Lunch Box

I was lucky enough to have Clear2Go send me one of their filtered water bottles to try and my take is: this bottle is cool!  On the outside, Clear2Go looks like a shiny silver bicycle water bottle.   On the inside lies the magic: a replaceable filter that removes 99.9% of microbial cysts and filters 100 gallons of water. You can filter your everyday tap water on the go and save hundreds of dollars while you help the environment. It is a win for your wallet and a win for the environment!

The Clear2Go bottle is made of BPA-free plastic that is flexible and easy to squeeze. The spout lets water easily flow out the top, but can be pushed in to seal, much like the tops you find on other bicycle or sport bottles. I find it to be nicely sized at 24 oz, a common size for many brands of reusable bottles. This size is great for grown-ups on the go and for kid’s sporting events. However, if you are looking for a bottle to send along with a lunchbox for school you should consider a smaller reusable bottle such as a Sigg, Klean Kanteen, or Funtainer.

Clear2Go’s replaceable filter will last over 500 fill-ups.  So, if you typically drink about two 24 oz water bottles a day (roughly 1.5 liters) you will need to change the filter about every 8 months. Over the course of a year, the monetary savings of using this bottle over single use bottled water is huge. Here are the numbers over the course of 2 years (Since 1 Clear2Go bottle + a 2-pack of filters will last 2 years):

Clear2Go water cost for 2 years: $32 (Including Bottle, 2 Additional Filters, and shipping)

Single-Use Bottled water cost for 2 years: $1241

These numbers assume you drink 48 oz of filtered water a day (2 fill-ups of the Clear2Go which equals about 1.5 Liters of bottled water). I based the single-use price on the price per case at Samclub.com.  

The savings?  over $600 per year!  But, the true saving is for the  environment–the single use bottled water industry is a huge environmental burden.  For instance, even though single use bottles can be recycled, 8 out of 10 plastic water bottles become landfill waste (from Earth911.com). The petroleum and natural resource costs far exceed the benefit of the water inside, so please… think green and get a reusable bottle that fits your needs!

After using my Clear2Go for a couple of weeks, my sister took the bottle on a trip overseas to Spain & Germany.  Since its filter works on little bugs (think giardia) that can create big problems while traveling, the bottle gave her the peace of mind to travel and have a filter on-hand whenever she encounters questionable water.  In Europe the water is probably safe either way, but I sure wish I had the Clear2Go during my adventures to Mexico during grad school!  It will be at my side for any future trips of the sort, and I recommend one as a great precaution to keep vacations to faraway lands healthy and happy.

Hopefully, single-use water bottles are an object of your past.  If not, perhaps Clear2Go is just the product you need to have clean filtered water on the go without compromising your wallet or the environment. For more information visit Clear2Go, and please consider joining the millions of people committed to kicking the disposable water bottle habit!