“Americans buy, consume, and throw away nearly 100 billion 12-ounce water bottles every year,” according to Peter Gleick, a world renowned expert, innovator, and communicator on water and climate issues. These bottles then pile up in either the already massive landfills around the world or in the environment.

One of the biggest problems with plastics, particularly plastic bottles, in the environment today is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a trash vortex in the North Pacific Ocean containing plastics, sludge, and other trash and debris. And while most of the debris is microscopic or not visible to the human eye, there are estimates that the size of the patch is now sitting at 270,000 square miles, roughly the same size as Texas. As anyone could guess, this is not good for not only the environment, but animals, and surrounding ecosystems.

The problems with plastic water bottles are obvious- and all stem from the fact that plastic is not easily biodegradable. In fact, it can take up to 1000 years for a single plastic water bottle to fully degrade. From this, you can see why we have a problem. While this may sound like a doomsday piece- I promise, it isn’t. While we have done a lot of damage to the environment, the problem with plastic water bottles is actually solvable.

So—how can we start to fix the problem?

Boxed Water is a Californian based initiative that distributes and sells water pre-packaged in cartons, instead of plastic bottles, that comes prepared with the slogan “Boxed Water is Better.” The concept behind this is very simple- not only does plastic have a detrimental impact on the environment, but also on the consumer, and switching to Boxed Water is an obvious alternative.

The boxes created by Boxed Water have a lesser impact on the environment not only during the production stage, but also after their use. The boxes are made from more sustainable materials than that of plastic, and have a lack of harmful chemicals that can be excreted while decomposing in the environment. Similarly, it takes about two months for the entire box to completely decompose. This is much better for the environment- not only do the boxes not release gross chemicals, but they also don’t build up in landfill for anywhere near as long as plastic may.

The switch to Boxed Water is not only beneficial to the environment, but to your body as well. You don’t need to hear from me that we are unaware of the effects of plastic on us, particularly the inclusion of the chemical BPA. Not only does making the switch from plastic bottles to Boxed Water help the environment, but also your physical health.

You’ve said a lot of complicated things- how can I personally help?

While Boxed Water started in California, it has now spread nationally to a range of states, including being available for sale in grocery stores and gas stations. By purchasing Boxed Water instead of bottled water, you can be sure that you are making a difference to not only the environment but your own health. Plus- there’s no excuses, they retail for exactly the same price, and the boxes come with a screw top so they are sturdy and reusable, and they are becoming more readily available.

So- I’ve done the hard part. I’ve done the research and laid it all out here- what’s your excuse? Consider making the switch. Boxed Water Is Better.