One of the most frustrating issues I encounter is the issue of invented or manufactured need. Society has been indoctrinated into believing that we cannot use water fountains or pour a liquid out of a pitcher into a glass.
We are reminded of our busy lives and time saving devices, but when you really consider it, how much time do we save buying our beverages in single serve containers? Bottled water, soda, juice bags, juice boxes? Does it really save our time to have to purchase additional items at the store, transport and unload them and then still have to handle them when consuming? Have you ever tried to unwrap a case of water then twist off a hermetically sealed lid or open a cardboard sealed box of juice bags and pierce the bag with the straw after unwrapping the straw? Wouldn't it be easier to just pour a glass of water?
These products are not more convenient nor do they save time, let alone the environment. When we purchase single serve beverages, our time, money, and environment pays. There is also significantly more waste in pre-measured servings. How many juice bags or cans of soda never are finished? Who determines what an adequate thirst quenching portion is? Many parents with active children on team activities are encouraged to bring bags and boxes of refreshment. What if each child was given a personalized bottle to bring to each event and parents rotated bringing a spouted beverage cooler?
Our Daily Green would like to encourage our readers to invest in a good reusable, washable beverage bottle, start using a thermos and turn on the faucet again. Drinking water is safe for human consumption and if that remains a concern, water is easy to filter. I've featured two bottle companies on the bottom of this post that make customized water bottles. What a great back to school or end of the season idea!
Sugared drinks are not healthy, but the pre-made beverages are usually sweetened with chemically modified high fructose corn syrup. When I serve my family or guests something to drink besides water, I prefer to sweeten it myself with natural sugar.
I've included a very simple recipe for homemade lemonade. With all the time saved not buying single serve beverages, you'll have time to make a pitcher and savor a glass over ice.
Ingredients:
- two quarts water
- juice of 4 lemons
- 2/3 cup of sugar
4 comments :
Not to mention the money you save in using a water bottle. Individual portions are way more expensive per ounce because you have so much more packaging and waste.
It's crazy how the beverage companies have convinced us that tap water is unsafe when most bottled waters are tap water! Pure insanity.
Great one, Kim! We bought lemons at Morris's farm market in Currituck, NC on the way here to Hatteras for JUST that reason (besides, real lemonade tastes WaY better, anyhow!) I must confess to being many times, though, more a slave to hydration than the environment! (Especially at the beach!)
My family loves our reusable bottles. I just bought my son a Thermos with a straw to bring his drinks to kindergarten, rather than the usual drink boxes most the kids his age have. It makes it easy for me to give him a good drink to have at school, and it won't leak if he doesn't finish it, so he can save it for later.
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