Bottled water is thousands of times more expensive than tap water. Compare $0.002 per gallon for most tap water, to a range of $0.89 to $8.26 per gallon for bottled water, according to foodandwaterwatch.org.

Fast Company reports, if the water we use at home cost even what the cheapest bottled stuff costs, our monthly water bill would be around $9,000.

What’s really in that bottle?
Approximately 40 percent of all bottled water sold in the U.S. is just filtered water from the tap, which is exactly the same thing you can do at home for a fraction of the cost.

So, why do we pay more?
When we buy bottled water, we’re not buying the water itself — we’re buying a chilled, convenient, branded beverage, with the false notion that it’s safer than tap water.

Craving a change for good?
According to Charles Fishman, author of The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water, “A single half-liter of bottled water costs as much as a day’s worth of cooking, washing, showering, and toilet-flushing for a whole family.”

From filtered pitchers to undersink systems, there are options available for any budget. Grab your favorite reusable bottle, and you’re ready to take on the world. Water filters can also make tap water safer for small children and people with compromised immune systems.

Once you give up your bottled water habit, you’ll find you have some welcome extra cash floating around your wallet. See? Change is good.

What’s the environmental impact? Simply put, the traditional bottled water delivery service is wasteful. Manufacturing those unwieldy water jugs takes precious resources and energy. And transporting water jugs in diesel-burning trucks creates unnecessary fuel emissions. The way we see it, every bottleless water cooler that’s installed helps clear the air.

What else makes bottle-free coolers way cooler? They filter your existing water right at your fingertips — no waste, and no waiting (but you can read more about that here).

Breaking the bottle habit. It’s estimated that water bottles account for up to 41% of the 2.4 million tons of plastic discarded every year. That’s why the next step in becoming bottle-free is swapping out disposable water bottles for reusable ones. Next time you’re thirsty, reach for a glass or a reusable bottle like Klean Kanteen.

Why do we care so much? Unlike national water cooler suppliers, Bottle Free Indy is a family-owned Indianapolis company. We’ve been proud to call Indiana home since our parent company, Indy Soft Water, was first founded in 1964. While going bottle-free isn’t the sole solution to creating a more sustainable city, it’s one piece of the environmental puzzle.

Join our mission. Your efforts to lead a greener lifestyle may inspire those around you to do the same, and slowly, one by one, we can make a positive change. So, we invite you to join us. Follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, and stay in touch. We look forward to hearing about your bottle-free progress!