Limiting The Effects Of Plastic Water Bottles: How You Can Go Green And Make A Difference

By Author: Vikram Kumar
Total Articles: 9721
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You see them everywhere, at the gym, the supermarket, maybe there's even one sitting on your desk right now. I'm talking, of course, about the ubiquitous plastic water bottle. Americans have had an ongoing love affair with this little innovation, since it was first introduced to us back in the 1960's. Today, we spend over $20,000 every minute on bottled water, that's 8.6 billion gallons annually. Of course, there is no arguing plastic bottles are convenient but few consider the ecological impact that the 16 oz bottle of mineral water you keep with you at the gym has on the environment.
From 1997 to 2007, sales of bottled water grew by more than tenfold, however the recycling rate of plastic bottles for the same period dropped by 4%. Industry analysts estimate that 1.5 to 2.7 million tons of plastic are used to make plastic for bottled water, each year. For every 2.2 pounds of plastic produced, it takes just over a half gallon of oil: that means that over the course of one year almost 21.4 million barrels of oil are consumed in bottled water production. Coupled with the fact that every plastic bottle actually takes 6.74 ...
... times more water to produce it than it can hold, the impact on our environment to produce a single bottle is staggering. While nearly 90 percent of plastic bottles finish their life in landfills - despite the fact that they can be effectively recycled between 20 to 30 times - there is a drive towards reducing this figure by collecting and recycling the plastic for future use into a product called Recycled Polyethylene Terephalate or RPET.
One green manufacturing business is looking to make a difference by taking on two environmental problems at once. Ecozuri, a California based company, has created a line of eco-friendly reusable carrier bags made from a RPET fabric called Repreve. This unique yarn is made from 100% recycled consumer plastic, collected and processed in the U.S., that is converted into a high quality yarn and in turn is spun into an eco-friendly fabric.
Ecozuri offers a line of colorful, chic shopping bags that are at once a fashion statement and a way to show your commitment to keeping the environment safe for us and future generations. Each bag is available in a range of vibrant colors, is machine washable and can hold up 50-pounds.
Clients who purchase from Ecozuri can be sure they are receiving a product that is certified as being produced from 100% recycled post-consumer plastic and, by integrating the reusable bags into their day-to-day shopping habits, they will also be helping to remove the need for an estimated 500 disposable plastic shopping bags per adult each year.
Ecozuri also offers a custom-made factory-direct production program for wholesale purchasers. Using this system, Ecozuri is able to offer its wholesale easily branded, environmentally friendly, chic and colorful bags suitable for all manner of promotional and advertising campaigns with savings over similar programs of between 10 and 25 percent.
To learn more about Ecozuri and our products visit www.Ecozuri.com

Author Bio

Most people hesitate to carry green bags simply because they harbor the misconception that all green products are typically drab looking. However, with the bright, colorful range of environmentally friendly shopping bags and other recycled materials available at Ecozuri, you can save the earth and look cool too!