Klean Kanteen

Wednesday, 6:59 pm

Apr

16

2008

This afternoon my brand new Klean Kanteen arrived in the mail. It’s a stainless steel water bottle, very light weight. Klean Kanteens come in a variety of sizes from 12 oz. to 40 oz. And with a variety of different tops. You can mix and match. For the time being, Klean Kanteens only come in the brushed stainless finish. I read someplace that, this summer, they’ll also be offered in a bunch of different colors.

So, why did I buy a stainless steel water bottle? Well, I don’t do plastic disposable/recyclable water bottles any more. The water in them turns out to be not much better than public tap water; sometimes it actually is tap water and its processing is regulated less stringently than the municipal water supplies. And I don’t like the plastic bottles.

Plastic bottles require enormous amounts of resources in their manufacture for, usually, one time use. Then they end up in the trash, more often than not. I mentioned, once before, that after one our blockbuster coastal storms a couple of years ago, there was a park downtown that was literally covered with plastic water bottles, three or four deep, and the coverage extended several hundred feet in all directions. They were, apparently, dredged up out of the roiling water and left on land after the water receded. It was utterly shocking to see. And that was just one little park in one little town. Even if every last person who uses them were to recycle the bottles, we’d still waste enormous amounts of resources in their manufacture and again in their recycling. We don’t have the luxury of infinite resources to waste on something so unnecessary.

What I like about the Klean Kanteen, of course, is that it is reusable. And the one I bought, 18oz, is just the right size for my hands. It is also manufactured without any traces of lead which can show up in poorer quality stainless steel. The Klean Kanteen’s stainless steel is food grade...the kind used in breweries, food processing, and dairies. It doesn’t leach icky stuff like other cheaper grades of stainless steel or plastic. And mine weighs about 6 oz, so it’s easy to lug around. It won’t wear out and it won’t break if I drop it. Also dishwasher safe, if you do the dishwasher thing.

I bought mine on Amazon for $15 (took advantage of free shipping). It should last the rest of my life. I really like my little water bottle. I’ll probably grab another when they come out with colors this summer. Then I can leave one in the fridge to cool while I’m guzzling from the other one. My doctor informed me, last week, that I’d be doing myself a favor if I’d drink more water—somewhere between 60 and 72 ounces per day. Keeps the pipes and plumbing happy. So that’s what...about 4 refills in my Klean Kanteen per day. Easy to count, easy to do, and environmentally and people friendly. Good deal.

Incidentally....the weatherman lied again. We never managed to crawl much above 56° today. The breeze came in right off the ocean so it felt pretty chilly out there. If not for the bright sunshine, it would have been downright cold. Still, I managed to accomplish a few things. It wasn’t nearly as much fun as if the day had been warm, though. No windows or doors were opened today. And I still had my scarf wrapped around my neck. Real spring will arrive eventually. I keep hoping.