This is a guest post by Lonny Goldsmith, Content Development Specialist at Wheels for Wishes

We live in a world where we want what we want, and we want it now. We’re always on the go. Whether it’s running to and from classes, going to the library, or heading to work, we move in fast-paced world where we are looking for the convenient option a lot of the time.

Unfortunately, going for convenience means we aren’t always making the best decisions when it comes to things like eating healthy (running to the nearest fast-food restaurant) or drinking healthy (lots of soda to help you get through the day). But drinking healthy isn’t just about how much soda you drink, or whether you drink enough water, but where your water comes from.

Absolutely, it’s more convenient to run into the nearest convenience store and buy a bottle of water. It tastes better than tap water, right? Americans bought 9.1 billion gallons of bottled water in 2011, and most people don’t realize what they’re getting or what that cost is:

• What you are getting is almost 50 percent municipal tap water.
• Nearly all water bottles are made from polyethylene terephthalate, a plastic produced from crude oil.
• The amount of water used to produce the bottle can be up to triple the amount that the bottle actually holds.

Buy a reusable bottle and you’ll save loads of money as well. Fill them up from your tap or any on-campus drinking fountain instead of buying a bottle of water every time you get thirsty. If you’re really concerned about your local water quality, buy one with a filter in the bottle. Replacing a filter will still be considerably less expensive than the water bottles you’ll buy.

Yes, your short term health isn’t being impacted when you buy a bottle of water. In the long-term, the global impact is enormous. Think of how you’ll help change the world when you stop buying bottles of water.

To learn more about the bottled water footprint and how you can reduce yours, check out this informative infographic.