My eco friendly water plan--not shipping anymore.

[Aggiegrl]

I wanted to post this in case anyone else out there is like me.

On previous trips, DH and I have shipped water and we've also refilled water bottles from the hotel tap (blech). I recently started thinking about our January trip and how we would handle "the water situation."

I honestly can't ship water anymore. The cost may not be much, but it just seems so SILLY to waste all that plastic, packaging materials, and fuel for WATER.

I went to Target yesterday and bought a small PUR water pitcher for $15. I will pack it in my suitcase with 2 empty bottles. It won't take up much space, because I can fill the pitcher with small items.

 

[chartle]

We used a Brita 9 years ago and it worked great. This past summer we took another Brita and it didn't work quite as well.

I wonder if we were on a different but equally yucky system.

What worked was a filter bottle that we got at a Sporting Goods store. The plan was to use the bottle to filter the water into other refillable bottles we carried.

http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/accessdetail.cfm/BOT100

We also carried some small bottles of water.

Due to TS Fay it was always ober cast and we didn't need much water.

 

[TheWog]

if you use Costco for your water you are having water shipped a shorter distance and probably for less of a cost.

 

[chartle]

if you use Costco for your water you are having water shipped a shorter distance and probably for less of a cost.

I think the OP was thinking more about the total impact of a case of water not just the shipping.

Though Disney does try to recycle as much as possible. Even stuff in the regular trash stream.

 

[TheWog]

Ok, thank you, I thought they were saying they didn't want to use/waste packing materials, fuel, etc. that would be required to ship a case of water. If they had the option they would prefer to have the case of water, just wanted a better way to get it there.

 

[HGD24]

We used one of these filters last trip and it worked really well! We brought an empty Pepsi bottle from home since this filter does not fit on every bottle on the market. We simply filled one bottle using the filter and emptied it into the bottle that didn't have the filter on it. We were able to use water from the tap in the room and from the drinking fountains in the parks, something we were never able to do before.

http://www.waterfilters.net/Culligan-SB-1R-Water-Bottle-Filters_p_0-264.html

Here a similar filter comes with a water bottle

http://www.1stqualityhomestore.com/2401839.html

And another
http://www.waterfilters.net/SB-2-Water-Bottle-w-Filter_p_0-265.html

 

[MomofKatie]

Disney is GREAT about recycling- they go through ALL trash to seperate out recyclables. So, buy a case of H2O when you get to Orlando, and throw out the bottles when you are at WDW- they will get recycled.

 

[leblanat]

Before heading down to our first trip to Florida and WDW, I read a lot on this board about how bad the water was. So when there I was leary. But we drank it and didn't notice a thing. It was always on ice and that may have made a difference, but we drank it all week. We also order tap water at all restaurants normally, so bottled is not something we usually do. My advice would be to at least try it. Many mey be pleasantly surprised. And it is totally eco-friendly.

 

[HGD24]

Before heading down to our first trip to Florida and WDW, I read a lot on this board about how bad the water was. So when there I was leary. But we drank it and didn't notice a thing. It was always on ice and that may have made a difference, but we drank it all week. We also order tap water at all restaurants normally, so bottled is not something we usually do. My advice would be to at least try it. Many mey be pleasantly surprised. And it is totally eco-friendly.

You're right, the water and ice in restaurants doesn't seem to have an odd taste to it, but the tap water in the hotel rooms and water fountains outside of restrooms definitely has a very chlorinated taste to it.

 

[WillCAD]

I've been using a Brita FIll and GO sports bottle for years. It's similar to the one Chartle posted above, but unfortunately it's no longer made. I stocked up on filter cartridges for it though, and I have enough to last me another 10-15 years.

There is another brand on the market called Pure Water 2 Go that works pretty well, and it's less expensive than the one Chartle posted. It comes in 2 or 3 sizes, and they also have filters that fit in a brand-name soda or water bottle. I got a couple and tried them in a Dasani bottle and they fit well and work just as well as my Britta Foll and Go's.

 

[Tigger1966]

I alos have a Britta sports bottle that we use. It has saved a lot of money over the years but I am running out of filters so I will have to upgrade. I wonder if the Culligan filter would work? The bottle looks the same.

 

[HGD24]

I've been using a Brita FIll and GO sports bottle for years. It's similar to the one Chartle posted above, but unfortunately it's no longer made. I stocked up on filter cartridges for it though, and I have enough to last me another 10-15 years.

There is another brand on the market called Pure Water 2 Go that works pretty well, and it's less expensive than the one Chartle posted. It comes in 2 or 3 sizes, and they also have filters that fit in a brand-name soda or water bottle. I got a couple and tried them in a Dasani bottle and they fit well and work just as well as my Britta Foll and Go's.

The Pure Water 2 Go filters that fit on soda or water bottles are the same as the Culligan ones that we used and are cheaper than the website that I linked to above.

 

[rparmfamily]

The tap water you get in the resturants comes out of the soda machine and I think it's filtered, so that's why getting water at Disney isn't nasty (except maybe at fountains.)

OP--I too hate to use the plastic bottles,etc. I brought my reusable bottles and brought them into the park with me. I just went to any counter service and asked for a large ice water, no lid. I showed them my water bottle and EVERY time they happily gave me a large ice water and I just dumped it right into my bottle. It did waste paper (the cup) but Disney can't use your bottle on the machines for health reasons I guess. (I asked LOL)

I guess you could keep the cups to use at your hotel if you really want to reuse/recycle LOL.

 

[mnasmom3]

Disney is GREAT about recycling- they go through ALL trash to seperate out recyclables. So, buy a case of H2O when you get to Orlando, and throw out the bottles when you are at WDW- they will get recycled.

I had no idea. WTG, WDW!

 

[Aggiegrl]

I'm glad to see others out there like me. We are using a pitcher instead of a filtered bottle simply because 1) the pitchers are available locally and 2) we like to have a pitcher of water in the fridge of our room, bottles aren't enough for this.

I think its great that Disney recycles. But sometimes, recycling is used as a means to justify doing the same old thing.

Costco might ship locally. But, think about this:

1) Plastic pellets are shipped (fuel)
2) Plastic bottles are made out of pellets (energy).
2) Bottles are shipped to bottling company (fuel)
3) Bottles are filled with water (energy)
4) Bottles are shipped to warehouse (fuel)
5) Bottles are shipped to consumer (fuel)
6) Bottles are sorted and shipped to recycle center (fuel)
7) Recycle center recycles bottles (energy)

By not drinking pre-packaged bottled water, we are cutting out a majority of these steps. Local water doesn't involve all of these energy and fuel steps in the delivery system.

 

[HGD24]

Great points Aggiegrl - this is why I love the water bottle filters that just screw on to the plastic bottles and sports bottles. We used the same 2 bottle all week long - washing them in between of course.

 

[WillCAD]

Great points Aggiegrl - this is why I love the water bottle filters that just screw on to the plastic bottles and sports bottles. We used the same 2 bottle all week long - washing them in between of course.

I do the same thing, only I use the Brita bottle instead of a filter that screws into a regular bottle. The reason for this is the wide lid on the Brita bottle (and some of the other re-usable filtered bottles mentioned in this thread). The wide lid allows me to fill my bottle up with ice from any source before putting water in, thus keeping the water cold longer.