Back to School: Ditch the Juice Box and Bottled Water, Save the Planet

As your child gets ready to head back to school, leave those cardboard juice boxes and plastic water bottles out of his school backpack. The problem? Every school year, our nation's landfills-and streets, yards, playgrounds, etc.-are deluged with truckloads of these water bottles and juice boxes. Don't let your child be a part of a growing ecological crisis.

Even worse, many people don't recycle their plastic water bottles. Also, juice boxes are not always accepted at local recycling centers-I know they aren't at mine (source). This just exaggerates the environmental problem even more.

But juice boxes and plastic water bottles shouldn't just be an environmental concern. There are numerous questions regarding the safety of certain plastics used in plastic water bottles. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that some plastics leach a toxic chemical called Bisphenol A( BPA) into the water in your child's water bottle (source).

Don't risk jeopardizing your child's health, wellbeing and safety when she heads back to school this fall. Instead, ditch the cardboard juice boxes and plastic water bottles and buy your child a safe, reusable drinking bottle. Safe, reusable bottles made from non-toxic material is healthy for the environment, and healthy for your children!

One of my favorite eco-friendly, children's reusable bottles this back-to-school season is called the Klean Kanteen, which is made from "eco-friendly, durable, reusable stainless steel." Your children will love this reusable bottle because it is very easy for mom and dad to wash and clean; it won't leach toxic poisons or chemical taste into their water; and it helps them saves the environment from a continuous buildup of manmade trash. It's available from Klean Kanteen's website, www.kleankanteen.com, for just $17.95. Fancier versions of the Klean Kanteen will cost a little more, plus shipping and handling.

If your child wants a more kid-themed reusable bottle when he heads back to school, try the SIGG Kids Reusable Bottle, which is marketed right at the back-to-school demographics. They're environmentally friendly, and also kid-friendly with numerous colorful cartoon designs such as animals. The SIGG Kids Reusable Bottle is available from their website for just $15.95, and promises and promises to be "durable, spill proof & leak proof" with a "special liner [that[ ensures great taste and is thoroughly tested to ensure 0% leaching of any substance - no trace of BPA, BPB or any phthalates."

This back to school season, teach your children environmentally-conscious consumer choices and switch to a reusable bottle for their juice or water. It'll keep your kids healthy, and it will keep the world a greener place, too!