Save the Planet. Save Your Wallet. Use a Water Bottle.

The Atlantic published a piece this morning titled “What Will Break Our Bottled Water Habit”.  It features a really great slide show and mentions several ways in which people are trying to draw attention to the fact that “about 86% of plastic water bottles in the U.S. end up as garbage or litter.”  That’s a lot of water bottles!

All that trash got me thinking that I should introduce you  to a very good friend of mine:

This is my Klean Kanteen stainless steel water bottle. I bought it last fall at L.L. Bean in Freeport (check them out, they have different colors!) and it has served me very well since then.  The purchase was a bit unneccessary; I had recently stopped bringing disposable bottled water to work every day and was using a Nalgene water bottle at the time.  However, I really liked the look of the Klean Kanteen bottles and the fact that it would fit in a car cupholder…and, being from Maine, I have a love for L.L. Bean, so I bought a new water bottle for myself.

Definitely one of my best purchases.  I love my Klean Kanteen.  The water always tastes good and, for some amazing reason,  seems to stay cool.  It’s also highly durable–my poor bottle has taken a few good falls (out of my hand, off the roof of my car…I’m a bit clumsy) and though the paint is a little chipped, the bottle is fine, even after over a year of very regular usage.   Brian’s bottle is plain stainless steel and his looks really good.  Mine just looks well loved–I take it to school, I take it to the gym, I take it on car rides.  It’s pretty much always with me.

So, if you’re ready to kick your disposable water bottle habit, either to help out the planet or your wallet, I highly recommend the Kleen Kanteen.  And neither Kleen Kanteen or L.L. Bean is giving me anything for saying so.