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I really like the glass tea bottles (think Snapple, Honest Tea, etc.) and they are only slightly heavier than plastic and just as durable. They are easier to recycle and I can rinse them, put them in the dishwasher, whatever!

I take my stainless steel bottle everywhere I go. Look for ones without linings to be toxin free.

I use stainless steel bottles as well...I have a water filter pitcher, and use filtered water....so much less waste than using plastic bottles...and the more they are finding out about what is in the plastics.....well, all the more reason to use a refillable stainless bottle....haven't convinced anyone else at work tho...I also use pyrex glass containers for my lunch food, and pack my own silverware, and cloth napkins...no plastic bags or utensils!

Good point, Annie. Despite the occasional news story about polluted wells, etc., the municipal water supply in the U.S. is among the safest in the world. How have we become conditioned to taking water with us everywhere we go? Have we taken this hydration thing too far?

Finding alternative to plastic water bottles only requires a little effort and innovation, like all other going green efforts. I've discovered that I can find drinkable water in many places without lugging around any type of water bottle. In addition to drinking fountains, how about stopping in at a cafe to ask for a glass of free tap water or leaving a mug in your school locker or office cabinet to refill during the day? Once you start looking, drinking water is everywhere - after all, about three-quarters of the world is covered in water!

I like the suggestions of glass bottles I reuse my Gus' Soda bottles. They are made of glass with a screw cap and are small enough so they are not too heavy to cart around. This is an alternative that is better for short trips. One could also store a four pack at work with filtered water in them to use throughout the day.

Do you folks actually know what is in the tap water you are so willing to drink out of any fountain? We have an RO filter at home and it is a much better option than relying on whatever is available on tap anywhere for free. Glass and Stainless steel are the way to go when out and about. Bring your own and know what you are drinking.

I'm in the health profession and I NEVER drink from water fountains. Every person that I have come across in the last 10 years that has come down with "mono" drinks regularly from water fountains. Also, pay attention to how some people drink from them, they put their entire mouth on the faucet. Yuck! The mouth is "one" of the dirtiest places on your body. Just ask anyone who's been bitten by another person and then has had to spend 30 days in the hospital getting IV antibiotics. As for water bottles, I have a bunch of plastic ones that I have collected in the past and I just refill them from my filtered tap water. I don't actually drink from them while at work, I just pour the water into a larger cup. That way I don't have to waste water washing them. Another "green" idea! And a comment to the person who can't understand why people need to be drinking water all the time. Personally, I dehydrate very quickly because I don't retain water. And if I do anything that makes me perspire I dehydrate even quicker, so I'm one of those that can't go to the gym without several bottles of water. And I use plastic because consequently it is much lighter and than glass.

I bring a sun tea jar filled with filtered water (from my fridge) to work. It usually lasts 2-3 days. I just refill my drinking glass throughout the day. No plastic necessary!!!

Beware of any Stainless Steal containers from China. I had mine tested and found it was made with toxic materials.

Our family uses thermal stainless steel drinking cups for our water to go. We never leave home without it. The great thing about these cups is that they keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold. Living in Florida, the interior of our car gets extremely hot during most of the year. So when you return to your hot car and reach for your cold cup of water, it is still cold! The added benefits is that you can refill at a local water fountain and they are easy to keep clean.

I buy (glass) 32 ounce R. W. Knudsen juices at Whole Foods. When the bottles are empty I wash them out and stash them on top of my fridge. Every morning I take 2 of them, toss one green (organic/fair trade) tea bag into each, and fill with water. I take them to work and drink all day, thus avoiding the water out of the plastic bubbler at work, and also saving money by not buying a bottled tea. And it's healthy. I also brew my own hot tea in my coffeemaker, (one teabag per every 3 cup mark on the carafe), and after drinking one mugful at home, I put the rest in another of the bottles, along with organic milk and organic Florida (sugar) crystals. I keep a mug at work, so I am not wasting styrofoam cups every day by buying tea at a coffeeshop. I also control the ingredients that way. Everything I drink is organic, because I make it. I take all my lunches in Pyrex bowls, and wrap my sandwiches in wax paper lunch bags. No plastic for me! I take empty glass salsa jars and toss in a peeled, sectioned orange, and top off with some frozen berries. By lunchtime it's thawed and yummy. People laugh at my collection, but I am reducing, re-using, and recycling, and shrinking my "footprint"! Try it, you'll like it!