We’ve been hearing from a growing number of you, asking why PCC continues to sell water in plastic bottles. Good question!

We’re well aware that plastic bottles are piling up in our oceans and landfills and we don’t like it either. We realize there are growing concerns about the health and safety of consuming foods and water from plastic containers, and we’ve been encouraging safer alternatives for years. But we need your help to create a sustainable future.

Did you know that six of our top 10, best-selling items in grocery are waters in plastic bottles? That’s where you come in.

Instead of choosing plastic-bottled water, go for the reusable, stainless steel water bottle available at PCC to refill and carry around. If you can’t part with your polycarbonate #7 sport bottle, we suggest that you use it only for water, wash it as infrequently as possible, and avoid exposing it to heat and light. (Washing and exposing plastics to heat and light apparently can increase leaching of plasticizers into the fluid.)

We encourage you to install your own home water filtration system, such as the New Wave Enviro water filter sold at PCC, or a more sophisticated under-the-counter system by Custom Pure, a local company that filters the bulk water sold at PCC and our produce misters.

We also encourage you to stock up on non-leaching glass food storage containers sold at PCC, and to bring in your own containers when purchasing bulk or deli items. You’ll get a 10-cent discount whenever you bring in your own containers for reuse!

For more information, visit our Web site to read up on the plastics most commonly used to contain and store food and beverages. A good article to start with is "Safer food storage for better health," published in the Sound Consumer.

Your comments or questions about any of PCC’s sustainable efforts are always welcome. Thank you for joining us. We’re all in this together!