Take bottled water, for example. It’s a common misconception that bottled water is safer than tap, plastic bottles get recycled, and no harm is being done to the environment in the bottling process.

So why do we still buy bottled water? Because we’re busy and it’s convenient. How tempting is it to load the mini van full of bottled water bounty with a quick trip to the store? Pretty tempting. But what are the consequences?

Bottled water takes a toll on the environment, not to mention your wallet, and even poses health risks. Here are some reasons why you should kick the bottle habit:

- As much as 40 percent of the bottled water sold in the U.S. is just filtered tap water anyway. If it says “from a municipal source” or “community water system”, it’s just filtered tap water.

- Tap water costs about $0.002 per gallon compared to the $0.89 to $8.26 per gallon charge for bottled water.

- 88 percent of empty plastic water bottles in the United States are not recycled. The Container Recycling Institute says that plastic water bottles are disposed of (not recycled) at the rate of 30 million a day.

- Plastic bottles can leach chemicals into the water if left in the sun, heated up, or reused several times.

So what’s a busy mom with a carload of thirsty kiddos on the way to [insert extracurricular here] to do? We’ve rounded up a few tips to help you keep your family hydrated and to go green without going crazy.

Your secret weapon? An under-the-sink filtration system. They hook into your water line and provide an unlimited supply of fresh water for drinking and cooking. It’ll remove chlorine, lead, and other hazardous impurities found in your municipal water supply, and on average, will cost you just 38 cents a day.

The next step in becoming bottle free is swapping out disposable water bottles for more sustainable choices. Next time you’re thirsty, reach for a glass or a reusable bottle like Lifefactory.

And don’t forget to ditch the bottle at the office and the gym.  Ask your boss or yoga instructor if they’ll consider going bottle free and install a bottle free water cooler.  They won’t need to replace those big bulky jugs every month and it’ll save them some money, too.

We think that no matter how busy life gets, it’s still important to make good decisions that benefit your family, your health, and the planet. Our goal at Bottle Free Indy is to make Indianapolis bottle free — free from the unsustainable model of delivering bottled water and free from the plastic waste of disposable water bottles.

Want to join our mission? Connect with us on Twitter, and Facebook, and stay in touch. We look forward to hearing about your bottle-free progress!