After reading this post, don't forget to enter our contest – you could win a new dishwasher. Plus, do you have your own story to tell? Send it to greenchallenge@canadianliving.com (no more than 300 words, please), and you could win one of 30 daily prizes. There was a time when the idea of paying for a bottle of water would be laughable. Nowadays, however, most people think nothing of spending a couple of dollars on prettily packaged tap water – and of just as quickly disposing of the plastic bottle it came in. (We'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say the bottle was recycled.) There's a number of problems with bottled water: • It's overpackaged – both the production of the bottle and the mechanics of its disposal are hard on the environment. • Transportation of bottled water – sometimes from halfway around the world – takes its toll in terms of the fossil fuels used to transport it. • In cases where the bottled water is nothing more than filtered tap water, companies often have unlimited usage of municipal supplies, even in communities that suffer from water shortages. • It's a waste of money that could be better spent helping poor communities around the world establish safe sources of water. Of course, there are situations that demand buying bottled water, and if you're thirsty and in a bind, it's certainly healthier for you than most of the other beverages for sale on shelves. But when it comes to living green, we should all be trying to keep bottled water purchases – and even purchases of other bottled beverages – to a minimum. Here are some suggestions: • Bring your own refillable bottle whenever you can – to the gym, in the car, at work or when travelling. Splurge on a nice one that you'll be happy to tote around – I love my Sigg water bottle, which is made of aluminum with a taste-neutral lining. • If you're not satisfied with the taste of your municipal water, get a good filter. • If you're at all concerned with the safety of your municipal water supply, do something about it rather than avoiding it. A good supply of safe drinking water is an essential community resource. • When you must buy bottled water, choose local suppliers over imports, and always recycle the bottle! What did I miss? Share your thoughts in the comments. Today's code word: bottled Read more: • Are plastic drinking bottles bad for your health? • Water: How much should you drink every day? • The healthiest water to drink