my room. I really didn’t want to contribute to that awful statistic any more than I already had, so I decided to ditch the plastic bottle for good and purchase the product I’d been hearing about everywhere: a Brita Stream.
How I made a change
The Brita Stream was literally created to fight against the habit of bottled water, making it perfect for my change of heart. It fits right in my fridge (more room for extra snacks!) and has a 10-cup capacity, so busy me doesn’t have to think about refilling it that often, and I’m saving so much plastic by using it that it doesn’t bother me. Plus, it filters out nasty things like chlorine taste and odor, zinc, copper, cadmium and mercury. I didn’t even know those were in my water in the first place, but there’s no way I’m going back now that I do.
One of the coolest things about the Brita Stream is the “filter-as-you-pour” technology. When I fill the pitcher up, I don’t have to wait for the water to be safe to drink. I can just pour immediately into my glass or reusable water bottle (another environmentally conscious decision of mine) and know that it’s been filtered. Oh, and did I mention filtered water tastes way better? No lie. I used to be one of those “water doesn’t taste like anything” nonbelievers, but after this, I am a ~changed woman~.
Back-to-school is the perfect time to make a change for the better. But if you’re like me and you’re not feeling a new haircut or an entire wardrobe transformation, you can start small and still have a big impact. I totally suggest being more thoughtful with your water consumption and trying out a Brita Stream. Your body will thank you for not ingesting those harmful contaminants, and the planet will thank you for reducing your plastic use. All that goodness for just $34? Now that’s what I call a steal. Let’s make this school year the best one yet.